The national tour of ‘Clue: A New Comedy’ remixes the classic murder mystery with farcical physical comedy and impassioned old-fashioned sensibilities.
“It’s all part of the game.”
There’s a strong relationship between mischievous murder mysteries and the horror genre. Murder mysteries inherently hinge upon death – it’s baked into the name – so it’s not surprising that horror has embraced this secretive subgenre and really emphasized the murder in murder mysteries. Murder mysteries have been popular in pop culture for nearly a century. However, there’s been a recent renaissance on this front with playful films like Knives Out, A Haunting in Venice, Bodies Bodies Bodies, the Scream franchise, and the prominence of the true-crime genre and armchair detectives. That being said, an underrated and evergreen source of murder mystery hijinks that’s entertained audiences for 75 years is Hasbro and Parker Brothers’ Clue.
Clue has experienced many permutations over the years,...
“It’s all part of the game.”
There’s a strong relationship between mischievous murder mysteries and the horror genre. Murder mysteries inherently hinge upon death – it’s baked into the name – so it’s not surprising that horror has embraced this secretive subgenre and really emphasized the murder in murder mysteries. Murder mysteries have been popular in pop culture for nearly a century. However, there’s been a recent renaissance on this front with playful films like Knives Out, A Haunting in Venice, Bodies Bodies Bodies, the Scream franchise, and the prominence of the true-crime genre and armchair detectives. That being said, an underrated and evergreen source of murder mystery hijinks that’s entertained audiences for 75 years is Hasbro and Parker Brothers’ Clue.
Clue has experienced many permutations over the years,...
- 4/29/2024
- by Daniel Kurland
- bloody-disgusting.com
“It is a pretty great crop of plays this year, several that have become big commercial hits,” declares Sam Eckmann about the many dramas and revivals in contention for nominations at the 77th Tony Awards. Sam and I met for the very first time this season to discuss the 15 productions eligible for nominations, reviewing our picks in seven of the 11 play categories. Watch our 2024 Tony Awards slugfest above.
In the top category of Best Play, we overlap on four of our five predicted nominees: “Stereophonic,” “Prayer for the French Republic,” “Mother Play” and “Patriots.” While I tentatively pick the upcoming “Mary Jane” by Amy Herzog for the fifth slot, Sam backs “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” by Jocelyn Bioh, saying it “got amazing reviews, enough to break in here.” We also discuss a possible surprise nomination for either “The Cottage” or “Grey House.” The other eligible productions are “I Need...
In the top category of Best Play, we overlap on four of our five predicted nominees: “Stereophonic,” “Prayer for the French Republic,” “Mother Play” and “Patriots.” While I tentatively pick the upcoming “Mary Jane” by Amy Herzog for the fifth slot, Sam backs “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” by Jocelyn Bioh, saying it “got amazing reviews, enough to break in here.” We also discuss a possible surprise nomination for either “The Cottage” or “Grey House.” The other eligible productions are “I Need...
- 3/22/2024
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
“I was really looking to create something kind of in the style of Noel Coward, but with a feminist twist,” explains playwright Sandy Rustin of “The Cottage.” She took her first stab at the script for this riotous farce back in 2013 and spent a decade fine tuning the feminist comedy before her Broadway debut this season. Watch the exclusive video interview above.
The play begins with Sylvia (Laura Bell Bundy) and Beau (Eric McCormack) on an erotic escape to their cottage in the English countryside. The audience soon discovers that the pair are not married, and instead having a wild affair. But Sylvia winds up questioning her views on marriage and social status when the deceived spouses arrive at the house with affairs of their own. Given the homage to classic madcap Coward scripts, a murderous ex-lover is also headed to the cottage to stir up some tension (and some...
The play begins with Sylvia (Laura Bell Bundy) and Beau (Eric McCormack) on an erotic escape to their cottage in the English countryside. The audience soon discovers that the pair are not married, and instead having a wild affair. But Sylvia winds up questioning her views on marriage and social status when the deceived spouses arrive at the house with affairs of their own. Given the homage to classic madcap Coward scripts, a murderous ex-lover is also headed to the cottage to stir up some tension (and some...
- 3/18/2024
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
UTA has added veteran lit agent Max Grossman to its expanding theater department.
Grossman comes to UTA from A3, where he served as co-head of the theater division and co-ran day-to-day operations, representing writers, composers, directors and designers for theater, opera and screen.
Grossman will continue to represent writers, among them David Hein & Irene Sankoff (Come From Away), Keenan Scott II (Thoughts of a Colored Man), Sandy Rustin and Matt Gould (Lempicka). He will also continue to rep artistic directors, designers and composers.
Prior to A3, Grossman was a creative executive at Scott Rudin Productions, having a hand in projects like Broadway’s The Book of Mormon and films like The Social Network and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.
“Max is highly regarded in the theatre community and his vast experience in representation, creative development, and marketing is nothing short of impressive,” said Alan Haldeman,...
Grossman comes to UTA from A3, where he served as co-head of the theater division and co-ran day-to-day operations, representing writers, composers, directors and designers for theater, opera and screen.
Grossman will continue to represent writers, among them David Hein & Irene Sankoff (Come From Away), Keenan Scott II (Thoughts of a Colored Man), Sandy Rustin and Matt Gould (Lempicka). He will also continue to rep artistic directors, designers and composers.
Prior to A3, Grossman was a creative executive at Scott Rudin Productions, having a hand in projects like Broadway’s The Book of Mormon and films like The Social Network and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.
“Max is highly regarded in the theatre community and his vast experience in representation, creative development, and marketing is nothing short of impressive,” said Alan Haldeman,...
- 12/21/2023
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Air-conditioned Broadway held its own as New York City plunged ever deeper into a hot summer last week, with total box office receipts keeping steady at $31,520,593, a tiny increase of 2% over the previous week.
Total attendance for the 30 Broadway productions was 257,204, consistent with the previous week but up nearly 15% over the same period last season.
A trio of shows ending their runs last week – the week ending July 23 – saw box office climb even higher as last-chancers snapped up tickets. Camelot took in $780,457, a boost of $189,142 over the previous week, with attendance at 96% of the Vivian Beaumont’s capacity. Life of Pi closed its run on a strong note, grossing $585,043, with 93% of the Schoenfeld’s seats occupied. And Peter Pan Goes Wrong, struggling in recent weeks after a strong start in the spring, was up by $102,412 to $550,082. Still, the popular West End farce filled only 75% of seats...
Total attendance for the 30 Broadway productions was 257,204, consistent with the previous week but up nearly 15% over the same period last season.
A trio of shows ending their runs last week – the week ending July 23 – saw box office climb even higher as last-chancers snapped up tickets. Camelot took in $780,457, a boost of $189,142 over the previous week, with attendance at 96% of the Vivian Beaumont’s capacity. Life of Pi closed its run on a strong note, grossing $585,043, with 93% of the Schoenfeld’s seats occupied. And Peter Pan Goes Wrong, struggling in recent weeks after a strong start in the spring, was up by $102,412 to $550,082. Still, the popular West End farce filled only 75% of seats...
- 7/25/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Box office for most Broadway shows last week wilted a bit as June’s Tony glow gave way to plain old New York summer heat, though a couple newcomers were among the handful bucking the downward trend, one very impressively so.
In its second week of previews, Back To The Future: The Musical grossed a whopping $1,222,731 for just six previews, filling 99% of seats at the Winter Garden. The stage adaptation of the Michael J. Fox comedy classic starring Casey Likes and Roger Bart opens August 3.
Another recent arrival, Alex Edelman’s Just For Us also made some dollar gains, if on a smaller scale. The well-reviewed one-man show took in $348,998 for the week ending July 9, nearly $20,000 more than the previous week even with attendance down a tad. A higher average ticket price – $64.73 compared to the previous week’s $58.44 – had some impact.
Here Lies Love, which played seven previews last week...
In its second week of previews, Back To The Future: The Musical grossed a whopping $1,222,731 for just six previews, filling 99% of seats at the Winter Garden. The stage adaptation of the Michael J. Fox comedy classic starring Casey Likes and Roger Bart opens August 3.
Another recent arrival, Alex Edelman’s Just For Us also made some dollar gains, if on a smaller scale. The well-reviewed one-man show took in $348,998 for the week ending July 9, nearly $20,000 more than the previous week even with attendance down a tad. A higher average ticket price – $64.73 compared to the previous week’s $58.44 – had some impact.
Here Lies Love, which played seven previews last week...
- 7/11/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Former Saturday Night Live cast member Alex Moffat will make his Broadway debut in the upcoming comedy The Cottage, directed by Jason Alexander. Also joining the previously announced Eric McCormack, Laura Bell Bundy, and Lilli Cooper in the cast will be Nehal Joshi and Dana Steingold.
Sandy Rustin’s The Cottage, Alexander’s Broadway directorial debut, will play a limited run at The Hayes Theater from July 7 to October 29, with an opening night of July 24.
Additional casting and creatives are to be announced.
During his 2016-2022 stint on NBC’s SNL, Moffat was known for his impersonations of Joe Biden, Eric Trump, Mark Zuckerberg, Anderson Cooper and Joe Scarborough, among others, as well as his original recurring Weekend Update character, Guy Who Just Bought a Boat. Film credits include Susie Searches and Christmas with the Campbells, and he can be seen on Apple’s Bad Monkey series, an adaptation of...
Sandy Rustin’s The Cottage, Alexander’s Broadway directorial debut, will play a limited run at The Hayes Theater from July 7 to October 29, with an opening night of July 24.
Additional casting and creatives are to be announced.
During his 2016-2022 stint on NBC’s SNL, Moffat was known for his impersonations of Joe Biden, Eric Trump, Mark Zuckerberg, Anderson Cooper and Joe Scarborough, among others, as well as his original recurring Weekend Update character, Guy Who Just Bought a Boat. Film credits include Susie Searches and Christmas with the Campbells, and he can be seen on Apple’s Bad Monkey series, an adaptation of...
- 3/13/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Jason Alexander will make his Broadway directing debut this summer with Sandy Rustin’s comedy The Cottage. Starring will be Eric McCormack, Laura Bell Bundy and Lilli Cooper.
The Cottage, inspired by the works of Noel Coward and set in the English countryside in 1923, begins previews at the Hayes Theater July 7, with an opening night on July 24. The strictly limited engagement runs through October 29.
Described as a “tale of sex, betrayal and love,” The Cottage unfolds when a woman decides to expose her affair to both her husband and to her lover’s wife. The synopsis continues, “The true meaning of fate, identity and marriage are called into question as a surprising and hilarious web of secrets unravels in this ridiculous – potentially murderous – romantic comedy.”
Additional casting and creatives are to be announced.
Jason Alexander said, “To be a Broadway director doing a new and delicious comedy with a team...
The Cottage, inspired by the works of Noel Coward and set in the English countryside in 1923, begins previews at the Hayes Theater July 7, with an opening night on July 24. The strictly limited engagement runs through October 29.
Described as a “tale of sex, betrayal and love,” The Cottage unfolds when a woman decides to expose her affair to both her husband and to her lover’s wife. The synopsis continues, “The true meaning of fate, identity and marriage are called into question as a surprising and hilarious web of secrets unravels in this ridiculous – potentially murderous – romantic comedy.”
Additional casting and creatives are to be announced.
Jason Alexander said, “To be a Broadway director doing a new and delicious comedy with a team...
- 2/16/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: The Mystic Pizza stage musical announced last year will get delivered this summer in a first production at the Playhouse in Ogunquit, Me, and the show will have some unexpected ingredients.
When announced last year, prior to the Covid-19 theater shutdown, the musical adaptation of the 1988 Julia Roberts film was to have featured a score of Melissa Etheridge songs, and while some Etheridge hits remain in the production, the score has been expanded to include other hit songs from the late 1980s-early 1990s including by such artists John Cougar Mellencamp, Debbie Gibson, Robert Palmer, Berlin, Van Morrison, The Supremes/Phil Collins, Kim Wilde, Mike and the Mechanics, Fine Young Cannibals, Tiffany, Cyndi Lauper, Bryan Adams and Starship.
Also over the course of the last year, original director-co-writer Gordon Greenberg and co-writer Sas Goldberg have departed the project — “creative reasons,” per the production. Now directing is Casey Hushion, who recently...
When announced last year, prior to the Covid-19 theater shutdown, the musical adaptation of the 1988 Julia Roberts film was to have featured a score of Melissa Etheridge songs, and while some Etheridge hits remain in the production, the score has been expanded to include other hit songs from the late 1980s-early 1990s including by such artists John Cougar Mellencamp, Debbie Gibson, Robert Palmer, Berlin, Van Morrison, The Supremes/Phil Collins, Kim Wilde, Mike and the Mechanics, Fine Young Cannibals, Tiffany, Cyndi Lauper, Bryan Adams and Starship.
Also over the course of the last year, original director-co-writer Gordon Greenberg and co-writer Sas Goldberg have departed the project — “creative reasons,” per the production. Now directing is Casey Hushion, who recently...
- 3/30/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
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