Review: Desert Theatreworks' Murder Plot in CLUE THE MUSICAL is a Hoot to Solve

CLUE THE MUSICAL is definitely not Shakespeare. As interpreted by director Lance Phillips-Martinez and music director Joel Baker, Desert Theatreworks' production is much more fun than many of Shakespeare's plays and far more family-friendly. Mr. Phillips-Martinez and Ashley Hernandez (who also plays the multiply-widowed Mrs. Peacock) have provided superb choreography. Add an excellent cast, a terrific musician (Brian Alec Thom), and the twist of giving the audience the opportunity to solve the murder, the result is a highly enjoyable 95 minutes.

Based on the board game "Clue," this farcical show features tuneful, upbeat music by Galen Blum, Wayne Barker, and Vinnie Martucci, and clever lyrics by Tom Chiodo. Peter DePietro wrote the book, which, in my opinion, is uneven, although it certainly has its funny moments, including updated quips, such as one about a celebrity's plastic surgeon.

Before the show, Mr. Boddy (Tanner Lieser), the narrator and eventual victim, invites three early-arriving audience members to choose cards that determine the murderer, the weapon, and the room where the murder will take place. His singing and acting are spot on and his personality perfect for his role as emcee. While the rest of the audience is still filing in, the cast looks at the cards to see which ending applies; although there are six potential murderers, together with the weapon and room there are over 200 combinations. Mr. Lieser provides three clues to the audience in each act, and must keep track of which solution applies so he can recite the correct riddles between scenes. The audience seemed to enjoy the challenge at the performance I attended - at the intermission, I saw various people looking at their notes and discussing the combinations, attempting to solve the crime.

The story is even more ridiculous than the ones in most comic operas, but the tale itself is secondary to the singing and dancing, the music, the visual elements, and the general atmosphere. Mrs. Peacock (Ashley Hernandez) dazzles with her song and dance number, "Once a Widow." Jocelyn "Alma" Lacy, as Mr. Boddy's cook, Mrs. White, with her perfect Cockney accent and facial expressions, threatens to steal the show. The rest of the cast members also do a fine job with their roles - especially in the contrapuntal song "Everyday Devices," which appears to be a diabolically difficult number.

Bruce Weber's superb set is spooky and imaginative. He places the piano on stage, which allows Mr. Thom to throw out a few wisecrack lines himself. Tish Lacy's lighting and Gregg Aratin's sound contribute heavily to the mood. In one scene, where each character parades past behind a lit screen, the lighting and the set themselves help create the laughs. Last, but most definitely not least, Michele Dobson's costumes are amazing - Colonel Mustard's (Stephen Blackwell) yellow monstrosity of a suit threatened to fry my eyeballs. When the detective (Sian Greenwood) calls the three female suspects to the front, the lighting on Miss Scarlet's (Ronda Williams) gorgeous red gown, Mrs. White's cook get-up, and Mrs. Peacock's stunning flapper outfit slightly on the dark side of Dodger blue create a beautiful, patriotic effect.

CLUE THE MUSICAL isn't Shakespeare, nor is it Neil Simon. However, in Desert Theatreworks able hands, it is a great deal of fun.

The rest of the cast and crew members are Mark Demry (Professor Plum), Alden Dickey (Mr. Green), Ron Phillips-Martinez (hair and makeup), Claudia Gomez (stage manager), and Priscilla Lawson (props).

CLUE THE MUSICAL will run through March 20, 2016, at the Arthur Newman Theatre, in the Joslyn Senior Center, 73-750 Catalina Way, Palm Desert CA, 92260. Note the addition of a Thursday evening show on March 16, 2011. Show times Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays are at 7pm, and Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.dtworks.org, in person at the Joslyn Center, and by phone at 760-980-1455. General admission is $26; senior admission is $24, and student admission (with i.d.) is $16. Groups of 8 or more should call the box office at 760-980-1455.

The final production in Desert Theatreworks' 2015-16 season is OTHER DESERT CITIES, the Broadway family drama set in Palm Springs, April 8-17, 2016. In addition, the company will present a reading of Euripides' MEDEA on Sunday, April 3, 2016 at 2:00pm.

The new season starts on May 20, 2016, with SMALL SERVINGS, 05-20-16 to 05-21-16, and continues with LOVE, SEX AND THE I.R.S., 06-17-16 to 06-25-16; WAR OF THE WORLDS, 07-22-16 to 07-23-16; THE REALISTIC JONESES, 09-16-16 to 09-24-16; MURDER ON THE NILE, 11-04-16 to 11-13-16; FRANK SINATRA MY WAY - A CHRISTMAS BASH, 12-09-16 to 12-18-16; 45 SECONDS FROM BROADWAY, 01-27-17 to 02-05-17; THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, 03-09-17 to 03-19-17; and NEXT TO NORMAL, 04-21-17 to 04-30-17. Season tickets are currently available.

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