Clue, The Musical

Reviewed by Holly Bartges

Clue, The Musical returns to Country Dinner Playhouse dressed in Crayola crayon colors, produced and directed by Paul Dwyer, featuring a strong cast that proved its mettle in other productions, but doesn’t have a chance to prove much of anything in this show.

Miss Scarlet (Shannon Steele) and Mr. Green (Jordan Leigh) give life to the Parker Brothers board game in Clue, The Musical at Country Dinner Playhouse.

The individual actors can fly high, wide and handsome, but Clue doesn’t give them much of an opportunity to spread their wings, much less fly.

Based on Parker Brothers board game, Clue, The Musical provides opportunity for audience participation with three people choosing three cards defining who kills Mr. Boody, the Planner (Michael E. Gold), the weapon is used to kill Boody, and what room the murder takes place. The audience has ballots on their table to play along, if they so choose.

Undoubtedly, this is going to be a favorite for some, particularly those who are enchanted by the board game. Since three million board games are sold each year with 500,000 in the U.S. alone, that could possibly add up to a relatively successful run for Country Dinner.

With the Book by Peter DePietro, music by Gales Blum, Wayne Barker, and Vinnie Matucci, and lyrics by Tom Chiodo, the bottom line for this musical is that it features two dimensional characters, and a basket full of silliness, which equals out to a whole lot of boredom. A good part of my time was spent watching the audience watch other members of the audience. A friend who has a stage side table generally has her eyes glued to the stage no matter what the production. This time she was watching the audience watch the audience as much as I was.

Dwyer gives the cast sound direction making good use of the stage and surrounding areas. Mitch Samu does a credible job with the music although there isn’t much variation to play around with or to the lyrics. Including songs: “The Game,” “Everyday Devices,” “The Murder,” “Foul Weather Friend,” and “Don’t Blame Me.” None of the songs are particularly memorable, much less remarkable. The voices of the actors take the songs as far as they can go. They just can’t go very far.

Robert Hoppe, an exquisitely talented dancer and choreographer, choreographed the dance steps for the talented cast, but Clue, The Musical doesn’t provide much challenge for the choreographer or the cast.

Brian Mallgrave designed the costumes, which by far were the most colorful aspect of the musical, in more ways than one.

Dressed in a bright blue dress, a fur stole, topped with a Peacock hat, Sharon Kay White takes on the role of Mrs. Peacock who would like to be slathered in high sophistication but doesn’t have room to grow that high. Mr. Boody just happens to be her sixth husband.

Thaddeus Valdez plays Professor Plum; a British think tank, wishing everyone would use correct English, but has to give up in his attempt because no one listens.

Shannon Steele slinks with sexy ooze in a long red dress and feathered red boa as Miss Scarlet, an actor, a dancer, a singer, until she admits she’s a performer, of sorts.

Mark Rubald, dressed in army regalia, plays Colonel Mustard, whom Mr. Boody just happens to call Dad. Although he tries hard to strut his army stuff, the lines and temperament don’t provide much opportunity.

Jimmy Ferraro pulls off a few very funny moments as Boddy’s housekeeper and cook, works seven long days without any rest, Mrs. White, but doesn’t have room to allow Ferraro to make use of his full capacity with comedic timing. He can point to it with a few hysterical gestures, but he can’t grab it and roll in it and stop the show like he has a penchant to do.

Jordan Leigh, dressed in a subdued green suit, plays Mr. Green, Boddy’s thwarted business partner. He too points toward shining in his green suit, but Mr. Green doesn’t provide much wiggle room, even though he considers himself a genius by protecting the Egyptian Pyramids with vinyl siding.

And there’s the Detective played by Susan Dawn Carson who knocked everyone out in Modern Muse’s The Last Five Years, but is plagued with having to live with some of the worst jokes, puns, and silliness ever spoken on a stage. She doesn’t have room to showcase her astonishing talent much less have room to turn the Detective into a palatable character.

Of course, the six all have very good reason to commit the murder, and each is featured in a different room, carrying and exchanging various murder weapons in defined style including a knife, rope, gun, lead pipe, candlestick, and wrench.

Clue, The Musical appears to be one play some junior high and high school students would have a blast doing, but comes off far too dull, dreary, and boring for highly skilled directors, choreographers, and actors/singers/dancers to tackle showcasing their artful talent.

There are those who like silliness, who don’t want to think, and thoroughly enjoy watching the audience watch them, which admittingly can be rather entertaining.

I am glad I went. The food was grand, the service outstanding, and it was great fun connecting with people I haven’t seen in a while, but the in-between times with the house lights down and stage lights up taxed the attention with its sheer unadulterated simplicity that went in circles with the answers to the question of who, what, and where predetermined by the audience.