PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 1/7/2024 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Contact: Andrew Rothman From: Chagrin Valley Little Theatre 40 River Street Chagrin Falls, OH 44122 Phone: 440-247-8955 E-mail: cvlt@cvlt.org Website: www.CVLT.org <http://www.cvlt.org/> Agatha Christie’s masterpiece, "Murder on the Orient Express" arrives in Chagrin on Jan 24 CHAGRIN FALLS, OH – All aboard for mystery! Chagrin Valley Little Theatre opens the new year with Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, adapted by Ken Ludwig. Performances will be at 7:30 PM Fridays & Saturdays from January 24 – February 7, with matinees on Sunday, February 2 and Saturday, February 8 at 2:00 PM. Tickets are $23 with a $3 discount for senior, student, and military. This 2017 adaptation of Christie’s suspenseful classic invites audiences to step aboard a luxurious train where mystery and intrigue unfold as the legendary detective Hercule Poirot tackles one of his most perplexing cases. When a murder is discovered, every passenger becomes a suspect. Poirot must use his brilliant deductive skills to unravel the tangled web of clues and deceit. Ken Ludwig, one of America’s most produced playwrights, captures the essence of Christie’s storytelling in this adaptation while adding his signature dose of humor. The production is directed by Don Bernardo (who also directed Ludwig’s adaptations of “Robin Hood” and “The Three Musketeers” in the previous two CVLT seasons) and produced by Kate Bernardo. The set design is by Steven Savanyu, with lighting by Marcus Dana, scenic painting by Mark Kobak, and costumes by Haley Whitman Following the Sunday matinee on Feb. 2, the director will present a talk entitled “Agatha and the Train,” revealing the history and lore behind the real Orient Express and the train's influence on fiction and film, including Christie's iconic novel. The play features Adam V. Young as Detective Poirot, John-Paul “JP” Whitman as Bouc, Mim Goloboff as Princess Dragomiroff, Michael Aveni as Colonel Arbuthnot, Alex Petsche as Mary Debenham, Michelle Unger as Countess Andrenyi, Lisa Freebairn-Tarr as Helen Hubbard, Bill D. Kosteas as Ratchett, Douglas R. Vanek as Michel The Conductor, Julian Kruyne as Hector MacQueen, Lisa Georges as Greta Ohlsson, and Vivien Morrison as the voice of Daisy Armstrong. Tickets for Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Expressare available 24/7 at the CVLT.org website. For ticket inquiries and reservations, please contact the Chagrin Valley Little Theatre Box Office at (440) 247-8955 or via email at BoxOffice@CVLT.org. Phone sales are available from 1-6 PM, Tuesday through Friday, with the box office opening two hours before all performances. Due to limited parking and construction projects in Chagrin Falls, early reservations and arrival are highly recommended. CVLT is located at 40 River Street in historic Chagrin Falls Village. Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Expressis presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. ### Chagrin Valley Little Theatre is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded through individual and corporate contributions. Our programming is made possible in part by the citizens of Cuyahoga Country through Cuyahoga County Arts and Culture and by state tax dollars allocated by the Ohio Legislature to the Ohio Arts Council (OAC). The OAC is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically.