Review: A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER Opens at Edmonton's Capitol Theatre

Days after his mother’s death, Monty Navarro receives an unexpected visitor. According to his eccentric caller- a friend of his mother’s and maid to the exorbitantly wealthy D’Ysquith family- he is not only a descendant of said family but 8th in line to inherit the title of Lord. Disillusioned by his meager prospects as a blue-collar Londoner, Monty decides he will stop at nothing to snatch the title for himself. So begins the stylish and hilarious Tony Award-winning musical, A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER. 

Presented by Edmonton’s Nuova Vocal Arts, this 2013 drama whisks audiences away to the ornate corridors and lush private gardens of upper-crust Edwardian London. The show’s historic venue is none other than the whimsical, pink-walled Capitol Theatre, located in Fort Edmonton Park. A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER’s intricate costumes further heighten the show and space’s old-fashioned charm, as does its libretto’s caustic British humour. 

The audience is treated to an impressive display of talent from the moment the red velvet curtains first part. Ming-Xuan Chung leads the cast as the scheming Monty Navarro. Chung’s boy-next-door charm and impressive vocals endear him to the audience despite Monty’s shadowy motives. As if Monty's plight isn’t treacherous enough, he is caught between two very different women: his vain, long-time love, Sibella (Jordan Arvisais) and witty, bookish Phoebe (Diana Rockwell). This love triangle is emphasized in the humourous number, I’ve Decided to Marry You, in which Monty frets in a hallway, the women in question waiting behind the two different closed doors on either side of him. Arvisais and Rockwell bring strong characterization to their roles along with stunning soprano voices.

But the star of the show is Maxwell Vesely as all 8 of the D’Ysquith family’s potential heirs. The role is widely considered to be the most difficult one to portray in musical theatre, but Vesely makes it look easy. Like a chameleon, he brings comedic flair to each of his portrayals, which most notably include an elderly, fast-talking priest, a zealous amateur beekeeper, and the cantankerous Lord D’Ysquith himself. Vesely’s often-exaggerated movements add consistent physical comedy- often, a single facial expression is all it takes to leave the audience in stitches. 

The cast is rounded out by ensemble members Maya Fischer, Carrie Schulz, Maria Pottle, James Raquion, Nathan Corpus, and Clayton Butler. Like Vesely, these performers each portray multiple characters including servants, funeral attendees, and even some of the D’Ysquith family’s ghosts. In true musical theatre fashion, the ensemble is energetic and delightful to watch. 

The show’s ever-changing settings are created by backdrops featuring often-detailed projections. The D’Ysquith’s garden is a sun-kissed, colourful paradise and the family’s formidable manor displays opulent red and gold wallpaper. Backdrops such as these more than make up for the musical’s first ones, which feature windows disproportionately large compared to the performers onstage. Apart from these early sets and some microphone hiccups, this Max Rubin-directed production is a near-seamless adaptation of the hit Broadway show. Edmonton audiences only have until June 25 to experience this escapist production for themselves! 

Photo Credit: Nuova Vocal Arts 

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