A Murder, a Mystery & a Marriage
THE STORY: Mary Gray is the prettiest girl in Deer Lick, Missouri, and shy Hugh Gregory loves her as much as she loves him. Sally, Mary’s mother, is happy for her daughter and convinces Mary’s father, John, that Hugh is perfect for Mary. Unfortunately, John does not get along with his rich brother David, and on the eve of the wedding, David reveals that he is leaving his entire fortune to Mary in his will—on the condition that she never marry Hugh! No sooner is the ink dry than David is found dead. Who done it? Was John trying to hurry his daughter’s inheritance? Could Hugh have killed David for straining his relationship with Mary? What about the mysterious stranger claiming to be a Count from Kansas? The sheriff believes Hugh is the killer and the poor boy is convicted and sentenced to hang. But it is, of course, the stranger who done it, and he woos Mary while Hugh waits in vain for a pardon from the governor. The counterfeit Count finally wins Mary’s hand, but on the day of the wedding, Mary—kept in the dark by the dastardly Count and her well-meaning parents—learns that Hugh is to be hanged the same day! Accompanied by the whole town, she runs to the jail, and with some detection that’s more Dr. Watson than Sherlock Holmes, Mary figures out that the stranger is the killer. The Kansas Count is arrested, and Hugh and Mary are free to wed.
“A cornucopia of corn-fed pleasures…James Sugg’s score is folksy and a toe-tapper even if your music tastes run more toward Beyoncé and Kanye than Shania and Martina. Mr. Posner tempers the laid-back bluegrass vibe of the music with lyrics that poke fun at the very conventions and stereotypes the musical celebrates. The result is a show that is homegrown and highly polished fun.” —Washington Times.
“A rapturous celebration of country folk and folkways.” —Washington Post.
“…a high-spirited evening for the entire family…a bouncy bluegrass score.” —Talkin’ Broadway.
