By AJ Jaffari
What happens when climbing the social ladder requires eliminating a few relatives along the way?
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder at Palo Alto Players takes that delightfully morbid premise and wraps it inside an old-fashioned musical comedy filled with romance, murder, and an increasingly ridiculous collection of aristocrats. With its operetta-inspired score and distinctly British sense of humor, the show embraces a style of musical theatre that feels intentionally theatrical, heightened, and just a little absurd.
At the center of all the chaos is Monty Navarro, who discovers he is distantly in line for the prestigious D’Ysquith family fortune. Unfortunately, there are several relatives standing between him and the title of Earl of Highhurst—and Monty quickly realizes there may be a rather sinister way to move himself up the line of succession.
I’ll admit that A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder has never been one of my personal favorite musicals. There are portions of the story and score that simply don’t grab me as much as other musical comedies do. That said, I still found plenty to enjoy throughout Palo Alto Players’ production, particularly from a cast that fully committed to the heightened world of the show.
I believe this musical works best because of the absurdity. The increasingly elaborate circumstances surrounding Monty’s journey and the revolving door of eccentric D’Ysquith family members provide plenty of opportunities for comedy, and this company found some genuinely hilarious moments along the way.
Andrew Cope brought a lovely vocal quality to Monty Navarro. The role requires him to carry an enormous portion of the evening while navigating romance, murder, and increasingly complicated lies, and Cope handled the musical demands particularly well.
Brandon Savage was, per usual, hilarious tackling the seemingly endless members of the D’Ysquith family. One of the great pleasures of this show is watching a single performer continually disappear into a completely different relative, and Savage embraced that challenge wholeheartedly. His Priest and Earl of Highhurst were particular favorites of mine, with each character feeling wonderfully distinct despite being portrayed by the same actor. Savage prompted a majority of the laughs from the audience during the evening.
Chesney Evert was excellent as Phoebe D’Ysquith, bringing an absolutely beautiful voice to the role. The more operatic qualities of the score suited her particularly well, and she gave Phoebe an elegance and sincerity that provided a nice contrast to much of the madness surrounding her.
I also have to mention Sarah Jebian as Miss Shingle, who made an impression despite having a smaller role. And Alea Selburn was another memorable presence as the Lady Eugenia D’Ysquith featured in “Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun.” Her commitment to that wonderfully over-the-top sequence helped make it one of the more memorable comedic moments of the evening.
One of the strongest musical elements of the production was the ensemble. There was a wonderfully lush quality to their collective sound, particularly when the score allowed the company’s voices to layer together. This is not necessarily an easy score to sing—the music frequently demands precision, control, and a very specific classical quality—and the company handled those challenges admirably.
That strong ensemble sound also helped establish the heightened world of the piece. Gentleman’s Guide lives somewhere between operetta, musical comedy, and outright farce, and hearing those rich vocals juxtaposed against increasingly ridiculous murders remains one of the show’s most distinctive qualities.
While A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder may not personally rank among my favorite musicals, Palo Alto Players has assembled a talented company that finds plenty of charm within its murderous antics. Strong vocals, committed comedy, and Brandon Savage’s seemingly endless parade of D’Ysquith relatives gave me several moments to enjoy throughout the evening.
For audiences who love British farce, operetta-inspired scores, and comedy with a decidedly morbid streak, there’s plenty here to enjoy!
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