(I actually wrote this for my acting class)
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
Freedman and Lutvak’s A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (Gentleman’s Guide), a new musical to
Broadway this fall season, is a refreshing and thoroughly enjoyable take on the
classic murder comedy. Before going to see it, I refrained from reading any
reviews or synopses as to be completely surprised and unprepared for whatever
lay ahead of me in the darkened Walter Kerr Theater. Prior to the rise of the
curtain, all I knew about the show was the fact that one man played eight
different roles and that it was set in 1901
Britain, and all I expected was a lot of death, as indicated by the title. I
got all that, and much, much more, ultimately coming away still grinning.
As the title suggests, Gentleman’s Guide is filled with
nobility, brutal homicide, and, yes, even love. When Montague "Monty"
Navarro's mother dies, a family friend surprises him with the news that he
is, in fact, of the D'Ysquith family, a distinguished line of aristocracy his
mother was disowned from for marrying his Castilian father. Not only is he a
D'Ysquith, he's ninth in line for Highhurst Castle, and after the tragic death
of the eighth in line that may or may not have been his fault, he decides to
eliminate all of the heirs standing in his way--all, of course, alongside a
witty song and dance number.
Being a Broadway production, every single
one of the actors were highly trained and incredibly enjoyable to watch,
including the versatile and coordinated ensemble that followed the leads
throughout the production, but there is one performer that stands out above the
rest—the multitalented and quick-changing Jefferson Mays. The performance of
Jefferson Mays as the part of literally the entire D'Ysquith family, save
Monty, (and yes, that includes the women) was, quite simply, astonishing.
Although the characters were not written to be as diverse as one would like
them to be, he portrayed each member of the D'Ysquith family with equal vigor
and comedic prowess. For someone whose characters die sixty-four times a
week (eight heirs, eight nights a week), Mays manages to cleanly and precisely
execute each quick change with impressive speed and efficiency—dying from an
accidentally self-inflicted gunshot wound as flamboyant and busty Lady Salome
D’Ysquith Pumphrey and then speedily
rushing back on as cool, collected, and professional Asquith D’Ysquith, Sr.
without so much as thirty-two bars of music to do so. Another performance that
deserves to be highlighted is British actress and Broadway newcomer Lisa O’Hare
in the role of Monty’s fickle and seductive mistress Sibella Hallward, who is
consistently decked out in a spectrum of pink attire. O’Hare captured
marvelously the fine line between being in an affair and being in a
relationship with thinly veiled jealousy along with a flippant attitude towards
the feelings she knows she has towards our murderous protagonist. Her chemistry
with Monty, the cherubic Bryce Pinkham, never seemed forced or put on. And
Sibella isn’t just some skirt-toting gold-digger, a surprising twist at the end
puts her in a crucial role as Monty’s savior and Phoebe’s (his wife as of the
second act) collaborator. The character proves herself to be a strong and
capable woman, and O’Hare pulls off this development flawlessly.
With a stationary yet intricate frame reminiscent
of the Victorian setting and a warm light cast over the entire stage, the set
of Gentleman’s Guide was simple
enough as to not distract from the performers but elaborate enough to provide
intrigue for the audience and draw us into the scene in a more realistic way.
There were various box sets and backdrops that came and went with various
settings, each one well made and appropriate for the time period. I especially
appreciated the balance between historical accuracy and comedic value in the
costumes. Although dancing was minimal, the blocking and movement was done with
precision only Broadway actors can achieve. Movement was especially impressive
in the first song of the second act, “Why Are All The D’Ysquiths Dying?” and,
my favorite song, “I’ve Decided to Marry You”, a highly coordinated fugue
between Monty and the two lead women (Lisa O’Hare and Lauren Worsham). The
music was clever and enjoyable, but it was nothing special, and up in the
mezzanine I caught every word (kudos to the sound designers for their wonderful
amplification). I came away humming one of the songs, a good sign for a
musical, but I didn’t automatically go searching for a soundtrack. Many of the
songs were predictable and reminiscent of Gilbert and Sullivan patter; Whether
or not this was on purpose is beyond me. The director, Darko Tresnjak, does
incredibly well with the material he was given; the characters all interact with
one another with a passion and engagement under his guidance. Looking back, I
wonder if there is something he could have done to make the show a bit more
memorable, but overall it was a job well done.
A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder was a thoroughly enjoyable show. To be
honest, it's not the best I've seen. It's not on my list of favorites, but it
was just so lovely that I'll forever remember it as just a fun show. Sometimes,
I think that people expect every musical to be deep and meaningful and leave
the audience with some sort of moral, which is fine as well, and then criticize
works that are just entertaining and silly for their lack of substance. Gentleman's
Guide is reminiscent of more traditional musical theatre, like Cole
Porter's Anything Goes or even more recent works such as The Drowsy
Chaperone, a musical that plays off the older, vaudeville style of theatre;
there's not much substance, but it's incredibly fun to watch. And that's
exactly what Gentleman's Guide was—fun. There were parts where I was
doubling over in laughter, like the innuendo-filled duet between oblivious Monty
and the blatantly homosexual Henry D'Ysquith "Better With a Man" and
the hysterical murder of the young
Asquith D’Ysquith. Jr. and his secret girlfriend Ms. Barley “Poison In My
Pocket” and what's the point of entertainment if not to entertain?
Overall, Gentleman’s Guide was an entertaining evening that I won’t forget
anytime soon. As expected, it was pulled off with the professional ability of
some of the best actors in the country and the technical prowess of Broadway
personnel. I enjoyed the show immensely.