CLUE: THE MUSICAL SET TO TAKE THE SECPA STAGE AT HOLY TRINITY CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
By Mat Campbell, HTCHS Vice-Principal responsible for Arts Programming.
Was it Professor Plum with the lead pipe in the conservatory? Or, Mrs. White with the rope in the library? Holy Trinity Catholic High School (HTCHS) needs your help to solve the mystery! Join the detective to help find out who committed the crime while enjoying a fun-filled evening with friends on November 22 and November 23 at the Suncor Energy Centre for Performing Arts.
HTCHS is excited to bring Clue, the classic board game developed by the Parker Brothers, to life this month on the SECPA stage. “We are busy putting the final touches on this year’s mainstage musical production. Students and staff are working hard to learn their lines and songs while our production team builds sets, props, lighting cues, and more,” commented Nancy Lawson, show director and HTCHS Theatre Academy teacher.
Clue: The Musical will be a show unlike any of the previous productions created by Holy Trinity. “Our Theatre Academy was introduced three years ago and since its inception, we have staged successful shows like Shrek: The Musical and Mary Poppins, along with countless one-act plays as part of our annual TrinFringe festival. With this success behind us, we wanted to try something a bit different this year,” said Lawson.
Instead of a traditional production where audience members sit quietly in rowed seating to enjoy a show in two acts, Clue: The Musical will be an interactive, immersive theatrical experience that is setup in a cabaret-like atmosphere. “We will be using the banquet-style formation of the SECPA theatre with table seating, which will make the evening a mixture of musical theatre and social time for friends and family,” continued Lawson. In addition to the table seating, audience members will be treated to appetizers at intermission along with a mocktail bar. “One of the most exciting parts of this production is that the cast and crew will not know how the show is going to end each night – we will be relying on our audience members to help us solve the mystery. There are over 216 possible endings! At the beginning of the evening, tables will make their predictions and will then help solve the case throughout the course of the show. We will be handing out prizes at the end of the evening for one of the tables who correctly solves the case,” said Lawson. Audience members are also encouraged to come dressed as their favorite Clue character. “We want everyone who walks through the door to feel like they’re a part of the show – it truly will be an immersive evening filled with story, song, intrigue, excitement, and fun!” commented Lawson.
Clue: The Musical is the first production at HTCHS that encompasses the work of multiple departments. Holy Trinity’s impressive Culinary Arts team is providing the catering services, while the Fashions team is handling the costumes. As well, the Media Arts team is managing the artwork and promotional graphics. This year, the school has introduced an Audio and Lighting Technician program as a high school elective option. This team of students is assisting in set and prop building, lighting design and operation, and sound management. Principal Lisa Hilsenteger believes the collaborative nature of this production speaks to one of Holy Trinity’s greatest strengths, “Our motto at Holy Trinity is that our students are Built To Perform, whether it be on the stage, in the studio, in the kitchen, in the lab, or in the shop; so many of our teachers have designed exciting programming that allows countless numbers of students to hone new skills while involved in the production of Clue: The Musical,” said Hilsenteger. Perhaps the most exciting part of Clue: The Musical for Hilsenteger is that it is almost entirely student driven. “While the adults in our building are providing guidance, the show is truly a student-led project. It will be students preparing and serving the appetizers, building and painting sets, operating lights and sound, performing on stage, developing promotional graphics, and more. This production provides real-world, authentic learning experiences, which will cultivate skills for students that will serve them far beyond the walls of our school,” continued Hilsenteger.
Clue: The Musical runs on November 22 and November 23 at the SECPA Theatre, with both shows starting at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $10 for a single ticket or $75 to reserve a table of 8. Tickets can be purchased at holytrinity.fmcschools.ca, by phone at 587.960.4112, or in person at the SECPA Box Office (Monday to Friday, 12:00 pm – 4:30 pm).