Farmington Players Present A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER

Get ready for murder to serve up lots of laughs on stage in a tightly woven "knock 'em dead romp." The Farmington Players Barn is excited to open A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder; book and lyrics by Robert L. Freedman; music and lyrics by Steven Lutvak.

The 2014 Tony Award-winning musical comedy runs April 28th - May 20th in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

The comically enchanting tale follows Monty Navarro, Jonathon Stecevic of Farmington Hills, who discovers he's eighth in line for an "earldom" in the wealthy D'Ysquith family of 20th century London. Monty soon hatches a scheme to bump off every unsuspecting relative in his path, so he can earn his spot as head of the clan.

As Monty's murders escalate, his family members shine in a number of scene-stealing roles: all played by one actor, Chris Martin of Redford Township, who demonstrates some fabulous comic chops. He portrays nine men and women of different ages as they "meet their maker" in creative and hilarious ways. "Each of them is delightfully awful in their own unique way," says Martin, who endures five costume changes in just one scene. "To be able to ping pong between all these characters with completely different looks, voice and personalities is a character actor's dream," he says.

While the D'Ysquith family members continue encountering untimely ends, a subplot centers around a romantic tug-of-war. Monty juggles his love interest Sibella Hallward, (Madeleine Bien of Southfield) who prefers climbing the social ladder over pursuing love, and his relative Phoebe, (Amanda X Madonna of Ann Arbor) who's determined to marry Monty.

The team is backed up by a wonderful ensemble, with the characters pulling off a variety of witty song and dance numbers packed with rapid pacing and superb musical timing.

Director Tim Timmer of Wayne says calls the production a "non-stop hilarious and 'wonderful' musical," with "fantastic singing". He says it includes 45 scenes and is loaded with moving parts. "It takes quite a lot to keep the machine moving while providing a high-quality entertaining production that everyone will enjoy, says Timmer.