Three deaths, two guns, and one mysterious murderer. Adams theatre is bringing the musical Curtains to life with costumes, dancing, and drama. Directed by Joanna Pillsbury, the spring musical tells the story of a cast claiming their innocence while trying to identify the real killer.

Curtains tells the story of a murder mystery among a cast during their production of Robin Hood. The musical follows the behind the scenes drama after the leading lady, Jessica Cranshaw (played by sophomore Mary Crumb), drops dead after opening night. Now, each cast member is a suspect of murder. Lieutenant Frank Cioffi (played by senior Miles Houser) of the Boston Police Department, and huge fan of the show, is assigned the case.

One memorable performance was the second number, The Woman’s Dead. It was creepy, but humorous at the same time. The cast used the death of Jessica Cranshaw as an acting exercise, which is where the humor comes in. Throughout the song, they talk about how horrible and stupid Jessica was, and the audience could not help but laugh at how blunt the lyrics were.

Later that night, it is revealed that the show, Robin Hood, received terrible reviews. The worst came from the Boston Globe, written by Daryl Grady (played by senior Giovanni Cavallo). His review only praised the choreography and one actress, Niki Harris (played by junior Mallory Boyd).

Intertwined with the mystery, Curtains includes love triangles, comedy, and songs and dances. With the star dead, director Christopher Belling (played by junior Ian Gooderham), must find a replacement. He calls for Georgia Hendricks (played by junior Leighann Heim), one of the songwriters for Robin’ Hood, to take Jessica’s spot for the new opening night. However, Georgia’s writing partner and divorced ex-husband, Aaron Fox (played by junior Carson Weed), is skeptical to learn Georgia will be performing with her ex-boyfriend, Bobby Pepper (played by senior Alex Cook), the choreographer and male star of the show.

A song that brought chills to the audience was Carson Weed’s performance of I Miss the Music. Weed’s voice portrayed the pain of his character and really told Aaron’s story. The simplicity of the scene with just Weed, Houser, and the piano made the moment intimate.

In the middle of the mayhem, co-producer, Carmen Bernstein (played by senior Katie Lane-Waters) gets a visit from her husband, Sidney Bernstein (played by freshman Arya Sunil), arrives from New York. Shortly after, Cioffi calls to seclude the set in hopes of isolating the murderer. Then after the group disperses, Cioffi finds himself alone with Niki and captivated by her charm.

The next day, the Boston Globe critic, Grady, arrives on the set to announce he will be back the next evening to re-review the show, giving Georgia only 24 hours to learn the part. Act I comes to a close as the cast frantically practices for the new opening night.

Thataway was the last song and dance of Act I, going out with a bang. This number had everything from saloon girls, to cowboys, to a kick line. The costumes were bright and eye-catching. The dancing was flirty and choreographed to go with the song very well.

“The singing was top-notch and the acting was amazing. Two thumbs up, I would totally recommend, “ said sophomore Lili Englehart.

The story continues in Act II as the plot thickens. Suspense builds, relationships evolve, and the murderer seems as close as ever. The Adams Theatre cast perform even bigger and bolder songs and dances, keeping the audience engaged until the end.

“I really liked Miles’ part, and my favorite part had to be when they did Bambi’s dance,” said sophomore Katherine Cook.

Curtains is a perfect family night for everyone. Mystery, romance, comedy, Curtains has the whole shebang. The only question is… whodunit?