Many people will be familiar with the old board game Clue and some will also be familiar with the 1985 comedy movie based on the game, but arts lovers in Prince Albert will have their chance this summer to get familiar with a live performance.
The Broadway North Theatre Company will be putting on the show starting August 20 and running until August 28.
“We looked at doing a not-musical but something that is still familiar to people and something they might recognise,” said Cara Stelmaschuk, Marketing and Events Co-ordinator for the EA Rawlinson Centre. “So that’s where Clue came from.”
“We can’t really do a big, flashy musical. Not a lot of people realize how expensive they are,” she said.
Licensing fees can be steep for very popular musicals.
Clue will run with the normal six evening shows and one matinee schedule that worked previously, and organizers hope to see a good crowd on opening night, which will include a chance to meet some of the people behind the production.
“The auditions were held at the end of May when we found out that we were going to be able to open at full capacity,” said Stelmaschuk. “We thought, let’s do a show then.”
With some anticipated reluctance from the general public to packing into a crowded theatre with the novel coronavirus still making the rounds, the group opted for a show with more controlled costs.
“I feel like people are still waiting to see,” said Stelmaschuk. “I always want 600 people in the theatres, but we’ll consider it good if we have 400.”
Attendees are invited to wear masks if they feel more comfortable, although at the moment it is not required by law or Public Health Order.
Stelmaschuk also asked that all people respect each other’s space and comfort level.
“Everybody is going to be at different comfort levels, but we try to let everyone know that it is a safe space to come to the theatre,” she said.
Canadian Tire will once again be donating the equivalent amount of the ticket sales to the Rose Garden Hospice project, which expects set to start putting piles in the ground this week.
Malcolm Jenkins, owner of Canadian Tire, has committed to donating $500,000 towards the construction of the facility, a first of its kind for the city.
With a $10,000 donation earlier this week to the A&W Teen Burger sale effort, Jenkins said he has already given out $335,000 of his promised total.
“We are supporting the hospice with matching ticket sales,” Jenkins said.
It was a move done before in the 2019 production of Mamma Mia that earned the Rose Garden $75,000.
There are six 7:30pm performances August 20, 21, 25, 26, 27 and 28th, as well as a 1pm matinee on August 28th. Show details and times are online at www.earc.ca/bntc-clue.
Susan McNeil is the municipal affairs/court reporter at the Prince Albert Daily Herald. You can reach her at 306-764-4276 ext. 230, by email at susan.mcneil@paherald.sk.ca or on Twitter @WriterSue2 Her latest articles can be found at https://paherald.sk.ca/author-susanmcneil/.
