Secret passageways, rapid-fire accusations and a body count are taking over downtown Memphis this week as Clue Live on Stage runs at the Orpheum Theatre through Sunday, September 20. The touring production, based on the 1985 Paramount Pictures film and inspired by the classic Hasbro board game, brings Boddy Manor's cast of suspects to life for its September 15-20 engagement.
The Memphis stop is part of the show's second North American tour, produced by Work Light Productions and LME Productions, according to BroadwayWorld. Casey Hushion directs the production, which is written by Sandy Rustin based on Jonathan Lynn's original screenplay, with additional material by Hunter Foster and Eric Price, per the Orpheum Theatre. As Action News 5 reports, the show is billed as a national touring production offering a high-energy theatrical experience approachable for families and, according to the outlet, something for audiences of every age.
Familiar Suspects, New Faces at Boddy Manor
Sarah Mackenzie Baron plays Mrs. White and Nate Curlott takes on Colonel Mustard, part of a cast that also includes Adam Brett as Wadsworth and Camille Capers as Miss Scarlet, the same BroadwayWorld listing notes. Per Action News 5, Curlott said the cast must maintain precise coordination throughout the production, describing the show as a team effort requiring trust among the actors and noting that actors must listen to each other and work together as an ensemble. Baron, according to the same station, said Clue appeals to multiple generations of audiences.
The production leans on physical comedy, rapid-fire accusations and secret passageways to keep the whodunit moving, and Action News 5 reports that audience members can be heard whispering theories while watching. That energy echoes what critics elsewhere on the tour have described: a review of the show at the National Arts Centre noted its use of rapid-fire dialogue, physical comedy and multiple endings, according to BroadwayWorld's touring reviews. Another review, of the Arsht Center staging, described walls sliding, doors popping open and characters darting through secret passages, the same source notes.
A Board Game With Broadway Ambitions
The Clue franchise traces back to 1949, when the Cluedo board game was first manufactured, according to tourstoyou.org. Hasbro now owns and publishes the game, which the outlet reports has sold more than 200 million copies worldwide. That built-in nostalgia has helped power a tour: BroadwayWorld lists Memphis, St. Louis, Minneapolis and New Orleans among its stops.
Not every stop has agreed on how long the show runs. An Austin review at Bass Concert Hall described the show as a tight 80 minutes with fast pacing, and a Washington, D.C. review of the National Theatre engagement listed a running time of 80 minutes with no intermission, according to DC Theater Arts. An Indianapolis review, however, described the production as a trim 90-minute farce that often hinges on physical comedy, per NUVO. Action News 5 has described the Memphis run as intermission-free, though the exact runtime for this engagement was not specified.
What to Know Before You Go
The venue notes the production includes smoke, haze and gunshot sound effects. Tickets and performance details are available through the Orpheum Theatre Box Office or online, the venue advises.
