It’s a rock concert and an unsolved mystery, heavy on Gothic, behind an all-female cast bringing the story of an ax murderer to life.
That is if you believe Lizzie Borden whacked her father and stepmother to death in 1892.
“Lizzie the Musical” opens Jan. 31 at Theatre of Dare in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Adara Huls, who plays the title role, said the show doesn’t have the dancing of a traditional musical.
“It’s dark and heavy, but I really believe it has something for everyone.”
Huls grew up loving theater and starred as the Spoon in the theater’s recent production of “Beauty and the Beast.” Though she’s performed major roles in ensemble casts, this is her first time as a principal actor.
The real Borden was acquitted of the murder yet ostracized for the remainder of her days in her hometown, Fall River, Mass. The musical that explores the mysterious mind of the Sunday school teacher is set to punk rock in a production that is essentially an opera.
“There might be 30 lines of dialogue in the whole thing,” said director, Mike Mazza.
That makes for a long night of singing for Huls and the women playing the other characters: Emma Borden, Lizzie’s older sister; Bridget, the maid; and neighbor Alice. The grungy rock music takes a toll on her voice; it’s challenging to sustain.
But, she said, “It makes it all the the more satisfying when you nail it.”
The band features drums, guitar, piano, a cello and bass. Drummer Stacey Maxwell in 2017 spent a night in the Lizzie Borden house, which has been converted into a bed and breakfast. Being in the show is a kick for Maxwell.
“I would say I’m an unsolved-history geek,” Maxwell said. “This is one of the many mysteries I learned as a child that fascinated me with the whodunit of it all.”
Huls and Brandy Hayes, who plays Emma, knew little of the story beyond the children’s nursery rhyme, “Lizzie Borden took an ax/and gave her mother forty whacks/When she saw what she had done/she gave her father forty-one. ”
“I think I resonated with this portrayal of Lizzie because she’s very, very angsty,” Huls said. “I like that it’s telling a different version of the story and it’s not necessarily sympathetic to what happened, but it paints a fuller picture.”
Hayes added, “ There are some cool elements on stage. A live band on stage is pretty sick to me … So other than learning the story of an ax murderer from the 1800s, it’s saucy and entertaining.”
“Lizzie the Musical” runs select dates through February 9 and two of the seven shows are sold out. For tickets, visit Theatre of Dare online.
