REVIEW: ‘Clue: The Musical’ – Are You Game?

Have you ever loved a story so much you wished you could be inside of it, interacting with the characters? What about a board game? Avon Players gives you the chance to have that experience firsthand by letting you be part of the action with their latest production, Clue: The Musical.

All your favorite characters have assembled for a murderous good time in this live adaptation of the beloved Parker Brothers board game. You may have noticed from the title that the play is a musical. I must admit, I was curious to see if that aspect would make the play campy or smart, and I was happy to discover it was the later. There are 14 songs, but rather than serve as mindless scene fillers, they help propel the plot along, while providing a nice balance of cheek and wit for the actors to further develop their character’s identity and engage the audience.

Once again, each actor selected is dynamite in his or her specific role. One of the real treats is Lesa Bydalek as Mrs. Peacock. Her tongue-in-cheek solo ‘Once a Widow’ is reminiscent of ‘Cell Block Tango” from Chicago and a pure delight to watch her perform. Sunday’s matinee looked sold out with a good mixture of young and old in attendance. That being said, there was one small scene between the amorous Mrs. Peacock and the playful Colonel Mustard that was slightly suggestive; nothing that you wouldn’t probably see in a PG movie, so please treat this as an FYI rather than a reason not to see this fantastic play. If you do go, make sure to pay special attention to the Director’s Note in the program, which explains how you can play along during the show. Participation is not mandatory, but it certainly adds to the entertainment—about 30 people from my show correctly guessed the murderer, the weapon, and the room. And while I would never dream of giving away whodunit, it wouldn’t be worth it anyway since the cards are picked before the show (in front of the audience), so the outcome is different at each performance. I will tell you I correctly guessed two out of the three clues and was pretty proud of myself.

So, if you’re looking for a great way to ‘kill’ an afternoon or evening, Clue: The Musical is definitely worth rolling the dice and seeing where you land.

Performance Dates and Times:

Friday, January 30               8 p.m.

Saturday, January 31           8 p.m.

Sunday, February 1              2 p.m.

Friday, February 6               8 p.m.

Saturday, February 7           8 p.m.

Call the Box Office at 248.608.9077 or go online to www.avonplayers.org.