La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts and McCoy Rigby Entertainment invite you to attend the west coast premiere of Agatha Christie’s MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, adapted by Ken Ludwig. It will take to the stage for twenty-one shows from October 19th to November 11th. The play, newly adapted in 2017 by Ken Ludwig at the request of the Agatha Christie estate, takes the story from Christie’s bestselling 1934 novel and breathes new life into the tale of an unlikely group of strangers on the lavish Orient Express and the murder that shines the spotlight on each of them. For anyone unfamiliar with MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, the story centers on the inimitable detective Hercule Poirot who is taking a vacation in Istanbul following a particularly trying case. He is soon called back to London on urgent business and finds himself booked on the Orient Express, due to the machinations of his friend and manager of the train, Monsieur Bouc. Along with M. Bouc and conductor Michel, Poirot joins an unlikely group of travelers in the first class cabin of the Express, including Russian Princess Dragomiroff, Hungarian Countess Andrenyi, Swedish nurse Greta Ohlsson, American divorcee Helen Hubbard, English nanny Mary Debenham, her secret love Colonel Arbuthnot and a mysterious American gangster Mr. Ratchett and his assistant Hector Macqueen. A gruesome murder takes place and as the train finds itself stuck in a snow bank somewhere in Yugoslavia, M. Poirot jumps into action to try and solve the murder before whoever is responsible has the chance to escape. Seeing that MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS has been around almost 85 years and is considered one of Agatha Christie’s most loved novels, it is likely that many will already be familiar with the story and the unlikely outcome of M. Poirot’s investigation. However, Mr. Ludwig has taken the familiar tale and adapted it for the stage in a fresh and thrilling way. First, he has significantly reduced the number of primary characters, making it easier to stage and for audiences to keep track of each person and their back stories. He has also written dialogue that is quick paced and focused, filled with humor, but relying on the glamorous sensibilities of the period and the characters present. The script is engaging, entertaining, and keeps the audience enthralled from beginning to end. Overall, MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS has it all – a strong adaptation of a beloved story and a stellar cast wearing beautiful costumes on a breathtaking set. Add these things up and you get one heck of a train ride, and one truly magnificent night of theatre. Audience Talk-Back sessions with the cast will be Wednesdays, Oct. 24 and Nov. 7. Open-Captioned performance: Saturday, Nov. 3 at 2 pm. ASL interpreted performance: Saturday, Nov. 10 at 2 pm. Click here to book your passage today for the thrill-ride of the season! Sources: La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts | Broadwayworld.com[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]]]>
Murder on the Orient Express