INTERVIEW: MARIAH BURKS (‘CLUE’ CAST)

“Murder and blackmail are on the menu” when the new musical comedy Clue brings its inaugural national tour to Akron, OH’s EJ Thomas Hall, April 23-25.

Also on the menu: a homecoming (of sorts) for Mariah Burks (“The Cook”), a Northeast Ohio native!

Written by Sandy Rustin with additional material by Hunter Foster and Eric Price, Clue features original music by Michael Holland. Inspired by the Hasbro board game and based on the 1985 screenplay, Clue tells the story of six guests staying at Boddy Manor. It’s a murder mystery “that will leave you dying of laughter and keep you guessing until the final twist.”

Burks completed her undergraduate studies at Ohio’s Bowling Green State University, majoring in musical theater, before obtaining her MFA in acting from Case Western Reserve University/Cleveland Playhouse.

“I was born and raised in Cleveland! I’m a Clevelander. I’m a native Clevelander by heart,” Burks said proudly in a recent phone interview with CleveRock.

Burks is no stranger to Clue. She performed in the regional production at Cleveland Play House in the months just prior to the dreaded COVID shutdown.

“It’s a full circle moment, really is what it is,” Burks said. “And it all started back in 2019, and here we are in 2024 on a full-scale national tour!”

It’s not just any national tour for Burks! She loves this show, and she was in one of the first staged productions.

“It’s huge! I honestly didn’t know that this opportunity was going to happen,” Burks said. “This production has had so many iterations as far as regional theaters go, but knowing that I was able to be a part of such a legacy and iconic game and label such as Clue really is an honor. I couldn’t be more grateful to be a part of something so fun and knowing that this is an opportunity to spread some joy and laughter throughout different theaters across the country.“

Most are familiar with board game and many have seen the popular 1985 film. Burks was asked what one can expect from the touring production!

“Clue is a new comedy that is based off of the original board Game by Hasbro, which then got adapted into a film, which starred Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, and Christopher Lloyd. A lot of big names; movie stars at the time,” she explained. “Around 2017, it got adapted into a stage play, and then around 2020, it made another premiere in Cleveland, Ohio, at Cleveland Playhouse, which was the production I was a part of. I am very fortunate to have been a part of it. It is a fast-paced, high-stakes comedy, meaning that, as funny as it is, it’s also one of those things where you have to remind yourself that it is a play and it’s an 80-minute blitz. I like to say that it’s a marathon under a circus tent. It is one of the funniest comedies I’ve been able to be a part of.

Many theatergoers prefer to stroll into the venue with a baseline of the plot and expectations set for the evening. (Not this interviewer!) But for someone who has never played the board game, never seen the movie, is unfamiliar with the concept, and has never heard the soundtrack, what exactly is the show about?

“If you’ve never played the board game, you have suspects who are invited to Boddy Manner, a huge mansion, and they are on the list for blackmail and murder. And so all of them are trying to figure out whodunit,” Burks answered. “This is a very much classic whodunit. Who’s the suspect? Who’s the victim? You get to see sort of how the evening unfolds as people are starting to figure out who knows who? Who’s connected to who? Who are the spies and informants? And it’s a really, really good time in a very unexpected, hilarious way. If you think murder mystery, it might not sound as funny upfront, but knowing that all of these different characters are very unique to the plot line. If you’ve never watched the movie, I highly suggest you do or get a group of your friends and just play the game for one night, and you’ll see the utter shenanigans that take place.”

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Burks plays the role of The Cook. She was asked to talk about her character and how she fits into the story.

“The Cook is working for Wadsworth, the Butler. And so, the Cook is helping go over to what the evening will entail. The Cook only has so much information about why these people are coming into the mansion. So the Cook sort of adds a little bit of tension into the space as people are entering and making their characters known as to who they are,” Burks said. “And so there comes a time in the show, without giving too much away, where the Cook notices one of the guests that comes into the house, and that sort of puts the cook on edge. And at that point, the audience can use that information as they will. Is the cook somebody we should be suspicious of? Is the cook someone we need to protect? Where’s this going to go? And then, after that, it’s a free-for-all.”

Every play with comedic elements has a ‘LOL’ moment, one that has the audience in stitches. Clue is no exception. What can the audience expect to laugh along to in Clue?

“Oh, that’s such a good question. And there are at least 25, but I’m only going to give you one. There’s a moment towards the end of the show where we get what we like to call in the script. It’s called The Summation, and the butler, Wadsworth, he retells what happens, and he retells it by himself,” Burks revealed. “It’s such a hilarious thing because it’s like, if you’re thinking about, that’s like watching the Lion King and having Simba retell the whole show in 60 or 70 seconds without singing. It’s really funny. And my castmate, Mark Price is absolutely brilliant. And hopefully, if you get a chance to see the show, while we’re there, you will appreciate the moment because he’s absolutely astounding. It’s such a sort of awe moment of like, ‘Oh, I didn’t realize this is going to happen!’ It’s such a great time. And there are more moments like this that are even more grand and full of riot and laughter, I promise.“