From Board Game to Stage: Clue: The Musical Delivers a Killer Good Time!
- 5 hours ago
- 5 min read
by M. Smith
A night of mystery, intrigue, and a planned murder?! This is what awaits you at the Kelsey Theatre with Bear Tavern Project Productions rendition of Clue: The Musical. I got the chance to see this show last weekend, and truly experienced a wonderful production that brought back fond memories of playing the board game with my family. Similar to the game, the audience chooses three cards at random to begin the game: the suspect, the weapon, and the location. Thus begins our night of entertainment brought to us by Director, Susan Galli. The culmination of Galli’s direction and the dedication of the cast and crew, this phenomenal team has crafted an intriguing and engaging production that kept me entertained from the very first moment.
As soon as the show starts, we are introduced to our soon-to-be murdered host — Mr. Boddy (played by Jeremy Weir). As Boddy introduces the concept of the show and what the audience should expect, Weir brings the energy and timing that makes this role such a success. With a show that is so full of over the top characters, it leads me to highlight our next two suspects: Mrs. Peacock (played by Christine Breeman) and Miss Scarlet (played by Kelly Regina Falcigno)! Breeman’s vocals in combination with Music Director Sue den Outer’s direction brought a stunning performance of “Once A Widow”. With Mrs. Peacock having a sense of mystery as a suspect, Breeman not only brought that mystery, but also brought a level of Miranda Priestly elegance to the role that just made it shine! What furthered this elegance was the work done by Tango Choreographer, Leonard Calabrese III, for the “Everyday Devices” number that features a stunning routine with Mrs. Peacock and Colonel Mustard. The next over the top character that the audience is introduced to is Miss Scarlet. Kelly Regina Falcigno brings a vaudeville-esque air to the character that made their scenes shine! What they also brought was a conniving nature in their scene with Mr. Green, which truly brought out the nuanced details and story of their character!
Now, what pairs well with over the top characters — comedic relief! The humor of Colonel Mustard (played by Joseph Cutalo) and the Detective (played by Karen Cameron) is something that brings a lightness to the show that keeps the audience engaged from the get go! With Colonel Mustard, although he is seeking to win the heart of Mrs. Peacock, there were many moments of hilarious physical comedy throughout his introduction with Mrs. Peacock. Cutalo brought this physicality to the forefront of their performance and truly made for an unforgettable character! This was truly accentuated by the work done by Costume Designer Alex Ridder, whose work on this show truly brought out the characters in every moment and made each performer stand out! The way that Ridder brought the characters from the game to life in such a marvelous way was truly a wonder to behold! Closer to the midway point to the show, we are introduced to the Detective, where Cameron truly makes their impact on stage from their very first entrance! Bringing a harsh approach with incredible comedic timing, Cameron brought a life to this role as a new character that audiences have never seen before in the board game. It truly made the experience wonderful and I was laughing throughout this show!
On the final round of suspects are the ones that are the most suspicious — Mrs. White (played by Jessa Casner), Mr. Green (played by Jim Morris), and Professor Plum (played by Shawn Simmons). Mrs. White is the very first suspect that we meet in the show, and Casner makes this a very impactful, first moment for the audience! In their performance, they bring an unhinged nature to the role and keep the audience guessing on what their true intentions are. As well as their nuanced acting beats, Casner also brings stunning vocals throughout the show that truly gives their character life! Moving to Mr. Green, this is the character who seems to be one of the most suspicious in the production. With this, Morris brings this mysterious nature of Mr. Green to a fine detail and art in their performance. Furthermore, they also bring a physicality that also keeps audiences laughing, making for an overall well-rounded character! Finally, we have Professor Plum, whose revenge also seems to intertwine with romance. With their character seen flirting with Mrs. White and the Detective, Simmons brings many different levels to their character that kept it hard to not be suspicious of. They bring moments of grandeur, mystery, and suave to their character that truly made him interesting in a way that I would not have initially anticipated! With such a talented group of actors and suspects, it was truly a wonderful night with a cast that is brimming with opportunity and style!
Then onto our final members of this mysterious night — the orchestra! With such a lively show, it only makes sense to match that with a talented orchestra. The first member to round out our musical crew is the Pianist/Conductor, Sue den Outer, whose acting was just as much a joy to watch as the stunning skills that they bring to the orchestral talent. We next have the Cellist, Stephen Burke, who brings the beautiful string melodies to the show that moves the audience as well as the dread to each scene. We also have our final member of the orchestra, the Percussionist, Samuel Ferrante, whose skills throughout the show kept the rhythm and style at the front of their performance to create a mesmerizing experience!
As this show is one that requires a lot of moving technical pieces, with complex design and room shifts layered throughout, and this creative team truly went above and beyond in this show. One of the first things I noticed as soon as I walked into the space was the way that the floor was made to look like the actual game board itself! This was thanks to the talented work of Lighting Designer, Joe Schwall, and the execution of Lighting Crew members TJ Buck, Jake Granja, Daniel Ismallov, and Titan Theatrical LLC to help bring this show to life with curated hues and spotlights that further differentiated each character and moment. This lighting illuminated the fantastic work completed by the show’s Scenic Designer, Builder, and Painter, Shawn Simmons. Simmons transformed the space in beautiful ways and brought a unique style to each room, with my favorite being the Conservatory design with beautiful flowers draped along the terrace and climbing up the theatre walls! The Sound Design by Madelyn Weitkunat really brought life to the space as soon as you entered the theatre, with stunning designs interspersed throughout the production. Finally, none of this would be possible without the work of the show’s Stage Manager, Jana Graham! With a show that is filled with props, cues, and chaos galore, it takes a stage manager with tremendous talent to be able to tackle a show like this one, and Graham does this with grace as every moment connected with the others through the seamless transitions and organization.
So what are you waiting for?! Get your tickets now as they are going fast to come see this compelling mystery murder with a twist! Clue: The Musical is running its final weekend with shows on Saturday (03/14) at 2:00 PM & 8:00 PM, and Sunday (03/15) at 2:00 PM. Tickets can be purchased here or at the link below!
