All Aboard: TWO to present 'Murder on the Orient Express'

Oct. 14—Theatre Workshop of Owensboro will be looking for the community to come on board its production of "Murder on the Orient Express," which debuts at 7:30 p.m. today at TWO's Empress Theatre.

Additional showings will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 16, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct 21 and Saturday, Oct. 22 and 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23.

The show is sponsored by Reynolds & Associates, along with the 2022-2023 season sponsor Owensboro Health.

Based on the 1934 fiction detective work by English writer Agatha Christie and adapted for the stage by American playwright Ken Ludwig in 2017, the play details the story of world famous detective Hercule Poirot being recruited to solve a murder case that occurs on the Orient Express train that he is traveling on.

"To have something like this (show) is like the equivalent of comfort food, I think theatrically speaking," said Todd Reynolds, TWO's executive director. "Everybody loves a mystery ...."

Reynolds said TWO put on a lot of mysteries in the past and is happy to return to some of the organization's roots.

"It feels good," he said. "It's kind of nostalgic, (and) we feel like we're going back and doing some of those again. It's fun."

Jeremy Brailsford, director of the production, was looking forward to putting on the "classic murder mystery" in 2020, but it was put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"It's been a two-year process trying to get this show up and running," he said, "...but now we finally get to get this train on the tracks."

At first, Brailsford had the intention of doing a production of Ludwig's adaptation of "The Three Musketeers," before finding out the play version of "Murder on the Orient Express" existed.

While Brailsford asked Reynolds for a script for the former, Brailsford ended up receiving scripts for both shows.

"...I finished the 'Orient Express' script, like, in a day," he said, "and I still haven't finished 'The Three Musketeers' script."

While Brailsford thought the show would read more like a drama, he saw there were many comedic parts that audiences would enjoy.

"The characters are so remarkably funny; and the certain things that they do, it just cracks me up," he said Wednesday. "Yesterday, we were watching a run-through, and I was laughing the entire time."

While the show is a straight play, Brailsford said some original musical elements will be featured, including an opening theme composed by friend and Evansville musician Joe Luegers.

Brailsford said the cast consists of 14 people, with 11 on stage each night. Those who are cast as understudies will be performing on Sunday, Oct. 16 and Saturday, Oct. 22.

Reynolds said an influx of people that came out to be involved with the show are from across the region, with some folks taking part in the production hailing from Evansville, Henderson and Newburgh.

One of Brailsford's favorite parts of directing the show has been seeing the cast bond on and off the stage.

"The cast (is) phenomenal," he said. "We have a lot of elements with this particular show, and they're all coming together slowly; but the one thing I noticed with my cast is the moment I cast them (and) sent out a group text basically welcoming them to the show, ... it just took off. ...The camaraderie and the way the cast interacts with each other is phenomenal."

He also praised the crew working on the show, which has been getting some help from people that are close to him.

"My mom actually ... just moved from Texas and now she lives in Evansville, and she's my prop master and my costume person," Brailsford said. "It's an all-family affair there."

Brailsford hopes the audience becomes "fully immersed in the show" while also having "a great time."

"...I want them to feel like they are taking this journey with Poirot," he said, "and I want them to walk away and say, 'Man, I have to come see it again,' because (there) are certain moments in the show that require a second viewing to get them.

"...To have people for a night out on the town watching this show, I think they'll have an enormously good time."

Tickets are $18 for adults; $12 for students.

For tickets, call 270-683-5333 or visit theatreworkshop.org.

Tickets will be available at the door with a $2 surcharge.