The Morning Call

Solve a crime at Pines Dinner Theatre with ‘Clue: The Musical’

- By Kathy Lauer-Williams

Was it Colonel Mustard in the kitchen with a knife, or maybe Mrs. Peacock in the ballroom with a candlestic­k? Or perhaps Professor Plum in the study with a lead pipe?

Fans of the classic mystery-solving board game “Clue” won’t want to miss the interactiv­e musical version of the 70-year-old game that opens at Pines Dinner Theatre Friday.

Enjoy a sit-down dinner while trying to solve the puzzle of who murdered Mr. Boddy at “Clue: The Musical” on stage Sept. 6 through Oct. 27 at the Allentown dinner theater.

The show includes comic antics, Broadway-style music, witty lyrics, and a surprise twist.

The show opens at elegant Boddy Mansion, where the audience meets Professor Plum (played by Kristofer Holtz), Miss Scarlet (played by Leslea Rodig), Colonel Mustard (played by Christophe­r Wheatley), Mrs. Peacock (played by Amber Blatt), Mrs. White (played by Jennifer Hope) and Mr. Green (played by Mike Covel).

When Mr. Boddy (played by James Ofalt), turns up dead the possibilit­ies are endless with six suspects, six possible murder scenes and six potential weapons. Actually, in all, there are 216 possible solutions!

Helping with the possibilit­ies are three audience members, who are chosen to come onstage, and choose one card each from one of three stacks, representi­ng six suspects, six rooms and six weapons. These selected cards, unseen by the selectors, cast or the audience, are placed in an oversized envelope marked “Confidenti­al,” which is displayed on stage for the duration of the musical and opened to reveal the cards near the end.

Mr. Boddy instructs the audience on how to play along. Between scenes throughout the musical, Mr. Boddy gives rhyming clues, which provide the audience members with informatio­n they may use to solve the mystery.

The musical, which was produced off-Broadway in 1997, was written by Peter DePietro, with lyrics by Tom Chiodo and music by Wayne Barker, Galen Blum and Vinnie Martucci. The playful score includes songs like “Life is a Bowl of Pits” and “She Hasn’t Got a Clue.”

Dinner includes a choice of homestyle pot roast, apple cinnamon grilled pork loin or striped pangasius, with vegetables and smashed potatoes. Also available are vegetarian options of fettuccine Alfredo with broccoli and butternut squash ravioli in brown butter sauce. Included is salad, fresh-baked bread, and family-style apple crisp for dessert. Beverages, a la carte menu items, and dessert upgrades are available for an additional charge.

“Clue the Musical,”12:30 p.m. dinner, 2 p.m. show Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday; 6:30 p.m. dinner, 8 p.m. show, Friday and Saturday, Sept. 6 through Oct. 27, Pines Dinner Theatre, 448 N. 17th St., Allentown. Tickets: $50; $35, students; $20, ages 2-9. Show-only tickets are $30 for adults and $20 for children. Info: 610-433-2333, pinesdinne­rtheatre.com.

National Theatre Live returns to Easton

Williams Center for the Arts’ National Theatre Live Downtown returns for its third season in Easton, opening with Shakespear­e’s “Antony and Cleopatra,” broadcast from London, featuring Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo as the powerful and tragic lovers, on Sunday.

Fiennes and Okonedo play Shakespear­e’s famous fated couple in his great tragedy of

 ?? PINES DINNER THEATRE ?? James Ofalt as Mr. Boddy and Amber Blatt as Mrs. Peacock in “Clue the Musical” at Pines Dinner Theatre.
PINES DINNER THEATRE James Ofalt as Mr. Boddy and Amber Blatt as Mrs. Peacock in “Clue the Musical” at Pines Dinner Theatre.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States