A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder is a wacky play and entertaining musical set in early 20th Century England. “Monty” D’Ysquith Navarro discovers his mother was cast out of the wealthy D’Ysquith Family because she married a penniless musician. Monty then realizes he’s only 8 successors away from being the Earl of Highhurst. So Monty decides to dispose of the members of the D’Ysquith Family who refused to help his mother in her poverty. The dispatching of arrogant D’Ysquiths is both funny and clever. Meanwhile, Monty’s girl friend, the greedy Miss Sibella Hallward, decides to marry the wealthy Lionel Holland (who owns a “motor car”). My two favorite scenes involve ice skating and Monty and Sibella in his apartment. If you’re in the mood for a snarky musical comedy, I recommend A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. GRADE: B+
Act I
MUSICAL NUMBERS:
“A Warning to the Audience” – Ensemble
“You’re a D’Ysquith” – Miss Shingle and Monty
“I Don’t Know What I’d Do” – Sibella
“Foolish to Think” – Monty
“A Warning to Monty” – Ensemble
“I Don’t Understand the Poor” – Lord Adalbert and Ensemble
“Foolish to Think (Reprise)” – Monty
“Poison in My Pocket” – Monty, Asquith Jr., and Miss Barley
“Poor Monty” – Sibella and Company
“Better With a Man” – Henry and Monty
“Inside Out” – Phoebe and Monty
“Lady Hyacinth Abroad” – Lady Hyacinth and Ensemble
“The Last One You’d Expect” – Company
Act II
“Why Are All the D’Ysquith’s Dying” – Lord Adalbert and Mourners
“Sibella” – Monty
“I’ve Decided to Marry You” – Phoebe, Sibella, and Monty
“Final Warning” – Ensemble
“Poison in My Pocket (Reprise)” – Monty
“Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun” – Lord Adalbert
“Stop! Wait! What?!” – Monty
“That Horrible Woman” – Sibella, Phoebe, Detective, Magistrate, and Guard
“Finale” – Company
Kind Hearts and Coronets, anyone!
Bob, you would enjoy the snarky characters in THE GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER.
A musical version of KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS?
Dan, I don’t remember 8 murders in KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS.
Dan beat me to the Kind Hearts and Coronets comment. This sounds so similar, I can’t believe it’s a coincidence. Incidentally, the movie features Alec Guinness in a variety of roles (all of the murder victims), Dennis Price in the “George Sanders” role, and the smoky-voiced Joan Greenwood as the beautiful and devious Sybil. If it’s not an Ealing comedy, it should have been. Absolutely essential viewing if you haven’t seen it.
Deb, I saw KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS decades ago. I need to watch it again.
We saw it in NY and enjoyed it. Yes, it has to have the same original story.
Patti, the touring company of A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER was first-rate.
Yes, it is definitely the same story as KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS. We didn’t see it because we weren’t going to the theater much then – and only off-Broadway – because of Jackie’s knee problems at the time. Otherwise we’d have seen it. I always found KIND HEARTS a little overrated, to be honest, though I love Joan Greenwood. I’ve never found that kind of “makeup movie” convincing, just tedious in the end.
Jeff, A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER is a lot of fun. The music is so-so, but the the humor strikes your Funny Bone!
I loved it. It started here in San Diego, IIRC at the Old Globe. It got raves, and I was so happy that it did well on Broadway. Glad you and Patty enjoyed it.
Maggie, we had friends who saw A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER on Broadway and didn’t like it. They complained they couldn’t understand what the actors were saying with their British accents. We had no problem with that.
To be accurate, Deb, I mentioned Kind Hearts and Coronets first.
Bob, you get EXTRA CREDIT for being first to mention KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS.