Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Fountain City River Players’ ‘Mystery’ is full of drama

By Käri Knutson / Lee Newspapers

FOUNTAIN CITY, Wis. — The Fountain City River Players’ summer musical had a dramatic start.

Many of the Players’ veteran performers weren’t returning this summer because of new jobs, high gas prices and other obligations. And the Interstate Bridge connecting Winona to Fountain City was closed two weeks before auditions.

“I felt like I had two or three strikes against me,” said director Judee Brone.

Brone looked at ferry schedules and thought about pontoon boats for actors who live across the river. She even thought about canceling. But the day of auditions, the bridge reopened.

“It was providential,” Brone said.

The 12-member cast will perform “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” from Wednesday through Sunday at the Fountain City Auditorium. An eight-piece pit orchestra will provide the music. “Drood” is the 19th summer musical Brone has directed for Fountain City.

While many of the veterans are gone, a new batch of young actors is ready to step up.

“It’s a very talented cast,” Brone said.

“Drood,” a zany musical written by Rupert Holmes, received five Tony Awards and 12 Drama Desk awards. It focuses on the apparent murder of Edwin Drood on a stormy Christmas Eve. The who-done-it is in the audience’s hands. Attendees get to decide which one of the seven suspects is the murderer. It was the first Broadway musical that had multiple endings.

“It’s a little story filled with surprises and twists and turns,” Brone said.

Luckily for Brone and the rest of the Players, the play’s production is having a happy ending.

“After all the little bumps in the road, it’s going great guns,” Brone said.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: “The Mystery of Edwin Drood”

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: Fountain City Auditorium, 42 N. Main St., Fountain City, Wis.

TICKETS: $10, or $8 for children 12 and younger, available at Hardt’s Music and Audio and Midtown Foods in Winona Mall, both in Winona, Kwik Trip and Waumandee State Bank, both in Fountain City. To reserve by phone, call (608) 687-7481.

Contact Käri Knutson at kknutson@winonadailynews.com or (507) 453-3523.