Review: Get a CLUE at Midland University Theatre

CLUE is one of the most confusing, crazy, wacky shows I've seen yet. Midland University Performing Arts delivered an evening of laughs with Jonathan Lynn's murder mystery based on the 1985 film of the same name. The film was based on the classic board game Clue, which originated in 1949 under the name "Cluedo" by Englishman Anthony E. Pratt. CLUE was also adapted as a musical Off Broadway in 1996 by Peter DePietro. You just can't kill this thing.

Part of the reason it doesn't die is because it's lunacy at its best. Six strangers are invited to the Broddy mansion, but the host is missing. The butler Wadsworth (Alexander Law) assigns each of the guests a pseudonym and instructs them to reveal nothing about themselves to the others. The guests are named Colonel Mustard (Jesse Christensen) who wears an appropriately mustard colored jacket, Mrs. White (Alejandra Garcia) who wears all black, Mrs. Peacock (Shannon Duke), Professor Plum (John Peetzke), Mr. Green (Trey Mendlik), and Miss Scarlet (Taylor Brewer).

Not being content to keep their mouths shut, the guests find a commonality: they are all being blackmailed by Mr. Broddy (Brett Ellis). They each have a reason to wish him dead.

The French maid (Alana Roberg) serves dinner prepared by the cook (Molly Rutz). Along with dinner, Wadsworth gives them brown paper packages. Unwrapping them, they discover items that could be used as weapons, such as a rope, an iron pipe, a dagger, a gun, a wrench and a candlestick. "A candlestick?"

From the beginning through the end of the evening, thunder rolls, dogs bark, footsteps sound even when no one is moving, doorbells ring, lights go off, and people die. Bodies are stashed. Bodies disappear. But who is the murderer and what was the weapon?

Mayhem follows murder.

Along with trying to unravel the mystery of the murders, you are trying to not split a gut from the antics on stage. One of the funniest bits is the entire group scurrying backwards (you'd have to see it). Each actor does a bang up job defining the idiosyncratic nature of his or her character. Dummies replacing the "dead" actors are so bad they are good. Even the set is just right: primitively perfect paintings and platforms on rollers. Everything works.

See this show. Leave feeling good. It doesn't matter whodunit, it is comedy gold.

Photo courtesy of Midland University Performing Arts.