Clue. The classic whodunnit game that has been played and loved by many. Who did it? Where? And with what?
Beaverton Civic Theatre brought this game to life in their recent musical version of Clue. Just Chicken and I went to this one as Nugget had another fun activity on his schedule for the day. And we both agree he totally missed out.
The interactive nature of this play truly set it apart. At the beginning of the play, three audience members were invited on stage. One drew a “who” card, one drew the “where” card, and another drew the “how” card. The cards were then placed into an envelope and taped to the wall of the set (which was a life sized version of the game board). Because a unique combination of cards is drawn at each show, there are 216 different endings to the show.
The plays narrator, Mr. Boddy (who was fantastic and had a great stage presence), periodically gave clues based on the cards. He had seen them, but the audience and actors were in the dark. There was space in the program to track the clues so audience members could attempt to solve the mystery themselves.
This show was one of our favorites we have seen at Beaverton Civic Theatre. It was funny, engaging, and well done. The songs were catchy and Chicken is still wandering around the house singing about how “life is a bowl of cherries.” Some of Mr. Boddys narration is a little fast and may be hard for some younger children to follow, but they will likely get the general idea. There is also some subtle adult humor, but again, it is likely to go over the heads of kids not old enough for it. Chicken was very excited when she correctly solved the mystery and had fun sharing how she came to the correct conclusion.
While this is a murder mystery show, it’s not scary. The concept may be generally frightening to very young or sensitive children, but there aren’t any scenes that are truly fear inducing. Beaverton Civic Theater had hosted a related Girl Scouts workshop aimed at 2nd through 5th graders prior to the show, so the audience was full of Girl Scouts and their leaders. All of the kids were having fun and none seemed afraid.
What it is: a fun, family friendly musical based on the classic game, interactive, colorful, creative
What it’s not: scary, large stage with elaborate sets or staging
Do we recommend it? Yes! It was a lot of fun and is a reasonably priced way to spend an afternoon or evening together
Tickets are $15 dollars for adults and only $5 for kids. Tickets can be purchased here: http://www.beavertoncivictheatre.org/tickets.html
Adventures with Chicken and Nugget 