One of Lakeview's greatest jewels resides on Southport Avenue, and I'm not talking about the grocery store. I'm talking about the Mercury Theater Chicago at 3745 N. Southport.
This intimate theater never fails to produce high quality shows, and it offers a great opportunity to introduce kids to the theater at affordable prices. Seating only 280 people, there isn't a bad seat in the house. They've also opened the adjoining Venus Cabaret Theater which offers, in addition to it's own unique theatrical experiences, specialty cocktails to enjoy pre-show in a dimly lit, cozy, lounge setting.
My favorite shows to date have been the comedic musicals Urinetown and The Addams Family, and now Clue!
If you know the board game, and whether you have or haven't seen the 1985 movie, you will love the play. Set during a stormy night, a party of anonymous, peculiar characters to be known only by their pseudonyms are summoned to a mysterious mansion for unknown reasons. The dim-witted Colonel Mustard, the icy Mrs. White, the sultry Miss Scarlet, the naive Mr. Green, the dramatic Mrs. Peacock, and the pretentious Professor Plum quickly discover the one thing they all have in common is having been blackmailed by the evening's host. When their host turns up dead, the butler, Wadsworth joins in the antics as the six guests attempt to figure out who among them is the murderer. As more bodies turn up, the stakes, as well as hilarious hijinx, increase.
The show's casting was spot on. My son laughed with every line uttered by Colonel Mustard, and when Wadsworth re-enacted the night's events we cracked up. We were also very impressed by the ingenuity in which this small theater was able to portray a mansion of six different rooms.
Like the board game, I'd recommend the show for ages 8 and up. Speaking of the board game, you will find a couple on hand at the Venus Cabaret to play before the show starts. They also have mini mysteries you can try and solve before the show, or bring home with you. There is also Clue Trivia on Sundays at 7pm.
Clue is playing now through January 1, 2023 with tickets starting at $35. There are 8pm shows on Wed-Sat, a 1pm and 5pm show on Sundays, and a 3pm on Saturdays as well. You won't want to miss it!
