ABC Players will present “Clue: The Musical” at Stuart’s Opera House, 52 Public Square in Nelsonville, Oct. 10-12 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 13 at 2 p.m.
The musical is based on the iconic board game, including popular characters such as Colonel Mustard and Miss Scarlet.
“It's very funny and it has all of the same characters,” Sylvia Abbott, the director of the production, said. “All the same weapons, same rooms. It's very clever, cute and the family would enjoy it.”
Cast members for the show include: Joe Balding, Jeroch Carlson, Dan Dunham, Matthew Johnson, Kevin Kunz, Jodi MacNeal, Samantha Pelham, Ezra Thobaben and Linda Watkins.
The show revolves around the mystery of the murder of Mr. Boddy, Jodi MacNeal, the president of ABC players, said.
“So we're trying to figure out who murdered him,” MacNeal, who plays the Detective, a character in the musical not included in the board game, said.
What makes Clue especially interesting, however, is the level of audience interaction involved in the show.
“There's actually 216 different interpretations that could happen at the end of the game,” Samantha Pelham, who plays Miss Scarlet, said. “It's audience-interactive, so three volunteers from the audience will pick the person that plays in the room at the very beginning of the show, and then we are told what it is and actually have to adapt the musical around who is picked.”
The rest of the audience is also able to interact with the production.
“The audience will get a score sheet at the beginning,” Abbott said. “ And they will be able to score who they think it is, and then turn their sheets in and maybe possibly win.”
This setup creates for a subjective, interesting show, and a distinct set of challenges for those both on and off the stage.
“There are certain lines that are said only if a certain person has been picked as the murderer,” said MacNeal. “So once we know, the cast has to be very aware of what the outcome is supposed to be so that we give the audience the right clues.”
The setup also relies on the people operating the sound booth to skip through tracks as needed to follow the story and for actors to skip or change lines as needed to fulfill the storyline. In fact, MacNeal noted, there are lines the actors may memorize and never perform during the run of the show.
The show allows a space for many types of people and many types of fulfillment, as is seen vastly in the production.
Abbott has enjoyed “being a boss” for the show, although she credits much of the work to her directing team and cast.
“But it's a cooperative effort. And their efforts are every bit if not more important than mine,” Abbott said. “I just kind of keep it running.”
For Pelham, it is a different and enjoyable experience to play someone unlike herself. To her, the sultry Miss Scarlett is very interesting to bring to life.
“It's a lot of fun to play her,” Pelham said. “Especially because, you know, being such an iconic board game character. You don't really think about them having personalities.”
Throughout the show, MacNeal has enjoyed teaching the music because it is unfamiliar. There is no broadway cast album to listen to and she has enjoyed pushing her cast.
“Music, I think, feeds everyone's soul,” MacNeal said
