By Merle Exit
Maggie’s Little Theatre will send up Agatha Christie mysteries this month with “Something’s Afoot, A Murder Mystery Musical,” beginning March 18.
This British “whodunit,” loosely based on Christie’s 1939 novel “Ten Little Indians,” is a musical spoof of the detective stories that made her the best selling novelist of all time. “Something’s Afoot” involves a group of 10 people who are invited to the lake estate of Lord Dudley Rancour, who is soon found dead. Now it is a race to discover the killer, as the invited guests start dropping like flies.
“‘Something’s Afoot’ was originally performed on Broadway in 1976,” said Jim Gillespie, president of Maggie’s Little Theatre, now in its 10th season. “It is not Ten Little Indians put to music, although the show is based on the mystery. In fact, if you are an Agatha Christie fan, you will recognize most of her other character elements within the show.”
Director Whitney Stone is not new to Maggie’s, though this is her first time directing a production there.
“My first experience was two years ago, as a choreographer for their production of Lucky Stiff,” Stone said. “This time I am both directing and choreographing. This is a very small show with only 10 actors and 10 musical numbers which lends itself to having one person able to do both.”
Gillespie said he was quite pleased with the quality of the cast.
“I was entirely amazed at the talent that auditioned, because ‘Something’s Afoot’ is not like a ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ which gets much draw,” said Gillespie. “I had never heard of it until it came up in our talk about future shows.”
Many of the cast are performers from other community theatre groups, and 70 percent of the cast are new to this Middle Village locale, including Beatrice Holman who portrays Lady Grace Manley-Prowe.
“This is my acting debut,” said Holman. “I am really a singer, and this is a lifelong dream. The cast, and especially Whitney, has been wonderful to me. She is very patient, and the cast has been very inclusive. I have auditioned before, but never found the warmth that I feel here. I am having the time of my life in my retirement.”
The cast includes Kaitlyn Abdul playing Hope Langdon, the ingénue; Shana Aborn playing Miss Tweed, the amateur detective; Navin Das playing Nigel Rancour, Dudley’s licentious nephew; Jim Gillespie playing Clive, the butler; Rich Feldman playing Dr. Grayburn, the family physician; Ryan Hiers playing Geoffrey, the juvenile; Beatrice Holman playing Lady Grace Manley-Prowe, the grand dame; Amelia Johnston playing Lettie, the saucy maid; Jason Kell playing Flint, the caretaker; and Mark York playing Colonel Gilweather, an old army man.
Sarah Glassman is the musical director.
If you go
‘Something’s Afoot’ at Maggie’s Little Theater
When: Saturday, March 18, 8 p.m.; Sunday, March 19, 2:30 p.m.; Friday, March 24, 8pm; Saturday, March 25, 8pm; Sunday, March 26, 2:30 p.m.
Where: St. Margaret Parish Hall, 66-05 79th Place, (between Metropolitan Avenue and Juniper Road
