Rupert Holmes Joins Int'l Mystery Writers' Festival

Writer Rupert Holmes has agreed to join the International Mystery Writers' Festival Executive Committee. In addition, Holmes will also be bringing his Tony, Grammy, Emmy and Edgar Award talents of writing for the festival through the production of unique and special events.

"I look forward to seeing these scripts brought to life by David Ossman and Judith Walcutt's amazing troupe," Holmes said. "And I look forward to greeting one of American theatre's living legends, impresario Zev Buffman, whose Broadway credits are certainly no mystery to me."  

Zev Buffman, co-chairman of the festival, said: "Rupert will bring a new dimension to the festival that will propel us into a new era left behind by books on tape. His new art form will hit the senses and capture the hearts of all who attend. We are discovering this re-emerging art form under the guiding hands of the leading authority on the planet."

Holmes' critically hailed, Emmy Award-winning dramedy "Remember WENN" television series will be used for an endless source of musical mystery special events to be presented at the festival from year to year.  

The setting of the series is Pittsburgh in 1941 during the struggling radio industry of the day. With characters set against the backdrop of a small radio station, WENN was poised to bring back memories for those who were there and serve as a doorway to the past for those who were not. WENN is a blend of comedy and drama that replicates a savory taste of the long-gone days of radio. The series ran on AMC for nearly five seasons, but still left several unresolved cliffhangers hanging. Two of the episodes from the series will be combined to create a unique style of musical mystery during the two week festival. "The Armchair Detective" and "The Ghost of WENN" will be the two episodes that will be adapted as musicals and renamed "Armchair Detective – A Remember WENN Musical Mystery."

"The Armchair Detective" occurs on a stormy night, flickering lights and a mysterious telephone call that would normally be the stuff found on one of WENN's radio dramas. But when an escaped convict shows up at the station, demanding that "Armchair Detectives" re-enact the crime to find out who really killed his boss and prove his innocence, the situation becomes all too real.

The mysterious drama, "The Ghost of WENN" is a ghost story beginning at midnight on Friday the 13^th and turns spooky for real when one of the characters starts hearing voices, and the power goes off.

Producer Judith Walcott and Director David Ossman, longtime friends and colleagues of Holmes will continue as the team that will guide this integral part of the festival.

"Rupert Holmes has sort of made a mark for himself with doing productions of many levels, shows within shows… multilayers and multidimensional stage work, Walcutt said. "Remember WENN" really has kind of a cult following. People love the romance of old radio."

Holmes' credits include the current broadway musical "Curtains," "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" (Tony Awards to Holmes for book, music and lyrics, Tony to "Edwin Drood" for Best Musical; "Identical Honors," New York Drama Desk; Outer Critics Circle, Best Musical); "Accomplice" (Edgar Award, Mystery Writers of America), "Solitary Confinement;" and "Say Goodnight Gracie" (National Broadway Theatre Award, Best Play; Tony nomination, Best Play). Off-Broadway credits include: "Twelfth Night" (NYSF, original music); regional credits are "Marty" (score by Strouse and Adams, Huntington Theatre, Boston) and "Solitary Confinement" (Kennedy Center).  His novels for Random House include "Where the Truth Lies" (Booklist Top Ten Debut Crime Novel,Best American Mystery Novel 2004, Nero Wolfe nomination); and "Swing" (San Francisco Chronicle Top Ten Fiction.)    

Currently spending his time between New York and Florida, Beau was born to a theatrical family in Brooklyn. He studied drama at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute and at HB Studios. He studied theater singing with Julia Sperratore and Helen Gallagher. Beau later taught drama at the Lincoln Center Square for the Arts. It was at this time Beau began working with the Theater Development Fund and helped found New York's famed HALF PRICE TICKET BOOTH. Early in his career, Beau was screen tested and contracted for Warner Brothers. He co-hosted, an early cable variety series on Manhattan's Teleprompter channel. At this time he directed the Johnny Specca musical, SEX IS..? at the Lincoln Center Library Theater. Beau has performed Off-Broadway in FAT FELL DOWN, The Comic Strip Theater's LITTLE LULU AND THE INVISIBLE INK and WILL THE REAL ZOOPERMAN PLEASE STAND UP. Around the country he has delighted audiences with his performances in ANYTHING GOES, THE APPLE TREE, GUYS & DOLLS, and HELLZAPOPPIN! He sang for New York audiences at such cabarets as The Duplex and Upstairs at the Downstairs. He has had numerous television appearances but is most proud to have been a winning contestant on the game shows JACKPOT and THE $20,000 PYRAMID.

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