A stage version of the famous Hasbro game is playing at the Marcus Performing Arts Center through March 17. Clue is a classic whodunit story, set in The Boddy Manner, a sprawling mansion owned by a mysterious man. Six strangers are invited to a dinner party at Boddy Mansion, and soon discover they are all being blackmailed by Mr. Boddy (Alex Syiek) himself. He offers the guest a choice: kill his butler, Wadsworth (Mark Price), who is the true keeper of their secrets, or their blackmailing will not only continue, but the price will rise. After a quick power outage, Wadsworth and the crew find Mr. Boddy dead on the floor. They all had motivations to kill him, but who did it?
The stage rendition of Clue was written by playwright Sandy Rustin offers viewers non-stop laughs and a classically good night out on the town. Here are three reasons I think you should go see the play before it leaves Milwaukee for good.
Incredible Sets
The play opens in the foyer of the Boddy Manor, a gorgeous set of wood walls and mahogany accents. There are a few real chandeliers and sconces to set the ambiance. Some of the sets have a beautiful baroque wallpaper that brings a pop of color to the set. There are stately paintings about– including a roughly 10’ portrait. In addition to the look of the sets, the design is also top notch. If you know Clue, you know there are a lot of rooms where the hijinx takes place, including a study, a kitchen, an office, a library and others. These rooms are built into the set in a unique way; they open at the side of the stage and “open up” into the main room in the manner of a rotating door. There’s also a drop down set element that further differentiates the space. The many doors and rooms allow the cast to dance, tiptoe and run-in-place Scooby Doo style to get between sets.
Unstoppable Wit
Like the 1985 movie, this movie is full of funny one-liners, off-color remarks and jokes that poke fun at each of the character’s strong personalities.
When Miss Scarlett (Michelle Elaine) and Professor Plum (Johnathan Spivey) enter, Wadsworth asks, “do you two know each other?” Miss Scarlett responds “My car broke down and he gave me a ride.” Professor Plum retorts “I hope she’ll return the favor one day.”
After the first murder, Mrs. Peacock (Joanna Glushak) is frazzled and stressed. Miss Scarlett asks if she wants a cigarette to calm her nerves. “No, I don’t smoke,” responds Mrs. Peacock as she takes a swig from her flask. Later in the play Mrs. Peacock asks, “Is there a girls room?” the alluring French maid Yvette (Elizabeth Yancy) answers “wee, wee” (oui, oui). Paired with all the physical comedy, (more on that below) the wit and jokes throughout the performance play up the absurdity of the circumstance, and gives each actor a time to shine.
Physical Gags
This play is chock-full of physical comedy. A lot of the gags come from Mr. Green, played by the incredible John Shartzer. In the first few minutes, as guests arrive at the manor, the timid Mr. Green is greeted. Dogs are barking in the background and Wadsworth yells out “sit!” Mr. Green slams down to the ground, thinking Wadsworth is commanding him.
Throughout the play, Mr. Green gets a big portion of the physical work. He is somehow always caught underneath a dead body. He falls, trips and gets slammed behind doors. And without giving away the ending, the final scene features an incredible sequence of physical gags including Mr. Green finding evidence zipped up in his fly and glued to his chest.
Mr. Green isn’t the only one getting physical, the whole cast gets in on the fun. There’s lots of antics including synchronized exploration (think opening/closing doors at the same moment), dancing numbers, dropping chandeliers, over the top reactions and even a slow motion scene.
Clue is Showing Until Sunday
There’s only a few more days to get in on the fun and try to solve the mystery yourself. Tickets can be purchased online or at the Marcus Performing Arts Center box office.