BWW Review: A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE Slays 'Em On Tour

Equal parts Gilbert and Sullivan and Edward Gorey, the Tony award winning musical A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE & MURDER finally hits Chicago for a limited engagement through Oct. 11 and it was worth the wait.

This lavish production seemlessly blends the macabre with merriment. Its book and lyrics are witty and clever.

In Edwardian-era London, mild-mannered Monty Navarro (a charming Kevin Massey) has just buried his mother. Penniless and without many prospects, things look gloomy for Navarro until he is visited by one of his mom's old friends, Miss Shingle (Mary VanArsdel). Shingle tells him that he is eighth in line to the Earl of D'Ysquith. His dearly departed mother was cut off from both estate and society because she married a man that the family did not approve of.

With his mistress Sibella Hallward (a sweet and sexy Kristen Beth Williams) threatening to marry another guy who is more well-to-do, Navarro hatches a plan to murder his way up the social ladder.

Standing in his way are the eight heirs to the D'Ysquith family. They're all played by John Rapson, but they include a closeted bee keeper Henry (look for his duet with Navarro "Better With a Man" to be performed by various gay choruses in the near future), ice-skating romeo Asquith, Jr., drunk Reverend Lord Ezekial, tin-eared actress Lady Salome, charity-minded Lady Hyacinth, stock broker Asquith Sr., fitness-minded Major Bartholomew and the Earl himself. Rapson makes each of them distinct and memorable. Some you almost hate to see bumped off.

Also playing for his affections is the bookworm cousin Phoebe (Adrienne Eller). Since she is younger than Navarro, she's no threat to his plans. Sweet and innocent, she falls in love with him.

Will he succeed? I won't spoil things here. Suffice to say there are more than a few surprises in store.

Darko Tresnjak's direction keeps things moving at a brisk pace. Linda Cho's costumes, Alexander Dodge's stage-within-a-stage set and Aaron Rhyne's animated projects are of a quality not too often seen in national tours. This is one not to miss.

A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE & MURDER runs through Oct. 11 at the Bank of America Theatre (18 W. Monroe). Tickets $25-$123. 800-275-2000.

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