Page 62 - Waves April

house. It isn’t long before the first murder
takes place, right there on stage. The butler
gets blown up on the stairs, just as he is
explaining that dinner is ready and Lord
Rancour is dead.
CURTAIN GOING UP!
Mayhem ensues as the guests and staff
are picked off one by one through such
other fiendishly clever concealed devices as
a nerve-gas emitting telephone, a scarf-
around-the neck-grabbing fireplace and a
flesh eating Ming vase leaving only Hope
THEATRE REVIEW and Geoffrey [whom, of course, have
fallen in love] still standing. Suddenly, a
by: Paul Hager painting opens to reveal a Victrola, which

Something’s Afoot contains the confession of Lord Rancour. Grayburn it at Country Playhouse in Hous-

Murder Most Funny ton while studying theatre at U of H. This
is a show were, although it contains several
ensemble numbers, each character gets
omething’s Afoot is a murder their own ‘turn’ with a song showcasing
mystery musical that spoofs their talents. Each and every actor rose to
detective stories, mainly the works the occasion – especially Stephanie Rascoe
of Agatha Christie, and espe- Myers as Miss Tweed and Matt Poole as
Scially her detective novel And Nigel - and Trish Fozer’s musical direction
Then There Were None (a.k.a. Ten Little and her ‘marvelous musicians’ accompa-
Indians). The book, music, and lyrics were niment enabled every singer’s voice to be
written by James McDonald, David Vos, and heard, side-stepping the audibility pitfall
Robert Gerlach, with additional music by Abby Gough and Matt Poole that has plagued other ETC musicals. I was
Ed Linderman. Something’s Afoot opened He himself had planned the murders, all also most impressed with Jennifer Daugh-
on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre on in order to let Hope inherit her fortune. erty’s choreography – much more elaborate
May 27, 1976 and closed on July 18 after 61 He had killed her parents and himself so and intricate than I expected and the design
performances and 13 previews. Pat Carroll that she would never have the burden of a team of Thomas Boone [scenic design],
starred in a summer stock tour of the show guardian, Clive because he had known of Nancy Dougherty [costume design], and
and A televised version was broadcast on the existence of a child, Doctor Grayburn Lisa Miller [lighting design] was ‘spot-on’
the Showtime network in December 1982, because she had delivered her, and Miss in creating the perfect look for a gloomy
starring Jean Stapleton as Miss Tweed and Tweed because she had been Hope’s nanny. English manor and its occupants.
Andy Gibb as Geoffrey, supported by a cast Rancour assumed that if the truth were
of well-known Canadian actors. revealed, the three of them would stand One minor complaint. I felt the special
in her way. Nigel had been killed because effects created to have the ‘diabolical
As the show opens [set in 1935 at the coun- he would have contested the will, Lettie devices’ in the room commit the murders
try estate of one Lord Dudley Rancour on because she was blackmailing Rancour, and left something to be desired. Maybe this is
an island in a lake], guests begin arriving with Flint simply because he was “a gripper.” just me having been in the show before and
a rousing opening number for “A Marvelous Rancour explains that each murder was knowing what is called for in the script and
Weekend”. They include all the clichés you planned according to the victim’s habits: how we pulled them off.
can imagine in a murder mystery: The lovely Clive punctually announced dinner on the
ingenue (Haley Dougherty), the bristly army stairs at 7:15, for example, when the bomb In conclusion – to quote
man (Bobby Hewitt), the dissolute nephew was to be set off. Hope and Geoffrey drink Chrish Kresge [another
(Matt Poole), the calm doctor (Terri Burch- a toast to the new world that awaits them. director of Something’s
field), the hysterical woman (Kerri Foley) However, they begin to feel ill as Rancour Afoot] “Sometimes we just
and the amateur detective (Stephanie Rascoe explains that Flint’s death was meant to crave entertainment—pure
Myers) who seems to be smarter than any- come from poisoned wine, which they have unadulterated fun, with no
one else there. Joining them, of course, is evidently just drunk and they fall dead. agenda, no lesson to be
the help: the stuffy butler (Michael Wonio), learned, no emotional toll to be taken.”
the saucy maid (Abby Gough) and the folksy The ETC cast gave an energetic, polished ETC’s production was just the ticket!
caretaker (Philip Graschel). And last but performance on the Saturday night I attend-
-Paul
-Paul
Hager
Hager
not least, the mysterious last-minute guest ed; Kim Mytelka’s direction kept the brisk -Paul
Geoffrey (Ali Masswi) who seems, at first, to pace necessary for a musical farce. I must Hager
be the obvious murderer. A storm washes admit I have a fondness for this particular
out the bridge and everyone is trapped in the musical as I appeared in it as a male Dr.
62 | Waves Magazine | May 2019 Issue