 |
| Kristen Beth Williams as Sibella Hallward, Kevin Massey as Monty Navarro and Kristen Hahn as Phoebe D'Ysquith Photo: Joan Marcus |
There are different ways to
climb the social ladder. There are
different ways to rise above others to get rich. But killing your competition? Eight of them, in fact? That’s a whole
different matter.
In the musical comedy, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder,
making a brief visit to the Hippodrome to close out 2016, we get to see just
that. Darko Tresnjak, known for his work
in Shakespearean plays, holds nothing back in directing this hilarious Edwardian
farce. The production is aided by sturdy
performances surrounding a cleverly crafted plot and score. #hocoarts
A brilliantly detailed
Victorian-style stage within a stage designed by Alexander Dodge serves as the
set for the vast majority of the action.
Exceptionally creative and colorful projection imagery in the rear
includes smoke drifting out of factory smokestacks in 1907 England, clouds floating
by and other similar devices that enhance the real time feel during the
numerous scene changes.
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder won a host of honors highlighted by four Tony Awards in
2014 including Best Musical. It features a book and lyrics by Robert L. Freedman and music and lyrics by Steven Lutvak. It is based
on the 1907 novel Israel Rank: The
Autobiography of a Criminal by Roy Horniman,
which also was the basis for the 1949 British film Kind Hearts and Coronets that starred Alec Guinness.
With tongue firmly in the cheek,
the audience learns from the outset that the show could be uncomfortable if
they have a “weaker constitution,” and if so, they should go. Indeed, there is a serial killer on the loose,
but with the exception of a couple of killings, there isn’t much gore, so don’t
take the bait. Stick through it and
enjoy this witty laugh-a-thon.
Monty Navarro, a poor Englishman,
(played wonderfully by Kevin Massey) just learned from a woman named Miss
Shingle (Mary VanArsdel) that his recently deceased washerwoman mother was
actually a member of the aristocratic D’Ysquith family. She had been banished, however, when she
defied the family wishes and eloped with a Castilian and worse, a musician
(also deceased).
Mom never told her son about his
true ancestry, but Miss Shingle informs him that he is ninth in line to inherit the earldom of Highhurst and
encourages him to take his rightful place in the family. Oh, the possibilities!
Realizing his dream for success
is only eight bodies away, Monty proceeds to off all those ahead of him in the
line of succession in various and sundry ways. The methods he uses are bizarre and creative and
seem to fit the personality or livelihood of the victims to a tee. For example, a “bulging” bodybuilder Major
Lord Bartholomew D’Ysquith perished when Monty allowed an over-weighted barbell
to fall hard on the unsuspecting soul’s neck.
Guess what rolled to the gym floor?
A flamboyant Henry D’Ysquith who
was married but is clearly enamored by men is also a beekeeper. Monty sprays a lavender perfume on Henry’s
beekeeping clothes knowing that it attracts bees—so many, in fact, that the
victim dies from a thousand stings. Special effects comically show the swarm
chasing Henry until his demise.
There are more, of course,
including the most gruesome of all—the fall from a bell tower by Reverend Lord
Ezekial D’Ysquith—but it’s best to just leave you with these teasers. |
| John Rapson and Kevin Massey in "Better With a Man" Photo: Joan Marcus |
Monty writes all this in his
journal while in jail two years later after he is arrested for the murder of
one of the victims, which ironically was the one death for which Monty was not
responsible.
During the ensuing carnage,
Monty had fallen in love with Sibella (Kristen Beth Williams), a social
climbing, self-centered beautiful woman.
He also encounters a more down-to-earth but equally pretty Phoebe D’Ysquith
(Kristen Hahn) who is not above him in the line of succession. He is faced with
a difficult choice.
A twist at the end is better
left unmentioned here.
The musical is unique in that
all of the D’Ysquith victims are played by a single actor, John Rapson, who
delivers a magnificent tour-de-force performance. Some fourteen costume changes
are needed for Mr. Rapson alone. Not
only does he cleverly take on the essence of each ill-fated character—male and
female—but he deftly uses a variety of dialects and personalities to portray
them.
His muscular baritone voice
shines in several fun songs like “I Don’t Understand the Poor,” “Poison in My
Pocket,” “Better With a Man” (an outright hilarious duet with Mr. Massey), and “Looking
Down the Barrel of a Gun.”
As the anti-hero Monty, Kevin
Massey demonstrates his sensitivity and vulnerabilities quite
proficiently. On stage for just about the
entire production, Mr. Massey remains strong throughout with his acting skills
and super tenor voice. That talent is
evident in such numbers as “You’re a D’Ysquith,” “Foolish to Think” and “Stop!
Wait! What?!”
However, the show-stopping
number “I’ve Decided to Marry You”—a zany, high energy song with Mr. Massey, Krisitn
Hahn as Phoebe and Kristen Beth Williams as Sibella—is a dandy and brought down
the house.
Ms. Hahn’s beautiful soprano
highlights the diet with Mr. Massey in “Inside Out.” For her part, Ms. Williams’
soprano scores in “I Don’t Know What I’d Do” and “Poor Monty.”
The remainder of the company,
the technical crew as well as the orchestra under the direction of Lawrence
Goldberg support the leads quite ably.
A special nod goes to Linda Cho
for the outstanding period costumes, especially the richly colorful floor-length
gowns worn by the ladies. The eye-opening
workout costume worn by the bodybuilder Major Lord Bartholomew had the audience
laughing so hard.
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder is a lavish, well-directed, immensely funny production
that deserves the accolades it had received on Broadway. The touring company does the show justice and
more and should not be missed.
Running time: Two hours and 20
minutes with an intermission.
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder runs through January 1 at the Hippodrome Theatre at the
France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, 12 N. Eutaw St, Baltimore, MD
21201. For tickets, call Ticketmaster at
800-982-ARTS or visit ticketmaster.com or BaltimoreHippodrome.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment