The time is ripe for a good laugh, either for the first time, or for a revisit. A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murderis arguably the best musical of the season, and very possibly the best play, period.
A jailhouse confession leads the audience down the primrose path to hilarity in this outrageous production. What’s a poor boy to do? Monty Navarro (Bryce Pinkham) craves the finer things in life, but alas, he wasn’t born into them. Or was he? A visit from a dear old family friend, Miss Shingle (Jane Carr) tells him what, in his heart, he must always have known: he is the son of nobility, with blood as blue as the best of them. His mother, who was banished for marrying beneath her, was a member of the noble D’Ysquith family, and Monty himself is only eight relatives away from being the Earl of Highhurst.
From here, it’s a quick leap to a murder scheme which grows ever funnier with each passing victim, all of whom are played by the incomparable Jefferson Mays. And what a talent he is! Each balmy D’Ysquith Monty takes down is clearly delineated by Mays, and each is mad as a hatter.
Meanwhile, Monty gets himself engaged to Lady Phoebe (Lauren Worsham), a D’Ysquith who’s not going to inherit the title. However, he’s still carrying on with the ravishing Sibella (Lisa O’Hare). The trio have a door-slamming, breath-catching vignette worthy of the most comical French farce.
Robert L. Freedman, who wrote the book and lyrics, has done a spectacular job combining several genres, including Gilbert and Sullivan, music hall, operetta, and yes, French farce. All praise to director Darko Tresnjak, who has created near perfection. The show is tight; nothing is out of place, and not a beat is missed. The frame of the set, by Alexander Dodge, is appropriate for the 1909 time period. Gaily painted in red, green, and yellow, it echoes the wild passion of what is seen within its bounds.
The music and lyrics of Steven Lutvak are lively, and well suited to the extraordinary voices of the two leading ladies. Both are visions in the costume designs by Linda Cho. Sibella’s pink outfit in her pink room immediately informs the audience about the flirtatious nature of the woman Monty craves. Pinkham looks like a young Rufus Sewall; he effortlessly moves along the dialogue at a breakneck pace, and his tenor voice is most pleasing.
There are certainly high points in the show. A very suggestive scene between two males, complete with a song called “Better With a Man,” wins actual belly laughs from the audience.
Mays is especially funny portraying Lady Hyacinth, off to civilize the natives in Africa. But the truth is, it’s hard to find a moment in this production which isn’t flawlessly realized.
Along with Aladdin, this should be the musical on every theater lover’s must-see list. Those friends and relatives coming in from out of town for a great night of theater will thank you for recommending this rollicking Gentleman’s Guide.
