Review Roundup: CLUE North American Tour Launches; What Do the Critics Think?

The North American tour of CLUE has officially kicked off, opening in Minneapolis this month. 

The cast of Clue includes Mariah Burks as the Cook, John Treacy Egan as Colonel Mustard, Michelle Elaine as Miss Scarlet, Joanna Glushak as Mrs. Peacock, Tari Kelly as Mrs. White, Mark Price as Wadsworth, John Shartzer as Mr. Green, Jonathan Spivey as Professor Plum, Alex Syiek as Mr. Boddy, Teddy Trice as the Cop, and Elisabeth Yancey as Yvette. The understudies are Greg Balla, Alison Ewing, Mary McNulty and James Taylor Odom.  

Led by Broadway Director Casey Hushion (Associate Director of Mean Girls and The Prom, Associate Resident Director of Aladdin, choreography for the 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 cult 1985 Paramount movie and inspired by the classic Hasbro board game, Clue is the ultimate whodunit that will leave you dying of laughter and keep you guessing until the final twist.  

Check out photos from the Clue tour at /article/Photos-Get-a-First-Look-at-CLUE-North-American-Tour-20240305. Plus, check out the full tour route at /shows/backstage.php?showid=334538.

Read the reviews so far for the North American tour of Clue below!

Jared Fessler, BroadwayWorld: Without divulging spoilers, I can attest that this production of Clue unfolds in a brisk 80 minutes, sans intermission, and is recommended for ages 12 and above. I wholeheartedly recommend catching this captivating rendition of Clue at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis.

Rob Hubbard, TwinCities.com: It feels like that’s what playwright Sandy Rustin and director Casey Hushion were shooting for with “Clue,” a stage comedy built from a board game and a 1985 film fashioned after it. Currently opening a 21-city tour at Minneapolis’ Orpheum Theatre, its key ingredients are pace and outrageousness. And, if you’re in the right mood, you could have some fun with it, for it’s as much of a spoof of the game as it is an homage to it.

Rohan Preston, Star Tribune: As the body count was notching up Wednesday evening at Minneapolis' Orpheum Theatre, a technical glitch stopped things halfway through the national tour launch of "Clue," the old Hasbro board game that was made into a 1985 Paramount film and has now become a theatrical comedy. An art piece that functions as the cover of a safe errantly swung open and stayed that way in the madcap whodunit. The snafu caused a five-minute pause that doubled as an unscheduled intermission for what is ordinarily an 80-minute one-act play that creators have likened to a bullet train.

Kirby Adams, Courier Journal: Based on the screenplay written by Jonathon Lynn for the 1985 film "Clue," the Broadway touring production had the audience howling from the first scene to the last during Tuesday's opening night.

Carmella D'Acquisto, Milwaukee Record: There’s no fat to trim here. Director Casey Hushion moves everything along at a steady clip, which is especially impressive in a no-intermission performance. Hushion is also responsible for the strength of the ensemble here—perhaps a difficult line to toe when each individual actor is so stand-out. But ultimately, true to its cardboard-based origins, collaboration is the name of the game in the murder mystery of Clue.

Jarrod Michael, BroadwayWorld: This touring production is well rehearsed and seamlessly executed. The contrast of the stoic nature of the set and the wild comedic ride of the content provides a unique and energetic experience. The elegance of the set was the perfect canvass for outrageous personalities that the audience met along the way. The design allowed for smooth transitions that never left a dead moment.

Kelli Arseneau, Post Crescent: The play also includes nods to the iconic board game throughout. The set design features a large mansion main entrance, with side rooms that rotate out to reveal locations like the parlor, the billiards room and the library. At one point a character holds the characteristic manila envelope labeled "CONFIDENTIAL," and at another point, a character holds up a map of the manor that is identical to the original Clue board. After two characters discover a trap door leading to an unexpected room, someone asks, "Who designed this place?" and the butler quips "the Parker Brothers."

Bob Abelman, The Arts Fuse: There’s little genius in the touring Clue as well. But the script is chock full of deliciously groan-worthy one-liners and delightful overembellishments of classic murder mystery tropes. And the stage is filled with superbly performed slapstick.

Jacquinn Sinclair, WBUR: The show's overt schtick bordered on absurdity in the best way (think Steve Martin and John Hoffman’s hit Hulu show “Only Murders in the Building”) and showed up in simulated running scenes throughout the mansion, intentionally unbelievable plastic pools of blood, and a three-minute murder spree. Also, a meat cleaver was brandished in the first few minutes of the play, foreshadowing a monstrously funny and deadly show ahead.

Lynne Menefee, MD Theatre Guide: “Clue” may seem dated in some ways but it is presented as a period piece. Ultimately, it is an evening of old-fashioned, comic mayhem and escapist fun. While the entire cast does an amazing job with the pace and timing, Price (as the butler) and Shartzer (as Mr. Green) steal the show. They are given some of the most physically challenging and hysterical moments in the play, exhibiting the skills of an acrobat. The ending is clever but saying anything more would give too much away. This is a theatrical treat of a murder mystery—short, sweet, and full of laughs.

Average Rating: 75.0%

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