For as long as we can remember, Broadway has been dominated by movie adaptations, jukebox musicals, and movie stars in lead roles. But this season, we’re refreshed by the return of the Great White Way to the type of Broadway musical our grandparents have told us so much about–original content that stands on its own without relying on an already familiar audience. Full orchestras, showstopping dance numbers, intricate and interesting scenic design (as opposed to bare-bones ideas like with Next to Normal), and non-Rock-and-Roll melodies sung by talented singers are popping up more and more. With shows like After Midnight, Shakespeare in rep with Twelfth Night and Richard III, and now A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Broadway seems to be embracing the return of yesteryear.
Gentleman’s Guide, which opened Sunday night, is a delightful, wickedly silly and seriously clever musical which, despite its subject matter– adultery, murder, greed– resulted out my favorite theater-going experience this season. Not since One Man, Two Guvnors have I laughed so hard and not since Peter and the Starcatcher have I been so impressed by the use of costume, props and scenery in telling a story.
I was immediately transported by the total Downton Abbey-ness of it all. A chorus in Victorian garb begins the show, warning the audience that they might want to leave right away if killing makes them squeamish. Bustels, parasols and three-piece suits are just the start of a night of staunch British hierarchy juxtaposed with Mr. Bean-esque humor– what could be better?
We’re then introduced to Monty Navarro, who upon his mother’s death, realizes that he is the son of a daughter of a nephew of the Earl of Highhurst, Lord Adalbert D’Ysquith (or something like that). He then begins weaseling his way into nobility through a serial-killer’s quest to knock off all of the heirs who proceed him. He swiftly goes from eighth in line to a real contender for aristocratic wealth and honor and subsequently wins the heart of two women; Sibella, his lifelong love, and Phoebe, the poised and kind challenger.
A stage-within-the-stage serves as the storytelling vehicle for Monty as he writes his memoir, a voiceover, from his jail cell. Impressive use of projection takes the audience from church, to ski resort, to bed chamber, to garden manor. Monty steps in and out of the scene, as he guides us through the story– a helpful device in getting us all to side with a serial killer.
The score was the most memorable I’ve heard, aside from the occasional Rodgers and Hammerstein revival, in many years. Plus, the invigorating sound of a real orchestra versus a rock band really gets us going. The lead singers in the show, Bryce Pinkham as Monty Navarro, Lisa O’Hare as Sibella Hallward, and Lauren Worsham as Phoebe D’Ysquith, all had classically stunning voices that effortlessly carried the show. The three perform a farce toward the beginning of Act II that turns into this intricate, hilarious, and beautiful trio I’m still humming.
Lyrically unclicheed, memorable moments often came from headed-straight-for-a-Tony Jefferson Mays. Mays plays each of the D’Ysquith heirs, ranging from a lightfooted bee-keeper to adventurous Lady Hyacinth who we last see heading to visit a tribe of cannibals in Africa. His incredible performance, rich with comedy and rather satirical of the upper-class, had the audience applauding deaths as we were both impressed by his acting and eager to see what character he’d pull out next.
Despite being occasionally, but tastefully crude, we think that this show is perfect for families. For an uproarious night at the theater, we recommend A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder to genuine theater-lovers itching for a great score and lots of laughs, ages 10+.