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The Mystery of Edwin Drood  

The Mystery of Edwin Drood came to Broadway after being initially presented the previous summer at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park.It was the first stage work of composer-lyricist-libretist Rupert Holmes, whose lifelong fascination with Charles Dicken's unfinished novel was the catalist for the project. Dicken's novel left behind no clues as to Drood's murderer or if there even was a murder. Holmes decided to let the audience to provide the show's ending by voting how it turns out( "The solve it yourself musical"). The writer's second decision was to present the play as if it were being performed by an acting company at London's "Music Hall Royale", with such conventions as the chairman commenting on the action and a woman playing the part of Edwin Drood. The play was nominated for eleven Tony Awards and was the recipient of five including: Best Score, Best Book, Best Director, and Best Musical of 1986.