Clue
Many people who came to Mercury Theater weren't born when the 1943 British board game Cluedo was designed by Anthony E. Pratt. Known as Clue in the United States, this murder mystery game where up to six players can participate in determining who murdered the game's victim; wasn't manufactured until 1947 when three brothers named George, Charles, and Edward, the Parkers Brothers, brought the famous game to the states. Made into a movie in 1985 and written as a musical in 1993 by Peter DePietor — Mercury Theater's Clue (based on the film), adapted from the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn and written by Sandy Rustin, is both suspenseful and hilarious.
As the night of murder begins, Yvette, the full-figured maid, is preparing the dinner table for Mr. Boddy's guest. As the arriving guest reach the mansion, Wadsworth greets them by their pseudonyms and informs them why they were summoned to the home of Mr. Boddy — who is blackmailing them. Then, as Mr. Boddy (Patrick Byrnes) appears, he advises them that he will destroy the evidence he is blackmailing them with if anyone would kill his butler.
However, Clue is a game of mystery, and this game is afoot when Mr. Boddy is killed, and everyone must figure out who the killer is without suffering the same fate. Mr. Boddy's guests for tonight as Colonel Mustard, Mrs. White, Mrs. Peacock, Mr. Green, Professor Plum, and Miss Scarlet. Along with the cook, maid, and Wadsworth, the butler, the antics in this whodunit comedy is a laugh a minute.
Mercury Theater Artistic Director Chris Chase Carter, Managing Director Kristi J. Martens, and executive Producers Stearns and Dizon brings together an outstanding cast and creative team for this version of the murder mystery Clue. Mark David Kaplan, who brilliantly played Wadsworth, is the mystery man for the evening. Jonah D. Winston had the audience in hysterical laughter as the dim-witted Colonel Mustard throughout his performance. The show also has legendary theatrical star Honey West as the cook, who recently performed at Mercury in Priscilla Queen of the Desert. In addition, this farce night included cast members Tiffany T Taylor (Yvette), McKinley Carter (Mrs. White), Nancy Wagner (Mrs. Peacock), Andrew Jessop (Professor Plum), Erica Stephan (Miss Scarlet), and Kelvin Roston Jr. as Mr. Green. Roston, one of my favorite theatrical actors, who has thrilled Chicagoland audiences with his performances, was a recent performer at Mercury Theater during the last week of Sister Act with his wife, Alexis.
The gameboard version of Clue has over 216 different endings; therefore, Mercury's Clue will have you intrigued with its whodunit murder mystery if you can stop laughing enough to follow it. In addition, Bob Knuth made great use of the set design on an undersized stage, where he added sliding doors to open and close certain rooms, secret pathways, and falling fixtures that added to a magical night of fun.
Mercury's Clue is an outrageously comedic murder mystery you don't want to miss. Let's Play Theatrical Review Highly Recommends Clue at Mercury Theater.
Mercury Theater Chicago
Clue
Directed by L. Walter Stearns
Adapted from the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn
Written by Sandy Rustin
October 13 - January 1, 2023
