The anticipated debut of the new musical, “The Whimsical World of Sherlock Holmes”, will premiere Off Broadway as part of The Broadway Bound Theatre Festival, in the first live performances at Theatre Row on 42nd Street. The limited engagement includes four performances on September 11, 14, 15 and 18.

A musical about Sherlock Holmes has not been staged in New York in over 50 years, and it’s finally time for the world’s most recognized literary character to break out of his mold and experience the triumphs and consequences of free will.

A crime has been committed, and Sherlock Holmes should be on the case! But…Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is suffering an emotional breakdown, his characters are disillusioned and exhausted, and Sherlock’s inner song-and-dance man is bursting to emerge! Sherlock sheds his detective persona and persuades his associates to leap off the page and finish the story themselves, with colorful twists, unexpected romance and, of course, fabulous production numbers. Seeing unrecognizable pages before him, Doyle believes he is going mad, until Sherlock himself meets Doyle face to face, to force a battle of wits and finally determine who’s really in control, and what it truly means to have free will.

With the Off-Broadway premiere originally slated for summer 2020, writer Marney Makridakis used the delay to launch “Page to Stage” – an innovative youth arts empowerment program based in Dallas, TX, in which students participated in every stage of the development and producing process, such as contributing lyrics and voting for their favorites during the New York casting process.

Makridakis, who wrote the musical’s book, was joined by her husband Anthony Makridakis to write the music and lyrics; arrangements and orchestrations by Adam Baritot; directed by Kristen Penner; choreographed by Jamie Thiessen; lighting design by Melissa Farinelli, stage management by Ilana Walker.