Was it Professor Plum in the Study with the Revolver? Or maybe Miss Scarlet in the Kitchen with a Rope?
Those classic characters from the popular board game Clue are well known to millions of people around the world. Created 75 years ago and currently owned and published by Hasbro, Clue has since sold more than 200 million copies worldwide.
The game is so popular that a murder-mystery comedy film based on the board game was released in 1985 starring Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull and Lesley Ann Warren, and went on to achieve cult classic status.
Now comes “Clue,” a murder mystery comedy play inspired by the board game and adapted from the film. “Clue” comes to Segerstrom Center for the Arts July 23 to 28, and unlike most of the shows to play Segerstrom Center, it is not a musical. It is, however, very funny and extremely entertaining.
Marina Kennedy in BroadwayWorld said, “Extraordinarily entertaining—you may have viewed the film and played the board game countless times, but you’ve never experienced the intrigue, eccentricity, and humor that ‘Clue’ brings to the stage.”
According to the show’s description, “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, ‘Clue’ is the ultimate whodunit that will leave you dying of laughter and keep you guessing until the final twist.”
In addition to the show’s eight performances, Segerstrom Center hosts a fun and free to the public “clue” Cosplay Contest on Wednesday, July 24 at 6:30 p.m. Prizes will be awarded for the best individual and group personifications of some of the most famous characters in board game history: Colonel Mustard, Miss Scarlet, Mrs. Peacock, Mrs. White, Mr. Green, and Professor Plum. And the first 100 people to arrive in costume that night will receive a complimentary appetizer voucher for a savory treat at Claim Jumper Steakhouse & Bar.
To register for Segerstrom Center’s “Clue” Character Costume Contest, please visit https://scfta.org/shows-events/clue-contest.
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.
Hayley Levitt said in Theatermania, “Reminds you what a breezy night of pure entertainment feels like. Synchronized door slams, pratfalls, and wide-eyed gasps should all be on your murder mystery bingo card… happily hums along with no sign of the exertion it takes to make this brand of comedy look utterly effortless. They all roam through set designer Lee Savage’s luscious rendering of Boddy Manor, with surprise portals to more iconic ‘Clue’ rooms than you would ever think could fit onstage.”
Tickets for “Clue” start at $39 and are available at www.scfta.org or by calling (714) 556-2787.
For more information on the show, visit www.clueliveonstage.com.
