Visions of Sugarplums

MMP’s 39th show whisks us to the snowy streets of London where a prima ballerina’s visions of torment culminate in her unusual and unexpected death onstage while dancing the Sugar Plum Fairy in Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker. Leave it to an eccentric genius detective to crack this tough nut of a case…

The Adventures of Basil Bremerton, starring the eccentric English detective known for unraveling the most impossible crimes, commanded the radio waves for years as the world’s favorite mystery radio program between the World Wars. For a delectable holiday treat, radio fans were whisked to a frosty December night in London 1934 for a premiere performance of the Chamberlain Ballet’s production of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker. But opening night sours when the Sugar Plum Fairy falls ill onstage and dies. Her death leaves a bad taste in Basil’s mouth when we learn the prima ballerina sought the detective’s help the afternoon before she died. Some phantom of the ballet had been tormenting her: leaving nasty messages, slashing her costume to ribbons, hiding dead mice in her dressing room. Yet the evidence always vanished before she could summon witnesses. The company just thought their prima ballerina was making up stories for attention. But Basil is not one to sugarcoat the situation so easily, and before anyone can have a happy holiday, he makes it his mission to ferret out the sour note hiding in the Land of Sweets. Pull up an armchair to the fireside, listen to this holiday radio special, and see if you can match wits with Basil Bremerton to solve this confectionary crime.

Status: AVAILABLE (Free on YouTube)

Body Count: 2

Mechanics: Free online YouTube show.