Review: CLUE: LIVE ON STAGE! Presented By Broadway In Chicago

Break out your Hasbro-branded notebook, don a monochromatic outfit in your favorite color, and grab one of several household murder weapons because CLUE: LIVE ON STAGE! has made its way to the Windy City, courtesy of Broadway in Chicago. And while the play may be meager fare compared to other recent professional offerings, CLUE is undeniably a well-polished evening of hijinks and hilarity—if audiences know what they’re getting themselves into. It runs through March 2 at the CIBC Theatre.

Based largely on Jonathan Lynn’s screenplay for the 1985 film (with additional material by at least three other writers) and which is in turn based on the original classic board game, CLUE tells the now-familiar story of six people invited to a mysterious D.C. mansion by their shared blackmailer, Mr. Boddy (Alex Syiek). When Boddy is murdered during a power outage, his butler Wadsworth (Jeff Skowron) leads the guests in an investigation that takes them across the varied rooms of the sprawling mansion. As other bodies begin piling up, though, the guests begin to wonder if there might be more to the case than they originally imagined.

Fans of the original movie already know that this script, with its fast-paced delivery of puns and one-liners, is more silly than suspenseful while still promising a thrilling conclusion. And newcomers to the conceit, especially younger audiences, should enjoy a show that never takes itself too seriously. Those seeking a more traditional whodunit, though, may be uncertain of how to react to the opening scenes and character introductions, laughing more out of nerves than sincerity—as the patrons seated behind me did. Perhaps this is unsurprising for a play based on a 40-year-old cult classic. Iconic moments from the film, such as a tap-dancing singing telegram girl, can read as non-sequiturs when taken out of context.

But while the script is indebted to its cinematic namesake, these performers make the show uniquely, refreshingly their own. Skowron especially succeeds in this regard. In the original film, Wadsworth was played with extraordinarily mania by Tim Curry. And while Skowron matches that energy with enthusiasm, he does so with twinkling winks and a puckish grin, inviting viewers to be in on his many, many jokes in a manner that feels much more natural onstage than on film. Donna English similarly excels as Mrs. White, the role originated by Madeline Kahn. English gives her own take on one of the most delightful line flubs of all time that is no less enjoyable even if lifelong fans of the film know it’s coming.

The cast embodies an ensemble in the truest sense of the concept, working together to highlight one another’s talents while giving each other the space to shine. Each performer seems to have their own comedic talents to put on display. For instance, as the neurotic Mr. Green, John Shartzer pulls off some of the most impressive feats of physical comedy I’ve seen in ages. Joanna Glushak has a delightful running gag as the teetotaling Mrs. Peacock who nonetheless gets progressively inebriated as the night goes on. And Christina Anthony commands the stage as the madame Miss Scarlet, delighting in every turn of phrase no matter how corny or expected.

But there is one character left off the cast list that is deserving of further recognition, and that is Lee Savage’s set design for Boddy Manor, whose rooms and walls flip and turn like scenes out of a pop-up book. It’s undoubtedly the most fully realized set I’ve ever seen in a staging of CLUE before, which I suppose should be expected given the show’s four production companies.

Which brings me to the only thing about CLUE that has really bothered me since I saw it. This is now the second iteration of CLUE I’ve seen here in Chicago in recent years, and the play has become a favorite among high school, regional, and community theaters. As entertaining and well-plotted as this production may be, it feels a bit unusual to have it tour through a city that has seen bigger blockbuster plays in recent years, both in terms of their quality and critical éclat, such as THE LEHMAN TRILOGY, THE KIT RUNNER, or even the recently closed HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD. CLUE is a tightly choreographed ninety minutes long, but it feels like barely an evening compared to some of these other offerings of recent memory.

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