For folks who sneer that New Yorkers haven't got a clue -- well, guess what? Now New York has got a Clue, the same one as Baltimore and Chicago.
This Clue, though, is a new musical -- a comic whodunnit based on the internationally popular board game of the same name. Explorer Productions, in association with Manhattan Rep Company and DLR Entertainment, will open Clue at Off-Broadway's Players Theatre, 115 MacDougal St. In Greenwich Village. Previews began Nov. 18 for a Dec. 3 opening.
Written and directed by Peter DePietro (with songs by lyricist Tom Chiodo and composers Galen Blum, Wayne Barker and Vinnie Martucci), Clue offers six murder suspects, six rooms wherein the murder might have occurred, and six murder weapons -- leading to 216 possible combinations.
Starring in Clue is comedienne Denny Dillon, best known for playing Toby the exasperating secretary on HBO's "Dream On." She also received a Tony nomination for her work in My One And Only. Joining Dillon are Robert Bartley (replacing previously announced Tom Galantich as Mr. Boddy), Ian Knauer, Michael Kostrof, Daniel Leroy McDonald, Marc Rubman, Wysandria Woolsey and Tiffany Taylor. Taylor appeared in both previous mountings of Clue.
Clue premiered at Chicago's Organic Theatre in April 1996. Reviews were negative, but the creators did massive rewrites during the 8-month Chicago run. For tickets ($45) and information on Clue at the Players Theatre, 115 MacDougal St., call (212) 239-6200.
-- By David Lefkowitz
