Inspired by the Hasbro Board game and adapted from the fan-favorite film, CLUE comes to Los Angeles at the Ahmanson Theatre. Little did anyone suspect that, when the Clue board game was developed, it would give birth to books, a film, a television series, a musical, and a stage play. The original board game was called Cluedo, devised in 1943 by the British board designer/musician Anthony E. Pratt as he sat sequestered in his home during the air raids sadly common to London during WW II. Due to shortages in supplies post-WW II, however, the first version of the board game wasn’t manufactured until 1949. It didn’t take long for Parker Bros. in the U.S. to develop their own version, Clue. Multiple editions later, characters, weapons, mansion rooms, and even methods of dispensing cards have changed – but the concept of the ultimate detective mystery has remained. So too has its popularity remained. Everyone wants to be Sherlock Holmes!
The company of the North American tour for CLUE – Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.jpg
Based on the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn with writing adaptations by Sandy Rustin and additional material by Hunter Foster and Eric Price, CLUE has evolved into an uproarious 2017 comedy which has delighted audiences all over the world. Like Anthony Pratt, who survived the bombings of WW II by cooking up an involving, clever, and often very funny study of people, CLUE will entertain, fascinate, and amuse audiences in 2024.
The Company of the North American tour for CLUE – Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.jpg
The time is 1954 and the place is Boddy Manor, a mansion of epic proportions and terrifying secrets, in New England. CLUE tells the riotously ridiculous tale of six individuals from different walks of life who are invited by the mysterious Mr. Boddy (Alex Syiek) to dine at his mansion not too far from Washington, D.C. It is a dark and stormy night when the invited guests arrive, and the weather couldn’t be better for a story of blackmail and murder. The six people don’t know each other – not helped by their assumption of bogus names – and they seem to have nothing in common. Why have they received this invitation to a stranger’s home? Stiff-upper-lip butler Wadsworth (Mark Price) and French maid Yvette (Elizabeth Yancey) welcome the motley group, including the sensuous Miss Scarlet (Michelle Elaine), Mrs. Peacock (Joanna Glushak), Mrs. White (Tari Kelly), Colonel Mustard (John Treacy Egan), Professor Plum (Jonathan Spivey), and Mr. Green (John Shartzer). Each with his own secret.
Director Casey Hushion helms the tale with a light hand, and Boddy’s estate becomes a place where horror and death join to become black and hilarious in equal parts. The cast is appropriately energetic as they prance and scurry through the Boddy Manse which, by the way, is probably one of the major stars in the production, courtesy of scenic designer Lee Savage. There’s nothing like secret passages with hidden nooks and crannies to titillate the imagination. Jen Caprio’s costumes, Ryan O’Gara’s lighting, Jeff Human’s sound, and J. Jarad Janas’ hair/wig/makeup design significantly enhance the show. Special kudos to Mark Price, who pulls all the disparate elements together – and also does a bang-up job of summarizing the play in six easy minutes! If you’re ready to chuckle, guffaw, and outright double over with laughter, then CLUE is just right for you. This is a show where the game is definitely afoot.
CLUE runs through August 25, 2024, with performances at 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturdays, and at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Sundays. The Ahmanson Theatre is located at 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Tickets begin at $35. For information and reservations, call 213-628-2772, visit the Ahmanson box office, or go online.
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