“Get on board – it’s a great ride.” — Houstonian Magazine

Join Nevada Conservatory Theatre for the Nevada premiere of Murder on the Orient Express May 2-11 in the Judy Bayley Theatre. Tickets are $30 and available at the UNLV Performing Arts Center Box Office, online, or by calling 702-895-ARTS (2787). Discounts are available.

This production is based on the book by Agatha Christie, adapted for the stage by Ken Ludwig and directed by Michael Lugering. This new adaptation by Ken Ludwig (Lend Me a Tenor, Moon over Buffalo) captures the spirit of Agatha Christie’s original classic with a healthy dose of comedy.  

Famous detective Hercule Poirot boards a luxury train, the famous Orient Express. En route to Western Europe from Istanbul, a murder has taken place, and every passenger is a suspect. With suspense, intrigue, and unexpected twists, this gripping production promises an unforgettable night of drama and detective work. Whether you're a devoted mystery lover or new to the world of Poirot, Murder on the Orient Express will keep audiences on the edge of their seat until the very last reveal. 

“I am thrilled to produce this witty, theatrical, and engaging thriller with Michael Lugering at the helm.” says executive director Kirsten Brandt. “I’m a huge fan of Agatha Christie, especially her Hercule Poirot adventures. This version is delightful.”

“Ken Ludwig’s hilarious adaptation of Agatha Christie’s most famous mystery, Murder on the Orient Express, is a riotous mash up of the best these world-renowned writers have to offer.” says director Micheal Lugering. “This adaptation is a terrific blend of Ludwig’s command of contemporary farce and Christie’s mastery of enthralling suspense.”

Agatha Christie, the “Queen of Mystery,” is the bestselling novelist of all time. Ken Ludwig is a Tony Award-winning writer and world renowned master of comedy so this adaptation strikes the perfect balance of the cerebral and the comic.

Agatha Christie

Born in Torquay, England in 1890, Agatha Christie is the best-selling novelist of all time. With over one billion books sold in English and another billion in over 100 languages, she is outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. She wrote 80 crime novels and collections of short stories, over 25 plays (including The Mousetrap, the world’s longest running play), and six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. Her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, introduced the world to the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, followed a decade later by the shrewd and often-underestimated Miss Marple.

Ken Ludwig

Ken Ludwig has had six productions on Broadway and eight in London’s West End. His 34 plays and musicals are staged around the world and throughout the United States every night of the year. His first play, Lend Me a Tenor, won two Tony Awards and was called “one of the classic comedies of the 20th century” by The Washington Post. Crazy For You is currently running on London’s West End. It was previously on Broadway for five years, on the West End for three, and won the Tony and Olivier Awards for Best Musical. For more information visit www.kenludwig.com.

Michael Lugering

Michael Lugering is a master teacher of voice, movement and acting. He has spent over 15 years researching the physical, psychological, behavioral and aesthetic aspects of human expression. The Lugering Method marks a revolutionary departure from traditional methods of actor training. In this truly integrated technique the voice and body, thought and feeling, sound and movement, psyche and soma are synthesized in the practical exploration of expression action. His book THE EXPRESSIVE ACTOR: An Integrated Method of Voice, Movement & Actor Training is published by Heinemann Drama Books.  Lugering has taught master classes in acting, voice, movement and classical text at theatre conferences and Professional Acting Training Programs throughout the United States, Korea and in the United Kingdom. Acting credits include JOE: performed in Las Vegas, Monaco, Scotland, Los Angeles, Liverpool, Japan and Quebec. Additionally, he is a passionate director noted for his innovative approach to the classics. He has served as a professional voice coach for the Utah Shakespearean Festival and the Nevada Conservatory Theatre.

Cast List

• Maxim Lardent* - Hercule Poirot
• Nick Case^ - Monsieur Bouc
• Autumn Morgan^ - Mary Debenham
• Andrew Mikhael Caleb Treviño^ - Hector Macqueen
• Dylan Omori McCombs^ - Michel the Conductor
• Kymberly Mellen# - Princess Dragomiroff
• Alex Rector - Greta Ohlsson
• JoAnn Birt^ - Countess Andrenyi
• Kate Critchfield^ - Helen Hubbard
• Drew Callahan^ - Colonel Arbuthnot / Poirot US
• Andrew Scott Bullard^ - Samuel Ratchett
• Dave Magtoto - Head Waiter
• Maggie Stoyanova - Hospitality Staff
• Izabel Stoyanova - Hospitality Staff
• Sadie Dayley - Hospitality Staff
• Riley Stannard - Hospitality Staff
• Cynthia Nesbit^ - Female Roles U/S
• Drew Goldman - Male Roles U/S
• Vanessa Hanish - Princess Dragomiroff U/S

Creative Team

• Michael Lugering# - Director
• Cameron Cox^ - Production Stage Manager
• Danielle Aikens^ - Stage Manager & Props Coordinator
• Frank Ingalls - Assistant Stage Manager
• Melissa Oliva - Assistant Stage Manager
• Olivia Anderson - Assistant Stage Manager
• Andy Taylor^ - Scenic/Projection Designer
• Paige Borak^ - Lighting Designer
• Brooke Oteri^ - Managing Technical Director
• Katie Gould^ - Costume Designer
• Mary Alice DiRienzo - Sound Designer
• Eleos Chester - Makeup / Assistant Costume Designer
• Mitchel Statler^ - Associate Technical Director
• Flynn Yepsen - Associate Technical Director
• Brandon Stokes - Assistant Technical Director
• Lily Burtis - Associate Projection Designer
• Cecilia Fisher^ - Scenic Paint Charge
• Andee Roby^ - Lighting Programmer
• Lee Geiger^ - Master Electrician
• Stebos# - Dramaturg
• Phil Hubbard# - Accent & Speech Coach
• Sean Boyd - Fight & Intimacy Director

*guest artist
^ Member of the MFA Professional Training Program with the Nevada Conservatory Theatre
#Faculty Member