In a comedy based on the classic game and movie, murder mystery meets farce when a dinner host meets an untimely end
By Lee Juillerat for Ashland.news
Psst. Looking for a clue about what’s being offered for the upcoming 2024 season at the Oregon Cabaret Theatre?
Look no further than Friday, Feb. 2, when the season opens with “Clue,” a play based on the iconic 1985 Paramount movie that was inspired by the classic Hasbro board game.
“Clue” is by described the Cabaret’s managing director Rick Robinson as a “hilarious farce-meets-murder mystery.”
Dinner and death
The opens at a remote mansion, where six mysterious guests assemble for an unusual dinner party where murder and blackmail are on the menu.
When their host turns up dead, everyone becomes a suspect.
“I’m a huge fan of the movie. And the stage version, while it has some differences, is really a love letter to that classic film,” says “Clue” director Alex Boyles.
“The technical elements of the show — the constant changing of room and the specificity required in the comedic bits — has been challenging, but the work is a joy. The source material is already hilarious and this cast takes it to the next level.”
Familiar Cabaret faces
The cast for “Clue” features several Cabaret veterans, including Rick Robinson, Katie Worley Beck, Dan Olson, Austin Miller, Livia Genise, Louis Lotorto, Melinda Parrett, Preston Mead, Ernesto Rosales and Gwendolyn Duffy, along with newcomer Kat Lee.
Sandy Rustin wrote the script based on the movie screenplay by Jonathan Lynn and additional contributions by Hunter Foster and Eric Price.
Boyles, the Cabaret’s associate artistic director, recently co-directed “Christmas at the Prime Rib Playhouse.”
Other Cabaret veterans involved on the production team include choreographer Valerie Rachelle and fight choreographer U. Jonathan Toppo.
The play’s design team includes set designer Jason Bolen, lighting designer Evan Carbone, sound designer Kimberly O’Loughlin, props designer Jackie Perron, projection designer Michael Stanfill, costume designer Sara Brookes and wig designer Virginia Carol Hudson.
If it were a movie, “Clue” would be rated PG. It features mild adult situations and comic violence.
Runs through April 7
The deets
“Clue” runs Feb. 2 to April 7. Shows at 8 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays. Thursday, Saturday and Sunday matinees at 1 p.m. Tickets $32 to $49. Reservations required for dinner or brunch.
“Clue” opens Friday, Feb. 2 and closes Sunday, April 7. Thursday, Saturday and Sunday matinees begin at 1 p.m. Evening performances are at 8 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays.
Reservations are required for preshow dinner or brunch. Appetizers, cocktails, beverages, and desserts are available without reservations.
Tickets range from $32 to $49. The Cabaret offers a 15% ticket discount for groups of 12 or more for select ticket types and performances.
Student rush tickets cost $15 and can be purchased 30 minutes before curtain with a valid student ID, subject to availability.
For more information or to purchase tickets call the Oregon Cabaret Theatre box office at 541-488-2902 or visit oregoncabaret.com.
Email freelance writer Lee Juillerat at 337lee337@charter.net.
