BMax BUTCH MAXWELLPLAYWRIGHT

From the casebook of Elliot Brick

Overturefor anUndertaker

or “The Case of the Tenth Symphony”

An Interactive Musical Comedy Murder Mystery

Every masterpiece deserves a standing ovation.
This one may require an alibi.

By Butch Maxwell and Bert Furioli

A gala. A priceless discovery. A room full of music lovers, social climbers, and one self-styled detective who thinks he’s conducting the investigation.

When a long-lost Beethoven symphony surfaces during a very important fundraising celebration, the applause is interrupted by theft—and soon by murder.

Elliot Brick is on hand to separate the sour notes from the suspects.

Your audience isn’t just watching the mystery.
They’re part of the performance.

◑

Interactive

Guests question suspects, gather clues, and solve the crime.

♪

Musical

Original parodies and audience sing-alongs keep the energy high.

⌕

Hilarious

Fast-paced farce collides with a classic whodunit.

♟

Flexible

Five principal roles and abundant audience participation.

Recovered after the final chord

Exhibits from the Case

An elegant gala program
The Gala ProgramThe evening begins.
A red velvet unveiling cloth
The Unveiling ClothDramatic moments deserve a reveal.
A heavily annotated musical score
Beerstein’s ScoreEvery note, and every opinion, is marked.
Tammy Cash's oversized lottery check
The Winning TicketSudden wealth. Sudden everything.
A stagehand clipboard covered in notes
The Stagehand’s NotesSome discoveries come with strings attached.
A gold kazoo
Kazoo of HonorThe Auxiliary Sextet is ready to play.
Elliot Brick's black detective notebook
Brick’s NotebookObservations. Conclusions. Usually wrong.

Voices from the Gala

“I appreciate the little people. As long as I don’t have to be one of them.”Mrs. Tallulah Shepherd-Boggs-Zane
“People who hate the truth. People who hate music.”Leonard Beerstein
“Guarding a gala wasn’t as good as guarding a gal.”Elliot Brick
“That’s outa my league then.”Tammy Cash
“Don’t applaud. Just throw money.”Mac McGuffin
Elliot Brick seen only as a faceless silhouette in a fedora and trench coat

Elliot Brick, Private Detective

Music. Murder. Mayhem. And one detective who thinks he’s the maestro.

Bring the house down.
Then figure out who did it.

For producers and directors

Production Information & Script

Bring Overture for an Undertaker to your audience. If you’re considering the play for your season, download a sample here, visit New Play Exchange for the complete script and production information, or request a reading copy directly.

Download a Sample Complete Script on NPX Request a Reading Copy

The sample downloads directly from this site—no registration required. The complete script is available to NPX subscribers, or you may request a reading copy directly.

From the Notebook

The joke is only half the evidence.

Explore reflections on interactive theatre, comic mystery, audience trust, and the moment a room becomes part of the play.

“I can still remember it as though it was all just about to happen.”— Elliot Brick