Mystery of Edwin Drood, The

Mystery of Edwin Drood, The (1985), a musical comedy by Rupert Holmes (book, music, lyrics). [Imperial Theatre, 608 perf.; Tony Award.] Charles Dickens's last, unfinished novel was turned into a musical entertainment as performed at a Victorian music hall in London. Since the murderer remains a mystery in the book, the audience was asked to vote on whom the culprit was and the show ended accordingly. Notable songs: Don't Quit While You're Ahead; Moonfall; Perfect Strangers; Off to the Races; Wages of Sin. This unlikely piece for American audiences was first presented by Joseph Papp in Central Park in the summer of 1985, and it was so popular that he moved it to Broadway in the fall. Wilford Leach directed the play‐within‐a‐play with a playful touch and George Rose, as the Chairman, held the audience participation show together. Also outstanding were Betty Buckley as the actress playing Drood, Howard McGillin as the villainous Jasper, Cleo Laine as the dope peddler Princess Puffer, and Patti Cohenour as the ingenue Rosabud. Holmes's score is a pastiche of Victorian tunes that are both accurate and entertaining. During the run the title was officially changed to Drood. Rupert HOLMES (b. 1947) was born in Cheshire, England, to an American father in the military and a British mother, but grew up in Nyack, New York, later studying composition at the Manhattan School of Music. Holmes has also written best‐selling pop songs, as well as several theatre works, including the short‐lived Broadway thrillers Accomplice (1990) and Solitary Confinement (1992), the biography play about George Burns called Say Goodnight, Gracie (2002), and the musical Marty (2002).