It was perhaps Colonel Mustard in the billiard room with the wrench, or maybe it was Professor Plum in the kitchen with the candlestick. The mystery will be solved at the Saroyan Theater.

“Clue: Live on Stage!” comes to the Central Valley March 14-15, bringing the black comedy cult classic to life.

“As a kid, I always loved making people laugh. The term ‘class clown’ is probably overused, but I was as close to that as you can possibly get,” said actor TJ Lamando, who plays Mr. Green.

Lamando says that his character is a little more over-the-top than the cinematic version, played originally by Michael McKean (of “Spinal Tap”).

“Michael McKean’s version of Mr. Green has a more quiet vibe to him and my Mr. Green is a bundle of anxiety where you’re seeing the scared energy ripple throughout his body,” Lamando said. “Putting a person who is so full of anxiety into the middle of a murder mystery is not going to end well for him.”

The live show is based on the 1985 movie that sees a collection of Hollywood’s greatest character actors navigate the murder of their get-together’s host, Mr. Body. The eclectic party guests must search for clues to find the killer’s identity, realizing it must be someone among them.

“It’s a cult classic. I’m the perfect age for watching it on cable, where it played all the time,” Lamando said.

The 90-minute stage show is not a musical and instead is more akin to a runaway train, Lamando said. The action is quick and the story takes off immediately.

“Without spoiling too much, there are a few moments from the movie in the show, because the movie is just so iconic — and those moments are so iconic. When those moments pop up, you hear the movie fans in the audience hoot and holler,” Lamando said. “And the inverse of that is when the killer is revealed, you hear the gasps in the audience from people who have never seen the movie.”

Lamando added that hearing those reactions from the audience shows that they’re along for the ride.  

Those unfamiliar with the show or movie will have no doubt played the board game that both are based on, wherein the players move around the board in an attempt to solve the mystery. A copy of the board game travels with the cast from city to city, Lamando said.

“We do have board game nights now and again, and every once in a while we bring Clue out just to revisit the sacred texts,” Lamando said.

“Clue” runs  at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 14 and 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 15.  “Clue” is recommended for ages 12 and up.

The show is part of the 2026 Broadway in Fresno season which continues April 7 with “Hadestown.”

Parker Bowman is a lifestyles reporter and editor for the Hanford Sentinel.  He can be reached by email at PBowman@HanfordSentinel.com, or by calling his office phone at 559-583-2432.