Tag: film

Clue is Suspiciously Familiar But Devilishly Fun Running Through March 3rd At the Orpheum.

The Cast of Clue Photo by Evan Zimmerman

Any self respecting mystery fan matched their wits against their friends and family growing up over Parker Brothers Clue board game, I am no exception. Having grown up in the 80’s I saw the film version in the theater when it came out in 1985. With a mystery I generally try and askew any research so as not to be inadvertently tipped off to any of the surprises in store. I took the advertising “A New Comedy” at face value, I was shocked, not by the solution to the murders but upon realizing early on that I’d seen this script performed out at Lakeshore Players, which is a community theater company in White Bear Lake, two years ago. So if you’ve seen a stage play version of Clue previously, this is probably that script. You may be wondering if you should see this production if you’ve seen others. Well that would depend on how much you enjoyed the other production. I gave the Lakeshore Players production a positive review, this production dwarfs that one in every possible way. So if you haven’t seen a production of Clue before, or did and really enjoyed it, I’d enthusiastically recommend this one. The two primary reasons are the cast and the production design, both of which are of the highest calibre. Yes, this is probably the kind of show that elicits a review full of Dad jokes and silly word play, you’ve been warned.

I don’t really want to take a stab at running down the entire plot of the show, it is based on the 1985 film, and follows that plot more or less as I recall. For those who haven’t seen the film the set up is a dark and stormy night in a secluded mansion near a washed out bridge, six strangers are invited to dinner. The guests are each given a code name and told not to reveal their true identities. They have been gathered by Mr. Boddy who has been blackmailing each of the guests and now has gathered them together for an unknown reason, dinner is served, murder and mayhem follow in the study over coffee and brandy. This isn’t really a traditional whodunnit so much as a straight up comedy set among the trappings of the mystery genre. The scripts authorial lineage is almost a joke in itself, based on the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn, written by Sandy Rustin with additional material by Hunter Foster and Eric Price, based on the Paramount Pictures motion picture, based on the Hasbro board game Clue. Which of course at the time when the film was made, it was actually the Parker Brothers board game Clue, as Hasbro didn’t purchase Parker Brothers until the early 1990’s. Which is my way of dishing out some red herrings of my own so as not to give any more of the plot away than I have already.

Having seen the script performed before I was struck by how much the performances really affected the comedy. I thought the cast was solid out at Lakeshore in 2022 but this cast knew how to ring twice as many laughs out of the script. There isn’t a weak performance but there were a couple that really stood out as exceptional examples of physical comedy. Mark Price as the Butler Wadsworth is fantastic following in the shoes of the great Tim Curry from the film version. Price’s dry wit in the opening as he greets the guests alerts the audience from the outset to listen for double meanings and word play. His recap of what has happened so far before everyone attempts to guess the killer is a manic tour de force. John Shartzer takes the physical comedy up a notch as Mr Green, there is a scene with a chandelier that doesn’t seem like it should be physically possible. Watching Price and Shartzer square off towards the end in a series of inventive comedic touches that add laughs that simply wouldn’t exist if played by any other actors. The other element that simply cannot be matched on a smaller budget is the set design by Lee Savage. The set features rooms that open like drawers from the wings, walls that drop from the ceiling, including one with a wall safe behind a portrait that gave us an unplanned intermission when some technical difficulties arose. Important to note that Minneapolis is the launch of this National touring production, so the odd hiccup can occur as it isn’t yet the well oiled machine it will undoubtedly become. It was a short delay and oddly added to the fun of the whole evening, and the cast picked up right where they were and carried it off like pros. Assisting in bringing the whole affair to wonderful visual life was the lighting design by Ryan O’Gara which in a really fun touch included flickering the house lights at the start to emulate the lighting effects.

Clue is running through March 3rd at Hennepin Theatre Trusts Orpheum Theatre in Downtown Minneapolis as part of the 2023-2024 Bank of America Broadway on Hennepin season. It’s a great looking production filled with laughs and fun appropriate for anyone 12 and older, a great trip to theater for young teenagers as it’s got a nice blend of creativity visually and overflows with humor. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://hennepintheatretrust.org/events/clue-orpheum-theatre-minneapolis-mn-2024/

Don’t want to miss a single review from The Stages of MN? You can subscribe and have every post sent directly to your email. To subscribe on your computer: from the home page on the right, enter your email address and click subscribe. On your mobile device scroll to the bottom of the page and do the same. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/

I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by my colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. We also produce the podcast Twin Cities Theater Chat!! which you can access through this link or wherever you enjoy podcasts https://twincitiestheaterchat.buzzsprout.com/ . We post biweekly longer form episodes that will focus on interviews and discussions around theater topics. There is also shorter episodes in which we Bloggers tell you what we think you should get out and see as well as what we have on our schedules that we are most looking forward too.

Dial M For Murder is Simply to Die For at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis

Gretchen Egolf, Brian Thomas Abraham, and David Andrew Macdonald     Photo by Dan Norman

Dial M For Murder opened Friday evening with a newly adapted script by local favorite Jeffrey Hatcher from the original play by Frederick Knott. Knott also wrote the screenplay for the Famous Alfred Hitchcock film adaptation. For those curious, I am happy to report that like the Hitchcock film, this new adaptation is also presented in 3D. Hatcher keeps the basics of the original work but adds several twists that make the play feel more modern though it retains the original 1950’s London period setting. Normally with a thriller I’d be hesitant to give anything away, and I still intend to keep most things under wraps. But, unlike an Agatha Christie story, this isn’t really a whodunnit, it’s more like a Columbo episode. You know who the criminal is very early on, the thrills come from seeing how his plan comes off and how he adapts when things don’t go according to plan. The piece I won’t spoil is a sequence that Hatcher inserts during the commission of the crime, it doesn’t change Knotts basic plot but it adds another layer of suspicions, and it’s a ingenious little twist.

The plot revolves around Tony Wendices plot to have an old acquaintance murder his wife after having discovered she had an affair with a writer that ended a year previous. One major change is a gender swap of the former lover from Max to Maxine. He also changes the professions of Tony and Maxine which adds another dimension to Tony’s motivations. For those keeping track, we are now up to four dimensions if my math checks out. Probably Hatchers greatest contribution is an injection of humor into the script, not so much as to feel out of place but just the perfect amount to add to the overall enjoyment of the piece. Bringing out that humor perfectly is the performance by David Andrew Macdonald as Tony, he’s the perfect marriage of actor and role. Macdonald’s choices all work, his timing and line readings are impeccable. More than any other actor on the stage he seems to be on the same wavelength as Hatcher and it’s a key to this productions success. Since we know who the villain is, the thrills come from whether or not he’ll be found out. Our investment is increased by the fact that we are so entertained by Macdonald, we find ourselves feeling anxious that he’ll get caught, when our sense of justice should be rooting for him to be. Gretchen Egolf plays Margot Tony’s wife and Lori Vega the ex-lover Maxine, Egolf plays the role straight laced, which works well with her motivations to withhold information from other characters while Vega, playing an American is more vibrant and hip. Brian Thomas Abraham gives an intelligent performance as Inspector Hubbard making piecing together the crime feel like effective reasoning even when it’s wrong, you can see why it seems correct to him. Continuing the trend of three named actors is Peter Christian Hansen as Lesgate the old schoolmate of Tony’s whose persuaded to murder Margot. Nice to see a local actor in a show that seems full of imports, and Hansen is, as always an asset to any production.

Tracy Brigden does a nice tight job of direction, everything is clear, she gives the audience the time to watch the characters work out what to do next but never a second more than is necessary. The staging of the murder is particularly effective, the deadly blow being executed very effectively and also providing us with a few jump inducing moments. Just listening to the opening night audiences reactions, the oohs and ahhs and the laughter it’s clear that Hatcher and Brigden had the audience in the palms of their hands. I’m so glad that Hatcher kept the time period of the play in the 50’s, it allowed for a beautifully retro aesthetic. From the wonderful set by Walt Spangler to the gorgeous costumes by Valerie Therese Bart, it captures the look of a 50’s era Hitchcock film. I also noticed in a good way, the lighting design by Xavier Pierce which wonderfully set the mood of the scenes especially well done was the stormy night of the murder which featured some great sound design from John Gromada as well. Dial M for Murder is a murderously entertaining production filled with twists and turns and just the right proportion of humor peppered throughout. Dial M for Murder runs through February 25th at the Guthrie Theater for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.guthrietheater.org/shows-and-tickets/2023-2024-season/dial-m-for-murder/

In case you missed it I had the opportunity last summer to interview Jeffrey Hatcher for the Twin Cities Theater Chat Podcast you can listen to that conversation here https://twincitiestheaterchat.buzzsprout.com/2150807/13157328

Don’t want to miss a single review from The Stages of MN? You can subscribe and have every post sent directly to your email. To subscribe on your computer: from the home page on the right, enter your email address and click subscribe. On your mobile device scroll to the bottom of the page and do the same. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/

I am also a member of the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers (TCTB), where you can read roundups of shows by my colleagues and I when you follow us on facebook @TwinCitiesTheaterBloggers. We also produce the podcast Twin Cities Theater Chat!! which you can access through this link or wherever you enjoy podcasts https://twincitiestheaterchat.buzzsprout.com/ . We post biweekly longer form episodes that will focus on interviews and discussions around theater topics. There is also shorter episodes in which we Bloggers tell you what we think you should get out and see as well as what we have on our schedules that we are most looking forward too.