North Coast Repertory to debut Sherlock Holmes musical

SOLANA BEACH – The North Coast Repertory Theatre on July 20 will debut “The Remarkable Mister Holmes,” a comical and catchy twist on the classic Sherlock Holmes murder mysteries.

The musical, written by David Ellenstein, artistic director at North Coast Rep, and playwright Omri Schein, follows the seasoned detective, based on the classic character written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and his new assistant navigating the crime-strewn streets of 1890s London.

“The play wants to be intriguing, but really fun all the time,” Ellenstein said of his third written work. “We exploited [Holmes’] idiosyncratic nature, the weird quirks and turns of him to make it more fun and funny. We also threw issues at him that he doesn’t always encounter in the classic stories.”

The production marks Ellenstein’s third time directing a play with the character of Sherlock Holmes at the Solana Beach theater.

“[Holmes] has been interpreted by so many actors and so many writers over the years that there’s an essence about him that you don’t want to lose,” Ellenstein said. “He’s arrogant. He’s aloof. He is extraordinarily intelligent and is at least a step ahead of everybody else. [The story] is ironically amusing and we didn’t want to lose that nature to the character.”

To achieve this homage to Doyle’s iconic character, Ellenstein and Schein’s Holmes, played by Bart Shatto, will grace the stage in the detective’s familiar dress: a long coat, deerstalker hat and curved ivory pipe.

With lyrics by Schein and music by Broadway veteran Daniel Lincoln, the musical will be a “wild fun ride,” Ellenstein said.

The show runs through August 21, concluding the theatre’s 40th season. Previews begin July 20 and opening night is July 23 at 8 p.m. Performances will be at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays; 8 p.m. on Thursdays through Saturdays, and 7 p.m. on Sundays. Weekend matinees will show at 2 p.m.

The show will be staged at the North Coast Repertory Theatre on Lomas Santa Fe Drive.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased from the North Coast Rep website.