Sarah Mackenzie Baron will be dressed to fit in when she returns to Scranton. She already has a shirt from Poor Richard’s Pub.
The actress in the national tour of “Clue: Live on Stage” has two connections to Scranton. Her first big booking was playing Michael Scott in a New York City production of “The Office! A Musical Parody.” When another cast produced it in Scranton, she and other performers piled into a van to see it.
Last year she returned to perform as part of the national tour of “The Addams Family” at the Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple. She played the mother of Wednesday’s boyfriend.
“It is such a cute town and I had so much fun,” she said. “And it was so nice to finally get to really experience it.”
Sarah Mackenzie Baron, left, plays Mrs. White in “Clue Live on Stage!” It will be her second Scranton production. (COURTESY OF EVAN ZIMMERMAN FOR MURPHYMADE)
The cast of ‘Clue Live on Stage!” will perform in Scranton. (COURTESY OF EVAN ZIMMERMAN FOR MURPHYMADE)
Sarah Mackenzie Baron will be performing in Scranton for the second time. (COURTESY OF BROADWAY IN SCRANTON)
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Sarah Mackenzie Baron, left, plays Mrs. White in “Clue Live on Stage!” It will be her second Scranton production. (COURTESY OF EVAN ZIMMERMAN FOR MURPHYMADE)
Baron will play Mrs. White in “Clue: Live on Stage” when the play comes to the same theater for four shows the weekend of April 24-26. Unlike most Broadway in Scranton shows, it is a play, not a musical.
“Clue” is based on a movie inspired by the board game of the same name. Like the game, the show is a murder puzzle to be solved.
In the original game, Mrs. White was a servant. Here she is a socialite.
“Mrs. White is a grieving widow,” she said. “She has been married multiple times and something seems to continue to happen to all of her husbands.” Baron described her as “black widow meets a black cat.”
“She is always in the corner,” she said. “She’s always watching. She’s always observing. And she’s really the only one to kind of catch on to what’s going on around her in all of the chaos. She’s very smart, she’s very tricky.”
Mrs. White was played by Madeline Kahn in the 1985 movie. Tim Curry portrayed the butler.
The cast can easily tell how much of the audience has seen the movie, Baron said.
People who have seen the movie recognize callbacks and quotes. “You can always hear the positive response to that,” she said.
The big plot twist brings out reactions from others. “Hearing that big gasp and response is always super fun,” she said, “because then you know we still have people that are super engaged and this is their first time going on this journey.”
The 80-minute show runs without an intermission. “It is just a fast-paced farce comedy and you’re just going to be laughing from about 30 seconds into the show all the way through the end,” she said.
Baron, 35, grew up in California and came to New York City after graduating from the University of Arizona with a degree in musical theater. For several years she auditioned during the day and worked in bars and restaurants at night. “I like to say I am a walking cliche,” she said.
The role of Michael Scott in the “Office” parody changed her life and put her on a Times Square billboard.
Her “Office” gear is ready for the Scranton trip. “I’ve got my Poor Richard’s shirt that I’m excited to wear while I’m out,” she said, “and I’m so excited to come back because I know Scranton really gets excited about the productions that come through.”
Showtimes are April 24 at 7:30 p.m., April 25 at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and April 26 at 1 p.m.
Prices start at $39, plus online fees. Tickets are available at broadwayinscranton.com and in person at the 420 N. Washington Ave. box office or by calling 570-344-1111. Box office hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
If you go
What: “Clue: Live on Stage,” a national tour of a play and part of the Broadway in Scranton series.
When: Showtimes are April 24 at 7:30 p.m., April 25 at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and April 26 at 1 p.m.
Where: The Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple, 420 N. Washington Ave., Scranton.
Tickets and details: Prices start at $39, plus online fees. Buy at broadwayinscranton.com and in person at the 420 N. Washington Ave. box office or by calling 570-344-1111. See scrantonculturalcenter.org for the new bag check policy.