The Mystery of Edwin Drood was the final novel written by Charles Dickens, who died before he could ever finish it. Thus, the mystery surrounding its intended ending will never truly be resolved. However, in this year’s musical of the same name, the Hollis Brookline theatre department is determined to come up with one — but they need your help! Each night, the audience gets to decide who the murderer is from a selection of eleven individuals. Therefore, each night the story will be a little different, providing variety and the incentive to go more than once.

Matthew Barbosa, choir teacher at HB and co-director of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, says that there are three things he and co-director Gregory Parker look for when it comes to picking a good musical for HB: “We look for something that will give students a lot of opportunities, challenge them, as we have a lot of musically talented seniors this year, and bring variety. We wouldn’t want something similar to musicals we’ve done in the past,” he said.

Barbosa cited The Mystery of Edwin Drood as his favorite musical, due in part to its cheeky British humor, quick jibes, and musical references.  As for specific numbers, Barbosa stated that the song “Never the Luck” holds a special place in his heart. The song is sung by the character Bazzard, played by Vivek Nithipalan ‘17, who “wrote his own song” because he was tired of always being the understudy and wanted a chance to stand in the spotlight.
The musical is being performed on March 17, 18, 24 and 25 at 7 pm Tickets are $8 for students/teachers, $12 for senior citizens, and $15 general admission. If you would like to purchase tickets online, you may do so here.