This month’s Center Stage article comes from conversations with Emily Morrison and Gregory Boris, who have collaborated on
the Missoula Children’s Theatre World Premiere of Sherlock Holmes.
The game is afoot at the Missoula Children’s Theatre! MCT presents Sherlock Holmes, an original mystery based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous characters. Inspectors Lestrade, Gregson, and Drew present Sherlock Holmes with a baffling case: the disappearance of the famous and beloved MacGuffin Puffins from the London Zoo! Worse yet, Holmes’ rival, Moriarty, could be involved in the scheme. With the help of the Hounds of the Baskervilles, the inspectors, Doctor Watson, and a colorful collection of Londoners, Holmes follows the clues to the end the mystery. Sherlock learns that it is impossible to be right all the time, and that relying on his friends to help doesn’t make him any less clever. MCT’s Sherlock Holmes is packed with red herrings, hijinks, royalty, and a diabolical villain (or two). See you at Baker’s Street!
This class’s participants will be the very first cast of MCT’s brand-new Sherlock Holmes musical! It’s a big deal! This show will tour internationally with our Red Truck Tour after it is premiered in Missoula, and to be a part of the maiden voyage is very special. The directors will not only teach the show to the students, but will also make necessary changes to the material to make sure it works for many years and communities to come. Rehearsals are flexible, patient, and plenty of fun as the directors sharpen the show with the help of the talented cast. This is a unique opportunity for students to experience what it takes to put on a new show, and even to collaborate with the directors on blocking and characterization.
Greg
On the song-writing process for a Tour show:
The process of writing the music is actually exciting. I begin talking with the writer about the script and figure out what they want of the characters (dramatic/comedic, etc.) Often the script is already written, so I insert the music later than at the beginning of the process. The age group of the kids who will be singing the songs is important to consider. Mostly the songs are written almost like a poem, with sections that repeat. I try to find what I call the “shape” of the songs.
On working with Emily:
With Sherlock, Emily had a time period in mind, and the style of music in that era which was the 1890s. There’s one ragtime-style song (think Scott Joplin), and a ‘patter song’ like with Gilbert and Sullivan…from that I start to come up with the ‘motor’ that keeps the song going and with easily accessible melody.
Regarding the length of the individual songs, I use what the lyricist gives me and try to honor their thoughts and style. It’s quite a collaboration. I have worked on 5 different MCT Tour show scores and a few of them with Emily. Most recently we collaborated on the complete re-write of The Tortoise and the Hare script and score. She is wonderful to work with because she’s organized, plans out ahead of time and knows what she wants, including the feel of the songs. Her cues help me narrow down the choices I make, rather than having to create a score absolutely from scratch.
Emily
On choosing the title of Sherlock Holmes:
Sherlock has been in consideration for a couple of years, and mysteries are always popular themes with younger children and adults. Emily mentioned that there was not just one single Sherlock Holmes story written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; he wrote 4 novels including The Hound of the Baskervilles and 56 short stories with various plots. The audio ‘book’ of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s work is over 70 hours of listening, so there is no shortage of material from which to draw for inspiration. The stories were never intended for young children’s reading pleasure, however, so it was challenging to figure out ways to avoid all the darker elements of mayhem and murder in order to write a show that is a child-friendly, G rated story…with music.
On collaborating with Greg and the cast:
Emily gives lyrics to Greg and he tinkers with them, makes changes to the length and rhythm of the songs, sometimes even ‘live’ during the rehearsal process with the cast of 60 K-12 children. They are the best ones to know what will work for their age and vocal abilities. This certainly takes extra energy and focus, but it’s joyous work!
The concept was developed in July 2025 so the costume shop and production staff could begin to plan for the look of the show, and she began writing it in November. Emily and Greg recently collaborated on the World Premiere of The Tortoise and the Hare, which debuted last season. Sherlock Holmes will eventually hit the road with the Red Truck Tour, but for now, the mystery will be solved first next week on Friday the 13th right here in Missoula!
