Review: CLUE THE MUSICAL at Arizona Broadway Theatre

Arizona Broadway Theatre presents CLUE THE MUSICAL, running August 23rd to September 22nd, 2024, on the Mainstage. ABT’s Performing Arts Association, Inc. brings the classic Parker Brothers board game CLUE to life with a delightful mix of mystery, humor, and a dash of campy fun.

Executive Producer Kiel Klaphake and Casting and Artistic Producer Cassandra Norville Klaphake – also ABT’s founders – make this magnificent game-to-stage endeavor unforgettable.

The musical, which premiered in 1997, transforms the familiar whodunit into an interactive experience, inviting the audience to play along as they try to solve the murder mystery.

With book by Peter DePietro, music by Galen Blum, Wayne Barker, and Vinnie Martucci, and lyrics by Tom Chiodo, the show is a colorful, whimsical ride that delights in its absurdity.

ABT’s production, directed by Ken Urso ~ combined with Colleen Rosbarsky’s choreography and Lizzie Webb’s musical direction of the live orchestra ~ is one of the finest performances I’ve seen to date. Along with these professionals, the scenic, lighting, costume, and sound designers create a hilarious farce that captures the spirit of the game and immediately draws the audience into the world of Boddy Manor.

The color-coded rooms and exaggerated props perfectly mirror the board game’s aesthetic, while also providing a fitting backdrop for the larger-than-life characters to shine.

The setting: Six suspects in the death of Mr. Boddy, six weapons, and six rooms: a devilish who-done-it, where-done-it, and how-done-it. The audience enters the dinner theatre – the food looked and smelled delicious – with tables including a tally sheet, or list of possibilities for all three categories: people, places, and things.

Performance-wise, the cast brought an infectious energy to the stage. The actors fully embrace the caricatured nature of their roles, with each suspect – from the bumbling Colonel Mustard to the sultry Miss Scarlett – delivering their lines with a mix of earnestness and tongue-in-cheek humor that is outright engaging and entertaining.

Of course, we all know that Mr. Boddy will be killed. But by what character? In what room? With which weapon? We learn that Mr. Boddy was a shrewd businessman, but, with his success, he harmed each guest, even his wife, Mrs. Peacock, played by Kimberly Abrams.

This show has a unique audience-participation twist, but I don’t want to spoil the surprise.

Particularly noteworthy is Collin O’Neill’s performance as Mr. Boddy. His comedic timing and ability to break the fourth wall added an extra layer of enjoyment. The playful interaction with the audience, inviting them to solve the mystery, was handled with just the right balance of wit and whimsy.

Mr. Boddy employs Mrs. White as a domestic servant. Tyler Gallaher plays Mr. Boddy’s domestic servant in drag with panache. As the guests arrive, we’re introduced to the pretentious Professor Plum, performed by Scoob Decker in his ABT debut; Vegas performer Miss Scarlett, played by Sade Crosby, also in her ABT debut; Colonel Mustard, a jilted lover enacted by Rob Watson; Mr. Green, played by Dwight Robinette, another ABT debut performer.

Each character describes wrongdoing by Mr. Boddy.

There are motives aplenty, and numerous implements in the Tudor Mansion: knife, rope, poison, wrench, pipe, candlestick, revolver. I know: that’s seven. The fast pace makes it difficult to keep up, which naturally makes the audience invested in the outcome. It’s a fun show!

Before and after his demise, Mr. Boddy gives us clues about the suspects, requiring the audience to use deductive reasoning. In the second act, a Detective, played by Cara Chumbley, mixes metaphors and prances around the stage, determined to get her man…or woman. Ensemble players Alyssa Armstrong, Tony Blosser, and Christopher Andrew add to the allure of this marvelous show.

This show is campy, purposefully over-acted, and fun. Think, group gasps and clutching of pearls. There are more than 200 possibilities – combinations of people, places, and things melded together at a rather dizzying pace in Act Two. In my estimation, about 1/5 of the audience guessed the who, what, and where correctly. The rest of us may have been laughing too hard to pay close attention.

Breaks narrated by Mr. Boddy raise the table lights automatically, so that the audience can take notes regarding the suspects, the weapons, and the rooms at Tudor Mansion.

The actors’ brilliant physical comedy and character-perfect costumes bring the audience into the game. The lighting is bright and changing (sometimes strobe, if that bothers anyone) and manages to highlight the actors without seeming overwhelming. Beautiful choreography by Colleen Rosbarsky makes this seamless performance come alive, and the lines are witty and compelling.

The music, while not particularly memorable in the way of classic show tunes, serves its purpose, complementing the lighthearted tone of the production. The musical numbers are delivered with gusto, even if they occasionally feel more like a vehicle for moving the plot forward than standalone highlights.

Overall, the production of CLUE: THE MUSICAL succeeds in what it sets out to do: offer a fun, interactive evening of entertainment that doesn’t take itself too seriously. While it may not be a groundbreaking piece of theater, it’s a clever, enjoyable romp that plays to the strengths of its source material and offers the audience two hours (including intermission) of a good time.

There is not one dull moment in this musical. Go, watch, and see if you can solve the mystery.

By the way, there are specialty drinks, named after some of the characters, and upgraded menu options including dessert.

CLUE: THE MUSICAL runs through September 22nd.

Arizona Broadway Theatre ~ https://azbroadway.org/ ~ 7701 W. Paradise Lane, Peoria, AZ ~ 623-776-8400

Graphic credit to ABT

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