A classic board game comes to life in the spirited fun of ‘Clue Live on Stage!’

Many people can fondly remember gathering around a playing board representing the mansion of Mr. Boddy, trying to deduce in which room he was murdered, by which weapon, and by whom.

Clue is a beloved board game that originated in the United Kingdom in 1943 and is now produced by Hasbro, a company founded in 1923 by the Polish-Jewish Hassenfeld brothers. With more than 200 million copies sold worldwide, its popularity endures.

“Clue Live on Stage!” is a fun murder-mystery farce, inspired by the board game and based on the 1985 Paramount Pictures film.

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It opened at the Benedum Center this week and runs through Jan. 4. At a time when the world is grappling with so many serious challenges and threats, “Clue Live on Stage!” may be just what we need.

The show was first produced at Bucks County Playhouse, in New Hope, Pennsylvania, and developed by the Cleveland Playhouse. It’s a silly and campy brisk 90 minutes of froth — and the opening night audience loved it.

The show is set in 1954, during the height of McCarthyism, as six guests arrive for a dinner party at Boddy Manor: Mrs. White, Miss Scarlet, Colonel Mustard, Mr. Green, Mrs. Peacock and Professor Plum — although we are told the names are pseudonyms. Yvette the maid, the Cook, and Wadsworth the butler, along with Mr. Boddy himself, round out the assembly as a dark and stormy night brings deception, blackmail and murder — lots of murder.

The show is a send-up of film noir mysteries, offering a nutty but very entertaining production that relies heavily on puns, pacing and physicality.

And the physicality is outstanding. The cast particularly shines when executing (maybe pun intended) clever choreography, including hysterical synchronized running in place as scenes change, and a crazy, prolonged combo dance/dying scene by (spoiler alert) actor Adam Brett — a Carnegie Mellon grad — portraying Wadsworth.

The cast brings the board game characters to life, comedically imbuing each one with a distinct set of quirks, and forming a tight and diverse ensemble. From Colonel Mustard’s (Nate Curlott) endearing pomposity, to Miss Scarlet’s (Camille Capers) confident beltway madam, to Mrs. White’s (Sarah Mackenzie Baron) tightly-wound widow, the game’s two-dimensional characters are given personality, depth — and motives.

The show is largely family-friendly (although there are a few subtle innuendos) and offers a delightful brief escape to kick off the New Year on a light note. PJC

Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.