Marsha Field Murdered Thursday, Friday

Who killed Marsha Field?

Was it Hugh Itt, millionaire and Marsha’s fiance of 10 years?  Perhaps it was Neal S’ville, her agent/attorney, or his jealous wife, Barbara.  What about Lindsey Granton?  Or was it Spencer Loyal, the love-sick trumpeter?  Could it have been Sherry Township, the office temp?

The Murder of Marsha Field – a symphonic mystery in the key of D-E-A-D will be presented by the UW-Marshfield/Wood County Symphony at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 16 & 17, in the Helen Laird Theatre.  Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door.  For tickets, call 715-389-6534.

The score for this original Central Wisconsin murder was written by Dr. David De Lyser, UW-M/WC assistant music professor.  The script and lyrics were written by Melissa Lake, University Relations director.  The symphony will be conducted by Timothy McCollum.

De Lyser and Lake came up with the idea about two years ago, following the symphony’s 2005 production of “The Journey of Sir Douglas Fir.”  That production called for a small cast of characters who read their lines in a style similar to a live radio show.  In lieu of scene changes, slides were shown on a screen above the orchestra.

“Sir Douglas Fir was a really wonderful show,” De Lyser said. “But it was very expensive to produce.  We were really struggling to come up with something comparable that would be within our budget and affordable for audiences.”

That’s when Lake volunteered to write a script.  De Lyser followed suit and volunteered to write all the music.

“We had no idea what we were getting into,” Lake admitted.  “It really didn’t sound like that much work two years ago.  It turned out to be a much bigger project than we anticipated.  If we ever do a sequel, we’ll probably wind up murdering each other!”

Jessica Kramer, a sophomore at UW-M/WC, is playing Marsha Field – a lounge singer who is found beaten, stabbed, strangled, suffocated and shot.

“I’m really enjoying this,” Kramer said. “The script is hysterical and the music is amazing.  Plus, I’ve never played a dead person before.  It’s really an interesting experience.”

Dean Markwardt, executive director of the Marshfield Area Community Foundation, is playing Detective Marathon.

“Who knew we had such creative people here in Marshfield?” Markwardt asked. “Lake and De Lyser may be the next Lerner and Loewe or Rodgers and Hammerstein. Well, no, not really. But they have come up with some very, very funny stuff.”

Other cast members include Matt Vogel, Alanna Feddick, Jill Kupfer, Elizabeth Rohrer, Joe Anderson, Mark Nelson and Andrew McCollum. Surprise cameo appearances will be made by local “celebrities.”

For more than 40 years, the UW-M/WC Symphony has presented outstanding concerts featuring the finest in traditional and contemporary orchestral literature.  The orchestra is conducted by Timothy McCollum and includes students and community members.

Upcoming Music @ the Wood events include “A Holiday Concert” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4, in the Helen Laird Theatre.  The concert features the UW-M/WC Concert Choir, Symphonic Band and Jazz Ensemble performing holiday classics old and new. Sponsored by the Laird Endowment Fund for the Arts. Tickets are $7; call 715-389-6534.

Breakout:

Patrons of “The Murder of Marsha Field” will be able to enjoy treats before the production and during intermission at the “Marsha-Mallow Buffet.”  This concession stand will feature baked goods – many with “marsha-mallows” – and all proceeds will benefit the Marshfield Area United Way.