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It doesn’t take a detective to figure out that this powerhouse roommate duo is not a one-hit wonder. Olivia F. Data ’26 and Preston C. Bushnell ’26 have done it again, producing another original musical, “Get a Clue,” after their success with “Spurned: A Wild West Tale of Love, Revenge and Assless Chaps” last fall in the Agassiz Theatre.

“This isn’t our first rodeo,” said Data in an interview with The Crimson.

“We were doing ‘Spurned’ and then it finished October 27, and then we were hanging out on October 28. And we were like, ‘Oh my God, so glad that’s over. It was so fun, but so much work. We’re never gonna do it again. But, what if we did do it again? Just kidding. But unless...’” Data said.

The two met during Harvard’s First-Year Arts Program, when their friendship blossomed over coffee — or a coffee for Data, and nothing for the caffeine-hating Bushnell.

“I realized, Preston, it’s never just coffee,” Bushnell began before Data chimed in with, “Sometimes it’s coffee and two full musicals.”

Always willing to go along with the — according to Data — “many stupid ideas” she throws at him, Bushnell has gone from a debuting their first original songs for the First-Year Arts Program pageant — “Mouse Dreams” and “Oh Fuck, We’re Lost in Space” — to combining his previous roles as composer in “Spurned” and music director in “9 to 5: The Musical” into one for “Get a Clue.”

Inspired by media like "How Can I Refuse?” from Barbie’s “The Princess and the Pauper” and an episode of “The Good Place,” their newest musical is not a “Clue” movie adaptation, but instead an immersive murder mystery for which Data encouraged audiences to “go in cold” — and expect a “bagpipe solo and lots of alcoholism.”

“Get a Clue” began with a compelling aesthetic, an abstract plot point, and a couple lyrics that Data ran with over Thanksgiving break, drafting the first act. Bushnell then received voice memos from Data, who sang her rendition of the lyrics. From there, he began to compose the music, incorporating musical motifs and reprises that uncover secrets that were hidden in earlier songs.

Working over the summer became difficult due to Bushnell spending his summer in Spain and Data spending hers in North Dakota. Despite their back and forth during the 15 minutes that their time zones overlapped, it took a bit longer for the two to find a common ground over phone calls.

Bushnell admits he isn’t the best at answering his phone.

“Living together definitely facilitates that communication, and beyond communication, I guess the camaraderie of it,” said Bushnell.

At first, Data notes she was nervous about being roommates with Bushnell when they began working on “Spurned” — worried that they’d get fed up with each other or begin to fight. However, she soon found that their relationship was much stronger than she anticipated.

“We can talk about the song, but then also, we’re watching ‘Fleabag’ or decorating the dorm,” Data said. “It helps you remember that the reason that we’re doing this collaborative process isn’t because amateur theater is the most important thing in the world [and that] we have to get it perfect. It’s because we really like each other, and, you know, I think Preston’s artistic visions are so cool. We’re doing this because we’re friends.”

The musical moved past the stage where it was mainly just the two “throwing spaghetti at the wall” in their room, which Data nicknamed “Get a Clue Headquarters.” The two continued to edit and sharpen the musical to fit their talented cast and pit. In particular, Bushnell enjoys the creative freedom of not having to stick to the picky restrictions music licensing companies have, choosing to do the exact opposite when it came to his original score.

“I’m gonna write music that hopefully is within as accessible to as large a group of singers as possible, and even after that, when we cast people, we can change stuff around, which has been really fun,” Bushnell said.

As for Data, she has enjoyed watching the actors take on new interpretations of her writing. After spending so much time with her script, it has become meaningless “words on paper” until she hears the actors perform it. The cast take risks and go out of their way to make the character their own.

The passion and synergy these two share is clear, both in the work produced and the relationship they displayed in their conversation with The Crimson. Constantly finishing each other’s sentences with inside jokes, compliments, or witty remarks, the two are obviously comfortable in working off and uplifting each other, with Data even calling Bushnell’s work much better than Broadway — a statement that may or may not have traces of sarcasm.

While this is their last Harvard production together, as Bushnell plans to pursue a PhD in Mathematics and Data is still deciding on the possibility of pursuing a writing career, the two agree that they will still try to juggle smaller creative projects after college.

“I always want music to be a part of my life, just like I always want Olivia to be a part of my life,” Bushnell said.

“Get a Clue” ran at the Loeb Ex from Nov. 13 to Nov. 16.