John Rapson and Kevin Massey to Lead 'GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE' National Tour at the Ahmanson This Spring

Casting has been announced by producer Joey Parnes for the first national tour of the Tony Award-winning Best Musical "A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder." The musical opens at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre on March 23 and playing through May 1, 2016. (There is one preview on March 22.)

John Rapson ("LES MISERABLES" on Broadway) will play the role of the eight D'Ysquith heirs and Kevin Massey ("Gentleman's Guide" and "Memphis" on Broadway) will portray the role of Monty Navarro.

"Gentleman's Guide" will also feature Kristen Beth Williams (Sibella Hallward), Adrienne Eller (Phoebe D'Ysquith) and Mary VanArsdel (Miss Shingle). The tour also includes Christopher Behmke, Sarah Ellis, Matt Leisy, Megan Loomis, Dani Marcus, Lesley McKinnell, Kristen Mengelkoch, David Scott Purdy, Chuck Ragsdale and Ben Roseberry.

"A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder" features a book and lyrics by Robert L. Freedman and music and lyrics by Steven Lutvak. Direction is by Darko Tresnjak, with choreography by Peggy Hickey. The design team includes Alexander Dodge (scenic design), Linda Cho (costume design), Philip S. Rosenberg (lighting design), Dan Moses Schreier (sound design), Aaron Rhyne (projections design), Charles LaPointe (wig design) and Brian Strumwasser (makeup design). Orchestrations are by Jonathan Tunick and vocal arrangements are by Dianne Adams McDowell and Steven Lutvak. Paul Staroba serves as music supervisor, and Larry Goldberg serves as music director.

"Gentleman's Guide" tells the uproarious story of Monty Navarro, a distant heir to a family fortune who sets out to jump the line of succession, by any means necessary. All the while, he's got to juggle his mistress (she's after more than just love), his fiance?e (she's his cousin but who's keeping track?) and the constant threat of landing behind bars! Of course, it will all be worth it if he can slay his way to his inheritance... and be done in time for tea.

The most celebrated musical of the 2013-14 Broadway season, "Gentleman's Guide" received ten 2014 Tony Award nominations, eventually winning four awards: Best Musical, Direction of a Musical, Book of a Musical, and Best Costume Design. In addition, it won the Best Musical prizes from the Drama League, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle, and received a 2015 Grammy Award nomination for Best Musical Show Album.

Tickets for "Gentleman's Guide" are currently available by subscription only, as part of the Ahmanson Theatre's 49th season. For information, and to purchase subscriptions online, visit CenterTheatreGroup.org/Season or call the Exclusive Season Ticket Hotline at (213) 972-4444. The Ahmanson Theatre is located at the Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown L.A. 90012.