Review: A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER by The Naples Players

The Naples Players' production of A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER tells the story of Monty Navarro and his murderous quest to become the Earl of Highhurst.

When Monty learns he is part of the infamously wealthy D'Ysquith family, though ninth in line to inherit the earldom of Highhurst, he sets out to become the Earl... no matter what it takes. Luke Jaconis plays Monty, and he was excellent. He had strong vocals and captivated the audience as they witnessed Monty's journey. I enjoyed seeing the conflict he faced in deciding who to choose between his two potential love interests, Sibella and Phoebe. Despite all the murderous happenings, this decision seems to be the most difficult one for Monty. Sibella, a girl Monty has been desperate to marry for years, is played by JamieLynn Bucci, and she was wonderful. She had a strong and beautiful voice, and I loved the personality she brought to the role. The switch from Monty needing her to her needing Monty was played out with just the right amount of emotion and conflict. Phoebe, Monty's cousin, is played by Elizabeth Feins, and she was stunning. She did a fantastic job portraying the sweet and (somewhat) innocent Phoebe, and her singing was beautiful. Her performance of "Inside Out" as she was pushed on a swing was gorgeous, both vocally and visually. One of the highlights of the show is this trio performing "I've Decided to Marry You." Sibella is married to another man and Phoebe is Monty's cousin, so it is a very interesting love triangle, but these factors add to the humor of it. Phoebe decides she wants to marry Monty and comes to tell him while Sibella is there, and Monty has to try hard to keep them apart through the doorways. It is a hilarious number, and they did a phenomenal job with it.

The entire D'Ysquith family is played by Mark Vanagas, and he was spectacular. He has to play so many different D'Ysquith family members, both men and women, and they each have very different personalities. He did a wonderful job making them all so distinct, and sometimes the switch from character to character happened very quickly. I have to applaud his acting skills, as this is definitely not an easy role to tackle. He was hilarious, and I appreciated his performance a lot.

The rest of the cast and ensemble helped to bring this show to life as well, and each performer brought a lot of passion and talent to the show. I also really enjoyed the music, as played by the Orchestra. At my performance, the orchestra was conducted by Albin Konopka.

The show was directed by The Naples Players' Executive Artistic Director, Bryce Alexander, with choreography by Dawn Lebrecht Fornara, musical direction by Charles Fornara, scenic design by Todd Potter, lighting design by Craig Walck, sound design by Joshua Reid, and costume design by Dot Auchmoody. Each did such great work in bringing this production to life.

This is such a fun show, and I think The Naples Players did a great job bringing it to their stage. There is a lot of detail that goes into this production, and I had a lot of fun watching it. It is a darkly humorous show with incredible talent, catchy songs, and so much more. I know you will love it, too. I recommend you check out the production before it closes December 19. Hurry, tickets are going fast!

To learn more and buy tickets, click here: hhttps://naplesplayers.org/show/a-gentlemans-guide-to-love-and-murder/.

Photo Credit: Naples Creative

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