by Virginia Hernandez
The Clue Live on Tour show at Bass Concert Hall is a family-friendly romp, filled with silly innuendo, comedic performances, and truly stunning stagecraft. Based on the ubiquitous popular board game and riffing off the classic 1985 movie, the Broadway show relies on a talented ensemble cast to bring the notable characters to life while engaging the live audience.
Particularly remarkable performances were Jeff Skowron as Wadsworth and John Shartzer as Mr. Green – both actors demonstrate an uncanny ability to play to the crowd and use the energy to drive their humor. Without giving spoilers, Skowron as Wadsworth is the thread which weaves together the show, coming to a spectacular conclusion near the end of the play, while Shartzer as Mr. Green is a master of slapstick and physical comedy. His display of a slow motion backbend during a mystery scene was an unforgettable highlight. The rest of the cast were terrific as well, with delightful, boisterous performances from Christina Anthony as Miss Scarlet, Mariah Burks as the Cook, John Treacy Egan as Colonel Mustard, Joanna Glushak as Mrs. Peacock, Tari Kelly as Mrs. White, Jonathan Spivey as Professor Plum, and Elisabeth Yancey as Yvette.
For stage production fanatics, Clue Live was a triumph to watch. The stage and production designers envisioned truly creative ways to bring to life the set of a sprawling mansion, with “rooms” appearing from above, behind, and rotating into place. Thanks to the seamless use of masterful lighting, the sets changed places while keeping the ambiance throughout the theater. While some sets reveals were relatively simple, the set design itself was impeccable with clear homages to the game and movie and a cohesive look throughout. To accomplish the set changes, the play incorporated hilarious intermissions of the cast running in place to the “next room”, a gag that pleased the audience each and every time.
While younger children will certainly enjoy the physical comedy, Clue Live is best suited for those 13 and up who will giggle at the playful suggestive dialogue and be able to sit for 90 minutes without intermission. The show is lively and delivered at an impressive breakneck page, filled with dance numbers, winks and nods, surprises throughout, and humorous death scenes, making for an entertaining and joyful night out with anyone who has ever gleefully shouted out the wrong answers at the end of a round of Clue.
Clue Live runs at Bass Concert Hall until January 19th. Tickets are available here.
More about Clue:
Led by Broadway Director Casey Hushion (Associate Director of Mean Girls and The Prom, Associate Resident Director of Aladdin, choreography forthe Netflix series “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”), murder and blackmail are on the menu when six mysterious guests assemble at Boddy Manor for a night they’ll never forget! Was it Mrs. Peacock in the study with the knife? Or was it Colonel Mustard in the library with the wrench? Based on the fan-favorite 1985 Paramount Pictures movie and inspired by the classic Hasbro board game, CLUEis the ultimate whodunit that will leave you dying of laughter and keep you guessing until the final twist.
