Review: A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER at Santa Fe Playhouse

“Why are all the D’Ysquiths dying?”

It’s the question at the heart of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, an amusing gem of a musical playing now through August 12 at the Santa Fe Playhouse.

The story begins when Monty Navarro, a young rogue scraping to get by in late 19th century England, learns that he may be an heir to the house of the D’Ysquiths, a moneyed and titled family of landowners. Monty’s quest begins quite by accident when he meets a D’Ysquith heir who shortly thereafter meets….his demise. The idea is then firmly planted that Mr. Navarro stands a much better chance at fortune and a title if other D’Ysquiths perish. All this murder most foul is countered with a love triangle featuring Monty, his longtime girlfriend Sibella, and Phoebe D’Ysquith, another relative of the infamous clan.

Sounds like it could be pretty grim, á la Sweeney Todd, yes?

Well, that’s where the humor comes in – all of the D’Ysquiths in line for the manor are played by one actor, the irrepressible David Stallings in a tour de force in which he embodies nine different roles. Stallings’ physical humor and hilarious facial expressions, along with his command of several different accents and vocal intonations, are both impressive and commanding. A lesser actor in this role could break the entire production.

John Alejandro Jeffords plays Monty with great aplomb – he needs to remain something of a straight man to Stalling’s shenanigans, all the while making us wonder if his behavior is truly premeditated (it most definitely is) or if he is just a victim of society.

Other standout performances include Cara Juan as Sibella, who uses her undoubted physical beauty to seduce and keep Monty in her sights, while striving for a higher place in society for herself. Rikki Carroll delights as the earnest Phoebe, whose performance features very strong classic lyric soprano vocals, which took this critic by surprise, having previously heard Ms. Carroll sing in a more contemporary style. 

The ensemble is a key element to this play’s success, and the actors in the Playhouse production do not disappoint. Strong vocals, great over-the-top acting and nice choreography courtesy of Laura Orozco Garrett make for strong performances across the board.

The costumes and sets are among the most lavish seen at this venue; they completely embody the time period and action of the piece. The scene on the skating pond is especially effective and well-executed. Erica Frank’s costumes are spot-on, and James W. Johnson’s set and production design are dark, moody and set the tone for the action.

Kudos to director Rebecca Aparicio and the entire production team for bringing such a strong, entertaining and fun show to the Santa Fe. As the Playhouse continues to get stronger and more successful with each production this year, hopefully they are taking note of the popularity of contemporary musicals and give us more than one a year. This company is in need of a bigger house so they can continue to grow - perhaps Santa Fe can answer the call and get us some good 200 to 300 seat spaces soon? 

Tickets for the remainder of the run are limited, and can be purchased at https://santafeplayhouse.org/events/a-gentlemans-guide-to-love-and-murder/

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