Michael Holland

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[Broadway, 2011]
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Photos: Get a First Look at CLUE North American Tour

Get a first look at production photos of the North American Tour of Clue!

Review: CLUE at Ridgefield Theater Barn

Based on the 1985 movie, the script of 'Clue' is a fun romp rife with wordplay and sight gags. Need a break from streaming and bingeing and all the newfangled ways to get your entertainment fix? 

Theater Latté Da Commissions New Musical SHE'S COME UNDONE

Theater Latté Da has announced the commission and first workshop of the new musical She's Come Undone, with music and lyrics by Michael Holland and a book co-written by Darrah Cloud and David Simpatico.

Cast Set For North American Tour of CLUE

Full casting has been announced for the North American tour of CLUE, the hilarious murder mystery comedy inspired by the board game and adapted from Paramount Pictures’ wildly popular film. The tour will launch in Minneapolis, MN, playing the Orpheum Theatre from February 27 to March 3, 2024.  

Hilarious New Stage Play CLUE Will Visit The Broward Center's Au-rene Theater In June 2024

CLUE, the hilarious murder mystery comedy inspired by the Hasbro board game and adapted from the cult favorite film, comes to the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale Tuesday, June 11 through Sunday, June 16, 2024 as the final show of the 2023/2024 Bank of America Broadway in Fort Lauderdale Season with presenting Sponsor Nicklaus Children's Hospital.

Cabaret Photographers: Helane Blumfield

Broadway World Cabaret gets photographic content from some of the best shutterbugs in the business. Here's a look at some of the captures they've shared with us.

Tickets For CLUE At the Baltimore Hippodrome Go On Sale Tomorrow

CLUE, the hilarious murder mystery comedy inspired by the Hasbro board game and adapted from the cult favorite film, come to Baltimore May 7-12, 2024.

Murder Mystery CLUE Comes To The Ohio Theatre April 9-14, 2024

CLUE comes to the Ohio Theatre April 9-14, 2024. Get ready for a fun whodunit that strikes contemporary parallels on the way to its grand reveal. A breezy night of pure entertainment awaits!

Alex Boniello, Damon J. Gillespie, and More Will Lead Industry Presentation of THE WAY OUT

The Way Out will host an industry presentation this week. Directed by Dave Solomon, the cast includes Gus Birney, Alex Boniello, Sebastian Delascasas, Damon J. Gillespie, Chris Gray and Elizabeth Teeter.

Photos: Meet The Cast Of The New TUTS Musical, THE UGLY XMAS SWEATER MUSICAL!

Theatre Under The Stars has released first look photos of the stellar cast of Houstonians in the world premiere of The Ugly Xmas Sweater Musical, a brand-new musical.

EDINBURGH 2023: Soho Theatre's South Asian Acts at the Edinburgh Fringe Guest Blog

Soho Theatre guest blog for BroadwayWorld on the diverse showcase of South Asian talent they're bringing to the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Isaac Mizrahi, Jason Danieley, Adam Pascal, and More to Play 54 Below Next Month

Next month, 54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club & Private Event Destination, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond. A recipient of the 2022 Tony Awards Honor for Excellence in the Theatre, 54 Below is a non-profit organization with a mission to preserve and expand the art of the cabaret, honor the music of Broadway, and provide an unparalleled experience to diverse communities.

CLUE National Tour to Launch in Minneapolis in February 2024 - Full Route Announced!

Producers The Araca Group, Work Light Productions, and Lively McCabe Entertainment have announced that a North American tour of CLUE, the hilarious murder mystery comedy inspired by the board game and adapted from the cult favorite film, will launch in Minneapolis, MN, playing the Orpheum Theatre from February 27 to March 3, 2024.

A STRANGE LOOP, HADESTOWN, FUNNY GIRL Center Theatre Group's 2023/24

Center Theatre Group has announced upcoming 2023 – 2024 programming at the Ahmanson Theatre, plus a show for all ages at the Kirk Douglas Theatre.

Photos: June 27th THE LINEUP WITH SUSIE MOSHER Stacks The Deck

It was another fine week and another fine LINEUP.

Review: CLUE at Syracuse Stage

Syracuse Stage closes its 2022-23 season with the madcap farce, Clue. Based on the iconic 1950’s board game of the same name, Clue spoofs whodunit mysteries, film noir, 1950’s pop culture and gothic horror films. The play is adapted for stage from the 1985 film that was a critical flop but has since become a cult classic. Set during McCarthy’s House Un-American Activities Committee hearings, a time fraught with suspicion and accusation, the mansion owned by Mr. Boddy becomes the gathering point for six invited guests. These guests we find out are all guarded about their pasts, are all being blackmailed and are referred to by aliases that correspond to the famous characters in the board game. Each guest is then gifted one of the six murder weapons. In all, there are six potential murderers, six weapons and nine rooms in the mansion, 324 possibilities for who, what and where; as Shakespeare and Sherlock Holmes agree, now “the game is afoot.” The gothic mansion, the dark and stormy night, the suspenseful reality of the play merge with Parker Brothers’ (now Hasbro’s) rule book and the characters become mashups of villains and game pieces. They punctuate the endings of scenes with comic confusion, mad scrambling and a kind of frantic skipping, like game pieces moving on a board after a dice roll. Scenic designer, Czerton Lim, creates the perfect 3-D version of the original board game. Upon entering the theatre, the audience sees a classic gothic foyer, complete with crystal chandelier, mahogany woodwork, marble stairs and a tiled floor fashioned to replicate the spaces on a game board. As the play progresses, the set becomes a character in itself as it transforms into the rooms of the mansion required by both the game and the play. His design is beautiful and functional. It not only provides a setting but also helps establish the humor and tempo of the play. It always surprises and delights. Likewise, original music by Michael Holland and sound design by Todd Mack create a comically suspenseful mood and punctuate the zany exploits on stage. Along with lighting design by Jared Gooding, the cliché of a dark and stormy night permeates the atmosphere and heightens the tension and anxiety of this mock thriller. The production is at its best when the actors are highly choreographed and in tune with the music, sound and light cues. In fact, the funniest moment in the play is prompted by a single gunshot. Director Benjamin Hanna establishes a fast pace from the very beginning of the play. It is so fast and furious that neither the audience nor the actors are allowed to get their bearings. The characters in Clue are obvious stereotypes but the portrayals all share the same frenetic quality without ever establishing basic, underlying traits and motivations. Characterization, for the most part, has been sacrificed to blatant silliness and camp. (There is nothing in the script that requires the beginning to move at such a pace.) Once the first murder occurs and the stakes are raised the speed can and should pickup through the end. For example, Plum is a stereotypical Professor, haughty and cerebral but cursed with an inflated libido. Beethovan Oden has a nice general feel for the character and indicates his personality traits, but he isn’t able to develop those qualities from the onset of the play. If he had, then as the pace became more frantic the audience could have enjoyed watching him first struggle then ultimately fail to keep his composure. Clearly many of the actors are talented. John Taylor Phillips as Wadsworth has a natural presence on stage as well as crisp comic timing but never fully embodies the stereotypical reserved, unflappable and ultimately arrogant butler. Emily Berman as Miss Scarlet is also clean and precise. Miss Scarlet is a stereotypical Madame but the actress is not allowed to explore the cynism and sexuality of the character who should have a slower, more voluptuous pace than some of the others. Henry Woronicz’s Colonel Mustard vacillates appropriately between being doddering and demanding. He sketches out an interesting frame for his character but again seems to fall prey to the tempo of this runaway train. Claire Wilcher makes a strong acting choice to play Mrs. Peacock with the nervous energy of a bird. Her comedy is broad and eccentric while still grounded in reality. Even when she is in the background of the action, she is always in the moment. When given focus, she commands the stage and rate of action. As a result, her portrayal is very funny and very satisfying to watch. Her least successful moments occur when directed to do something out of character simply for a laugh. Less successfully, Eric Sharp’s Mr. Green and Emjoy Gavino’s Mrs. White just seem lost in the silliness and frenetic mayhem. As lovers of farce and broad comedy, we were disappointed that more care wasn’t taken to create an underlying believability before descending into comic chaos. A stock character when presented by an actor still needs to have specificity. Silliness can be funny, comic bits enjoyable and a fast pace exciting, but they need to be balanced and well executed. By the end of the production, it felt like all 324 murder possibilities were explored, but few realities remained. If you are looking for an evening of fast-paced silliness, screwball comedy and sight gags this production satisfies. As a farce poking fun at human frailty and foibles, Benjamin Hanna’s Clue misses the mark. Clue runs through Sunday, June 25th. Tickets can be purchased by visiting SyracuseStage.org or by calling (315) 443-3275 or by visiting the box office at 820 East Genesee Street. did our critic think of CLUE at Syracuse Stage?

EVENING CONVERSATIONS Comes to Edinburgh Fringe

Following its critically praised run at Soho Theatre, numerous festival performances and an audio version release on Audible, acclaimed actor and writer, Sudha Bhuchar brings her one woman show Evening Conversations to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this August

Review: Farah Alvin Is A 1970S Goddess In ON VINYL at The Green Room 42

Broadway staple Farah Alvin celebrated, in glorious fashion, the recent release of her new record.

Iconic Board Game CLUE Closes Syracuse Stage Season

Syracuse Stage closes its 2022/2023 season with a production that celebrates the pure joy and simple fun of live theatre, the fan favorite and ultimate whodunnit, CLUE. The production runs June 7 to 25 in the Archbold Theatre at Syracuse Stage, 820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse.

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