Theater Review | ‘Clue’ Is Fun for the Whole Family
Broadway in Santa Barbara Series Is Off and Running with ‘Mean Girls’ Up Next
The pure silliness and physical comedy hijinks of Clue were a perfect match for what can be a somewhat stressful beginning to the holiday season. A lighthearted riff on the classic board game and fan-favorite 1985 film (starring Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, and Santa Barbara’s own Christopher Lloyd), the 2024-25 Broadway in Santa Barbara Series at The Granada Theatre kickoff was a nice bit of escapism for the Tuesday and Wednesday nights before Thanksgiving.
Sitting between a guffawing boy who was about 11 years old (I didn’t know him, but we laughed a lot together), and my 88-year-old mother-in-law — who was chuckling the whole time — this was definitely a fun night of family entertainment filled with lots of wordplay, most of it spectacularly silly, There were no deep thoughts here, just pure entertainment.
The timing and physical comedy choreography of the entire cast was terrific in a story that took us through the twisted halls of Boddy Manor with familiar character names from the board game: Mrs. Peacock, Professor Plum, Miss Scarlett, the Cook, Mrs. White, Wadsworth, Mr. Boddy, Yvette the Maid, and of course Colonel Mustard.
Mr. Green, played by John Shartzer, was a particular standout. His physicality and Gumby-like gymnastics were super impressive. And after interviewing Elisabeth Yancey, who plays Yvette the French Maid, for a preview, it was fun to see her camp it up onstage with the rest of the ensemble.
Another show straight out of the annals of pop culture, Mean Girls is up next in the series, January 8-9, 2025. For more information, see americantheatreguild.com/santabarbara.
