CLUE, the murder myster, opens July 23 at Segerstrom

CLUE, the musical, is coming to Segerstrom in Costa Mesa. Courtesy photo

CLUE, the hilarious murder mystery comedy inspired by the board game and adapted from the fan-favorite film, is coming to Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa for a limited eight performance engagement from Tuesday, July 23 to Sunday, July 28.  Tickets and information are available at scfta.org.

On Wednesday, July 24 at 6:30 pm, Segerstrom Center hosts a fun and free to the public CLUE Cosplay Contest with prizes for the best individual and group personifications of some of the most famous characters in board game history: Colonel Mustard, Miss Scarlet, Mrs. Peacock, Mrs. White, Mr. Green, and Professor Plum. The first 100 people to arrive in costume will receive a complimentary appetizer voucher for a savory treat at Claim Jumper Steakhouse & Bar. If you ever played the game Clue, now is your chance to dress up and be one of the famous characters! Don’t miss out on this fun opportunity to become a part of the mystery. To register for Segerstrom Center for the Arts’s CLUE Character Costume Contest, please visit https://scfta.org/shows-events/clue-contest.

In the play CLUE on stage, led by Broadway Director Casey Hushion (Associate Director of Mean Girls and The Prom, Associate Resident Director of Aladdin, choreography for the Netflix seriesUnbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”), murder and blackmail are on the menu when six mysterious guests assemble at Boddy Manor for a night they’ll never forget! Was it Mrs. Peacock in the study with the knife? Or was it Colonel Mustard in the library with the wrench? Based on the fan-favorite 1985 Paramount Pictures movie and inspired by the classic Hasbro board game, CLUE is the ultimate whodunit that will leave you dying of laughter and keep you guessing until the final twist.

The cast of CLUE includes Mariah Burks as the Cook, John Treacy Egan as Colonel Mustard, Michelle Elaine as Miss Scarlet, Joanna Glushak as Mrs. Peacock, Tari Kelly as Mrs. White, Mark Price as Wadsworth, John Shartzer as Mr. Green, Jonathan Spivey as Professor Plum, Alex Syiek as Mr. Boddy, Teddy Trice as the Cop, and Elisabeth Yancey as Yvette. The understudies are Greg Balla, Alison Ewing, Mary McNulty and James Taylor Odom.

Juan A. Ramírez in The New York Times called it, “A very fun whodunit that strikes contemporary parallels on the way to its grand reveal. As those left standing rush to blame one another, in different possible scenarios, they mirror our own increasingly selfish desire to think of our perception as being the correct one. Like the board game, and life itself, the play winds up making only one perception true — but thank goodness this one’s fun.”

CLUE is based on the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn. Written by Sandy Rustin with additional material by Hunter Foster and Eric Price. It features original music by Michael Holland.

The production also features scenic design by Lee Savage, costume design by Jen Caprio, lighting design by Ryan O’Gara and sound design by Jeff Human.

The CLUE franchise began in 1949 with the manufacture of the ‘Cluedo’ board game. Currently owned and published by Hasbro, the game has since sold more than 200 million copies worldwide.  A murder-mystery comedy film by Paramount Pictures based on the board game was released in 1985 and went on to achieve cult classic status with a passionate fanbase.

The North American tour of CLUE is produced by The Araca Group, Work Light Productions, Lively McCabe Entertainment and Aged in Wood.

Originally produced at Bucks County Playhouse, New Hope, Pennsylvania, Alexander Fraser, Robyn Goodman, Josh Fiedler, Producers. Developed by Cleveland Playhouse, Laura Kepley, Artistic Director & Kevin Moore, Managing Director.

Marina Kennedy in BroadwayWorld said, “Extraordinarily entertaining … You may have viewed the film and played the board game countless times, but you’ve never experienced the intrigue, eccentricity, and humor that ‘Clue’ brings to the stage.”

Hayley Levitt said in Theatermania, “Reminds you what a breezy night of pure entertainment feels like.  Synchronized door slams, pratfalls, and wide-eyed gasps should all be on your murder mystery bingo card … happily hums along with no sign of the exertion it takes to make this brand of comedy look utterly effortless.  They all roam through set designer Lee Savage’s luscious rendering of Boddy Manor, with surprise portals to more iconic ‘Clue’ rooms than you would ever think could fit onstage.”

Tickets for CLUE start at $39 and are available for purchase online at scfta.org, in person at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa, or by calling (714) 556-2787.  For inquiries about group ticket discounts for 10 or more, call the Group Services offices at (714)755-0236.

For more information, visit clueliveonstage.com

Biographies

MARIAH BURKS (The Cook). She/her. A native Clevelander making her national tour debut. Credits: Little Women (Dobama Theatre), Antigone (CPH), Clue (CPH). Alum of the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program & BGSU. Recipient: National Irene Ryan Acting Award at The Kennedy Center. Regional/local credits: Caroline, or Change (Tantrum Theatre); Ragtime (Cain Park). Love & gratitude to all! @magical_mariahb

JOHN TREACY EGAN (Colonel Mustard). Broadway: My Fair Lady, Casa Valentina, Nice Work.., Sister Act, The Little Mermaid, The Producers, Jekyll & Hyde, Bye Bye Birdie. Off-Broadway: Clinton The Musical, When Pigs Fly, Disaster!, Bat Boy. Television: “And Just Like That”, Gotham,” “Younger,” “The Good Wife,” “The Knick,” “Boardwalk Empire,” “Nurse Jackie,” and “30 Rock.” officialjohntreacyegan.com

MICHELLE ELAINE (Miss Scarlet). Alley Theatre: Clue, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, Sense and Sensibility, Sweat, Quack, All The Way. The Ensemble Theatre: Clyde’s; By The Way, Meet Vera Stark; Gee’s Bend and School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play. Stages: POTUS, We Are Proud to Present…, Failure: A Love Story. Watch Michelle’s web series @castmedammit on YouTube! @michelleelaineofficial

JOANNA GLUSHAK (Mrs. Peacock). Broadway (Highlight Roles): 1776, A Gentlemen’s Guide To Love And Murder, Sunday In The Park With George, Les Miserables, Hairspray, Urinetown. National Tours: 1776, Finding Neverland, Young Frankenstein, Xanadu. ‘Mrs. O’Toole’ in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” as well as many other roles for Film/TV. Yale Drama School Graduate. More info at www.joannaglushak.com

TARI KELLY (Mrs. White). Broadway: Mr. Saturday Night, Groundhog Day, Something Rotten!, Anything Goes, The Boy from Oz, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical, and Show Boat. National Tours: Anastasia, Little Shop of Horrors, Show Boat, and Beauty and the Beast. Check out www.tarikelly.com

MARK PRICE (Wadsworth). Broadway: Mary Poppins, All Shook Up, Wonderful Town, Rocky Horror Show, Mamma Mia!, Dance of the Vampires, The Capeman, and Chicago. Regional: Clue, Dial M for Murder, The 39 Steps, The Cottage, Lend Me A Tenor, Assassins, Sondheim Celebration (Lincoln Center), Sweeney Todd (Kennedy Center; Helen Hayes nomination). T.V.: “Blacklist,” “Murphy Brown,” “The Good Wife,” “Law & Order.” www.aboutmarkprice.com

JOHN SHARTZER (Mr. Green). Theater: Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular, Darling Grenadine, Clue. Film: Book Club. Television: “Dahmer,” “Station 19,” “9-1-1: Lonestar,” “Brooklyn 99,” “Grace & Frankie,” “While You Were Breeding.” Thank you Casey and Sandy for this opportunity. All my love to my Mrs. with all the right kisses Cassandra and our strong and beautiful Nora

JONATHAN SPIVEY (Professor Plum). He/him. Broadway: The Front Page, Act One. Off-Broadway: Summer & Smoke, Morning’s at Seven, Smart Blonde. Regional: Yale, Old Globe, Denver Center, Long Wharf, Barrington, Milwaukee Rep, Cape Playhouse, many more. TV: “The Gilded Age”, “Blue Bloods”, “The Blacklist”, “FBI: Most Wanted”, “East New York”. MFA: Old Globe. www.jspivey.com

ALEX SYIEK (Mr. Boddy). Some favorite credits: Natasha…Great Comet (Pierre; ISF/Great Lakes Theater), Groundhog Day (Phil; Paramount Theatre), Murder on the Orient Express (Officer; Paper Mill Playhouse). Musical projects: The Show on the Roof (Music and Lyrics), The Poké Musical (Book and Lyrics). BWU MT ’13, NYU GMTWP (Cycle 26). Thank YOU for supporting live theatre. www.alexsyiek.com

TEDDY TRICE (The Cop). He/him. The Book of Mormon (Broadway, 2nd Nat’l Tour). International Tour: Come From Away, The Book of Mormon (Australia). Off-Broadway: The Butcher Boy (Irish Repertory Theatre), Shedding Load (59E59). Select Regional: The Island (KC Actors Theatre), Sweat (Unicorn Theatre). B.A. in Theatre (Drury University). Gratitude and love to Claire, Mom and Dad, Manager, Rochel Saks, and the Clue team. @teddytrice

ELISABETH YANCEY (Yvette) is an actor, yoga instructor, and coach based in NYC. Favorite regional credits: Palm Beach Dramaworks, Gulfshore Playhouse, Cleveland Play House, and Wellesley Repertory Theater. Chautauqua Institute Conservatory 2020, MFA Acting (CWRU/CPH), BA Theatre Studies (Wellesley College), Certificate Classical Acting (LAMDA). @elisabethyancey

CLUE

Segerstrom Center for the Arts

July 23 – July 28, 2024

Segerstrom Hall

Performs:

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 7:30 pm

Saturday at 2 pm and 7:30 pm

Sunday at 1 pm and 6:30 pm

Tickets start at $39.

Box Office

In person –

Box Office

600 Town Center Drive

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Monday 10 am to 2 pm

Tuesday through Friday 12 pm to 5 pm

Saturday and Sunday: Closed

Phone – Monday – Friday 10 am to 5 pm

714.556.2787

Online – SCFTA.org

Group Sales – 714.755.0236

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is an innovative, nonprofit arts organization committed to supporting artistic excellence, creating impactful educational programs, and dedicated to engaging a culturally connected, inclusive and vital Orange County community for all, through the power of live performance.

As the leading cultural arts hub, the Center presents a variety of programming with performances by international dance companies, Broadway national tours, jazz and cabaret musicians, chamber orchestras and ensembles, comedy, and speaker series. Through the Education and Community Engagement departments, the Center also delivers family-friendly programming and performances on the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza; these events include outdoor movie screenings, concerts, dance classes, diverse festivals and more.

With six venues on a beautiful multi-disciplinary campus, Segerstrom Center for the Arts proudly serves as the artistic home to three of the region’s major performing arts organizations: Pacific SymphonyPhilharmonic Society of Orange County and Pacific Chorale as well as two independently acclaimed organizations: Tony Award®-winning South Coast Repertory and Orange County Museum of Art. Segerstrom Center is also home to the American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School and Studio D, Arts School for All Abilities.

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