REVIEW: Clue – Laughs and Clever Choreography Conspire to Entertain!

By Matthew Stafford

It is a delight to be transported back to the Red Scare era of 1954 New England for Clue Live on Stage! at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center. Like the classic lineup of unsuspecting guests we’ve known since playing the whodunit board game of Clue in our childhoods, we are welcomed to a dinner party at Boddy Manor. Wadsworth, Yvette, and The Cook assist in setting up a scrumptious mystery arranged by one Mr. Boddy. Colonel Mustard, Mrs. White, Mrs. Peacock, Mr. Green, Professor Plum, and Miss Scarlet all arrive, and we discover they have all been blackmailed. Suspicions start running high as the murders begin. Was it Colonel Mustard in the billiards room with a lead pipe? Perhaps instead it was Miss Scarlett in the lounge with a rope? Maybe it was Mrs. White in the kitchen with a dagger? In fact, is anyone completely innocent?

As the play moves through the various murders and scenarios, the audience is treated to laughs and zingers from the cleverly written dialog and we are entertained by carefully choreographed running in place during scenery changes. You will be especially delighted by a slow-motion choreographed scene where one guest narrowly and comically avoids being hit by a falling chandelier!

Based on both the classic board game as well as the 1985 Paramount film, Clue Live On Stage! is based on the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn, and it was written by Sandy Rustin, with additional material by Hunter Foster and Eric Price, and directed by Casey Hushion. Besides being entertained by the performances of the cast, it should be noted that much of the magic of nostalgic mystery is thanks in no small part to scenic design by Lee Savage, as well as the costume design by Jen Caprio, and hair, wig, and makeup design by J. Jared Janas.

Clue Live On Stage! is playing at TPAC through September 15, including matinees on Saturday and Sunday.

More Information
What: Clue^® – A New Comedy
Where: TPAC’s Jackson Hall
When: September 10-15, 2024
Why: 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.
How: Tickets available at https://cart.tpac.org/overview/13625.