Broward Center for the Performing Arts is currently hosting a live, interactive sleuthing experience of the iconic murder-mystery board game, “Clue.” The game takes place at a series of historic and business landmarks in downtown Fort Lauderdale. An imaginative, outdoor, audience-led version of a touring show, CLUE: A Walking Mystery (produced by Right Angle Entertainment and designed by award-winning interactive entertainment company The Wild Optimists, under license with Hasbro) first opened to two successful runs in Chicago, followed by Boston. You might recall last season’s popular staging of “Clue: A New Comedy” at Broward Center. Making our area an ideal choice for the IRL (In Real Life) game play version’s first southern stop (Tampa’s next). It’s all happening now through April 6.
I really love our customized New River-to-Las Olas investigative CLUE sites where you’re free to linger, maybe take a dessert break at Hoffman’s Chocolate, and get time to appreciate the special architecture and vistas at Stranahan House, The House on the River, The Riverside Hotel … and much more. Searching for clues to a long unsolved murder makes a perfect excuse for inspecting a beautiful historic structure’s every detail! And what a colorful bunch of detectives are we (if we also decide to play dress up) and step into the roles of descendants of legendary CLUE characters: Mayor Green, Colonel Mustard, Solicitor Peacock, Professor Plum, Miss Scarlett, and Chef White. Still suspects all. Or we can simply become a band of sleuths for the night.
Our updated murder-mystery premise holds that while the murder of elusive Boddy Black had become a cold case, we modern-day detectives now have the opportunity to thoroughly investigate and discover “who done it,” as well as identify the “where” and the “how.”
Clues are no longer to be found, board game-style, in the iconic rooms of Tudor Mansion, but rather at various downtown Fort Lauderdale locales which now house the mansion rooms’ auctioned-off furniture, and whatever was left inside them – including many secret compartments! Clues are also hidden in detailed photographs of Tudor Mansion rooms that were taken the day after the murder – the only time a photographer was allowed access. We are encouraged to study these pictures thoroughly, along with traces of blood they display, as part of our “AUCTION CATALOGUE of The Estate of Boddy Black: Tudor Mansion.” The bound catalog also serves as a CASE file which is handed to each player upon arrival at the CLUE canopy, set up at the entrance of Broward Center’s Peck Courtyard.
Here we’re greeted by a Butler and Butler’s Assistant who explain the game’s rules and, as with most Broward Center shows, offer to take our group’s photo in front of a large CLUE placard. This is a great family activity (recommended for ages 8 and up) and suitable for anyone who can easily walk the 1.5 mile route. Expect to spend between an-hour-and-a half to two hours or more for your investigations. Start times are either 5 pm or 11 am and you’re encouraged to bring a water bottle and, of course, wear comfortable shoes. My media night invite offered an earliest start of 6 pm – still plenty sunny, at first, to warrant both sunglasses and a hat.
Along with the comprehensive Auction Catalogue, each participant receives a pencil for taking CASE NOTES on three notebook-style lined pages in back. Each page features a left-hand column listing all possibilities for solving WHO? WHAT? and WHERE? Under WHO? there’s a list of all six suspects (those iconic CLUE characters, named alphabetically). Under WHAT?, the six possible murder weapons: candlestick, dagger, lead pipe, revolver, rope, and wrench. WHERE? cites nine Tudor Mansion locations – starting with Ballroom and Billiards Room and ending with Library, Lounge, and Study. But fear not, for every single room is also laid out in the inside cover “rendering of the ground floor” map. More detailed photographs of each room, along with extra clues, are included further on as well.
But we’re eager to take off on our fresh-air adventure! It’s a lovely breezy Fort Lauderdale evening (we’re right near New River after all). We follow our designated map holder (one per group) that holds the route to our various landmark destinations. The Butler starts us off easy, a few steps down from Broward Center. But soon we’re on our own as we cross the street in search of clues in Emily’s Garden, a cute green oasis attached to Emily’s Cafe that I never knew existed!
We cross back to take the Riverwalk promenade to Las Olas, waving to tourists aboard the Jungle Queen, greeting some friendly dogs (and their walkers), and marveling at all the different types of watercraft – from vintage to megayachts – we pass along the way. The CLUE trail serves as a great way to introduce downtown Fort Lauderdale highlights to tourists . . . but natives can use a refresher, too. My group of three locals vowed to return more often to explore the specialty cafes, historic sites, and for the pure joy of strolling along the river.
And then we were stumped, much too soon, by The Study’s Safe at The House on the River. Maybe we were locked out by trying too often, but despite the group in front of us managing to open the Safe (and making sure we didn’t peek at their findings), we were unable to unlock the mystery inside. Though we felt we’d solved all four clues for the safe’s numbers. Oh well, onward and upward!
In our defense, we managed to solve all our other challenges – at least we thought we did at the time. Though perhaps we spent far too long inspecting the various coats hung in the Wardrobe at the Museum of Discovery and Science. We finally identified which coat belonged to which suspect – but still had no idea why! Hint: This Tudor Mansion furniture item can be found at the back corner of the IMAX Entrance.
I must admit, I initially had some reservations about how some of the – more upscale, in particular – business establishments would take to a bunch of CLUE catalog clutching, perhaps confused-looking groups traipsing about their premises. I’m happy to report they uniformly knew all about us, and were both welcoming and helpful in guiding us to their well-marked “CLUE” artifact location. Allowing us to search, investigate, and even consult with one another for as long as we wanted. And, yes, we also often used that time to reacquaint ourselves with the excellent offerings of their establishment and so, just as intended, their enthusiastic participation resulted in a win-win for everyone involved.
Our Butler guide had instructed us to report back to the Riverside Hotel (the final CLUE mystery destination) by 9 pm, where we could present our findings and see if we’d won the game. We got there sometime after two hours and, honestly, it was lovely to just rest and discuss our findings on the plush sofas – basking in the hotel lobby’s old world charm amidst a real fireplace and live piano music. Then a huge cake was wheeled in for a “birthday” celebration (they apparently do this regularly) and we, too, were offered absolutely scrumptious carrot cake squares. It almost didn’t matter that we were not all that great in unlocking the nearby cabinet’s last clue.
Forcing ourselves up from our relaxing hotel-guest experience, we eventually absconded to a side room (so other returnees wouldn’t overhear) to submit our crime conclusions to our lovely Lady Butler (who I now think of as a friend). For a group that only knew the game by reputation and maybe saw a board eons ago when we were kids (but never actually played), we were happy to have gotten even one of the three challenges right! We identified the correct murder weapon. But Butler, the patient lady that she is, wanted to ensure we had another chance at the win by asking us loads of leading questions and then guiding us to correct conclusions. We then posed for a photo holding a large “WE CRACKED THE CASE at Clue” banner.
At the end of our journey, I again met the producer’s, Right Angle Entertainment, rep who wouldn’t divulge anything earlier, but was now willing to answer a few questions. All those uniquely battered but beautiful antique furnishings and items – from a grandfather clock to console table, cigar box to armoire, bookcases and cabinets filled with fancy goblets and china figurines – had been planted in notable Fort Lauderdale venues chosen in consultation with local culture expert (and CLUE presenter), Broward Center. As for where they’d come from? Apparently they are part-and-parcel of the traveling Clue Walking Mystery experience, and were sent down from Boston (their earlier host city).
New to Fort Lauderdale, who better to spread the word than excited game participants seen walking the streets while clutching 8-1/2 by 11, bound CLUE Auction Catalogs or inspecting strange, weathered antique furnishings that have suddenly appeared in residents’ favorite eateries, entertainment sites, shops. cultural institutions, even a historic hotel. Several people stopped us to ask what’s going on and in our enthusiastic response, we’d also direct them to Broward Center’s website for tickets to join the fun.
There’s an old German saying: “Ende gut, alles gut” or “all’s well that ends well.” We couldn’t have asked for a better, and luckier, ending to our evening’s adventure than stepping out behind the Riverside Hotel to see a free Water Taxi just pulling into dock. The captain said if the drawbridge is up (it was) he can take us all the way to the last stop, Broward Center, where we’d left our car at the A&E Parking Garage across the street. The cool breeze, sparkling rush of river water, and magnificent yachts and lights en-route made for a magical, mini river cruise. We’d arrived at 5:30 to a rather empty lot and though it was full now with “Lion King” patrons (see my earlier review of that phenomenal show), at a little past 9, we were still able to beat the post-show rush for a quick and easy exit.
You need not be a CLUE fan or even a puzzle aficionado (though this might help solve the mystery more quickly) to have an amazing time while exercising body and mind at some of the most beautiful sites of our fair city. Don’t miss your chance to solve the cold case of Boddy Black’s murder by signing up your partner, family or friends group to become detectives-for-a-day at CLUE: A WALKING MYSTERY. The live game, sleuthing challenge departs from Broward Center’s Peck Courtyard, 201 SW 5th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale 33312. Happening only through April 6. For tickets, see www.browardcenter.org/events/detail/clue-a-walking-mystery.
