Rupert Holmes’ Vanishing Act

Tony Award-winning composer and playwright Rupert Holmes won’t spill the beans about the plot of his newest theatrical thriller, “Solitary Confinement,� starring Stacy Keach at the Pasadena Playhouse.

“What I can give away is that anyone who is expecting me to be in this can rest assured that I make no appearance,� Holmes says. “But during intermission of this play, people all look at me smugly. They say, ‘Any chance we will be seeing any more of you?’ �

Playhouse audiences have come to expect the unexpected from Holmes because of his last thriller, “Accomplice,� in which he made a surprise cameo as himself in the last act. Though Holmes thought it was a clever idea to write himself into that play, he overlooked one thing.

“I have a wife and two small children,� Holmes says. “ ‘Accomplice’ was meant to be originally a four-week run here in Pasadena. It became an immense success and they extended the run and extended the run. I had forgotten when I wrote the author into the play that if the run was extended I was extended too.�

About two months into the run, Holmes was pining for his New York home and family. So one of the show’s understudies took over the role of “Rupert Holmes.�

“I came back a little early, so I actually got to watch me performing,� he says. “It was really amazing. I got to see what all my habits are, my mannerisms and stuff. He didn’t look anything like me, but he created me from the ground up.�