Photo Flash: First Look at Drury Lane Theatre's THE GAME'S AFOOT, Opening Tonight

Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, continues its landmark 30th anniversary season with the winner of "Best Play" at the 2012 Mystery Writers of America Edgar Allan Poe Awards, THE GAME'S AFOOT, opening tonight, Thursday, September 4 at 8 p.m., and running through October 19, 2014. The cast is led by Derek Hasenstab (Broadway National Tour of The Lion King; The Foreigner and I Hate Hamlet at Drury Lane Theatre; Oedipus Complex at the Goodman Theatre; and Sunday in the Park with George at Chicago Shakespeare Theater) as "William Gillette" and nine-time Jeff Award-winner Alene Robertson (National Tour of Annie,Mame at Drury Lane Theatre, and The Full Monty and Hello, Dolly! at Marriott Theatre) as "Martha Gillette." THE GAME'S AFOOT is written by Ken Ludwig (Lend Me a Tenor, The Fox on the Fairway, Crazy for You, and Moon Over Buffalo) and directed by Drury Lane Theatre Artistic Director William Osetek (Young Frankenstein and next to normal at Drury Lane Theatre).

It is December 1936 and Broadway star William Gillette, admired the world over for his leading role in the play Sherlock Holmes, has invited his fellow Broadway cast-members to his lavish Connecticut mansion for an elegant Christmas Eve dinner party and weekend of revelry. When one of the guests is stabbed to death, the festivities in the isolated house quickly turn dangerous. As the gentle holiday snow quickly turns into a blizzard, it is up to Gillette himself, as he assumes the persona of his beloved Holmes, to track down the killer before the next victim appears in this witty, suspenseful caper.

The cast also includes Jeff Award winner Rod Thomas (Next to Normal and Big at Drury Lane Theatre and Little Shop of Horrors at Theatre at the Center) as "Felix Geisel," Kathy Logelin (five seasons with the Illinois Shakespeare Festival) as "Madge Geisel," Tempe Thomas (Buddy Holly and Seussical the Musical at Drury Lane Theatre, Grease at Marriott Theatre, Candide at the Goodman Theatre) as "Aggie Wheeler," Rob Riddle (LES MISERABLES at Drury Lane Theatre, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Marriott Theatre) as "Simon Bright," Wendy Robie (Film credits: Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, The People Under The Stairs, Vampire in Brooklyn) as "Inspector Goring," and multi-Jeff Award nominee and Ostrander Award winner Angela Ingersoll (The 39 Steps at Drury Lane Theatre,Richard The III, MacBeth and The Comedy of Errors as Chicago Shakespeare Theater) as "Daria Chase."

An elegant set by Jeff Award-winning Scenic Director Kevin Depinet (Singin' in the Rain, Xanadu, The Sound of Music, Sweeney Todd, and Ragtime at Drury Lane Theatre and Set Designer for the film Public Enemies) transports audiences to the Art Deco style interior of a Connecticut estate. Glamorous long velvet gowns, ermine capes and dapper tuxedoes are by Costume Designer Maggie Hofmann. The artistic team also includes Greg Hofmann as Lighting Designer (LES MISERABLES and Oliver! at Drury Lane Theatre), Ray Nardelli as Sound Designer (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, LES MISERABLES, Miss Saigon, Young Frankenstein, Next to Normal at Drury Lane Theatre), Nick Heggestad as Properties Design (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and LES MISERABLES at Drury Lane Theatre), and Rick Jarvie as Wig Designer.

Drury Lane Theatre will present the legendary Broadway musical CAMELOT from October 30 through January 4, 2015; the musical phenomenon WEST SIDE STORY from January 15 through March 15, 2015; and the venue will kick off its 2015-2016 season with the international smash hit musical BILLY ELLIOT from April 9 through June 7, 2015. For 30 years, Drury Lane Theatre has been a major force on the Chicagoland theater scene. Over that time, 10,208 performances have been staged, 7,683 actors have been employed, and over 9,000,000 people have enjoyed the venue's 308 productions and concerts. Additionally, the theater has hired more than 10,000 musicians, designers, and crew members.

The performance schedule for THE GAME'S AFOOT is as follows: Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. ($40), Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. ($40) and 8 p.m. ($45), Fridays at 8 p.m. ($50), Saturdays at 5 p.m. ($50), and 8:30 p.m. ($50), and Sundays at 2 p.m. ($50), and 6 p.m. ($45). Lunch and dinner theatre packages are available. Student group tickets start as low as $30 and Senior Citizens start at $35 for matinees and $50 for a matinee luncheon package. For reservations, call the Drury Lane Theatre box office at 630.530.0111, call TicketMaster at800.745.3000 or visit www.drurylane.com.

Photo credit: Brett Beiner