The absolutely daft, delightful comedic confection “A Gentleman’s Guide to Murder” won the Tony for Best Musical in 2014. Now this tale of multiple murders has arrived at the Ahmanson Theatre where it will keep folks laughing until May 1.
The absolutely daft, delightful comedic confection “A Gentleman’s Guide to Murder” won the Tony for Best Musical in 2014. Now this tale of multiple murders has arrived at the Ahmanson Theatre where it will keep folks laughing until May 1.
The premise may sound as sinister as Sondheim’s musical “Sweeney Todd,” where a demon barber of Fleet Street kills countless victims, turning them into meat pies. But fear not, this clever crime caper is so ridiculously amusing you will, pardon the expression, probably die laughing yourself as this farcical tale unfolds.
Kevin Massey plays Monty Navarro, an heir to the the title of Earl of Highhurst. He only finds this out after his mother’s death when her friend Miss Shingle (Mary VanArsdel) tells him his dear mother was banished from the noble D’Ysquith family when she married his penniless Latin father for love. Monty, decides to get in touch with his mother’s long-lost family, but his cousin Asquith D’Ysquith (John Rapson) threatens to sue him if he writes to him again. Monty, however, doesn’t give up and continues to contact the other family members. He is determined to seek revenge for his beloved mother’s suffering. He also wants the title so he can win the heart of his fickle sweetheart Sibella (Mary Beth Williams) who, unlike his late mother, intends to marry not for love, but for money.
In order to become the Earl he plots to bump off the eight D’Ysquiths relatives (all played with comedic gusto by John Rapson) who stand in his way to the Highhurst title.
The entire cast is sublime, but what is equally delightful is the set designed by Alexander Dodge and the projection design by Aaron Rhyne. In fact everything about the production is perfect, from lighting to costumes to scenic design and the hilarious murder sequences. This rollicking musical comedy is a clever tribute to the Edwardian era when the upper crust had it all. And the acting and singing throughout is ‘spot on’ under the direction of Darko Tresnjak. with choreography by Peggy Hickey.
The book and clever lyrics are by Robert L. Freed, with music and additional lyrics by Steven Lutvak. The songs are chirpy, clever and fun, but the show stopper is the hilarious “I’ve Decided to Marry You” sung by Phoebe D’Ysquith (Adrienne Eller) who has fallen in love with the sweet and charming Monty. At this point Sibella wants him too, even though she has since married someone else. This scene was featured on the Tony Awards and is a comedic gem.
“A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” runs through May 1 at the Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., Downtown L.A. For information, call 213- 972-4400 or online at centertheatregroup.com. Running time approximately 2 hours, 30 minutes.
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Three films were in tight contention for the Best Picture Oscar this year: “The Revenant,” ” The Big Short” and “Spotlight” — and the Oscar went to “Spotlight” which is now available on DVD. The film also took home the golden statuette for Original Screenplay by Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy and garnered the SAG award for ensemble acting. If you haven’t seen this fine motion picture yet, now is your chance to buy or rent it.
When the first hint of sexual abuse by a Catholic priest first surfaced in Boston in 1976 only a slight mention appeared in The Boston Globe. After that the issue went dormant until a doggedly determined lawyer, Mitch Garabedian (Stanley Tucci) once again tried to alert the public to the terrible sexual abuse that was still ongoing, unpunished.and unrecognized. No one wanted to challenge the Church hierarchy.
While such behavior was not condoned, the Church leadership was determined to keep the problem out of the public eye and the legal system, handling the situation by placing pedophile priests on sick leave or moving them to a different parish far from Boston where they could keep an eye on them in order to prevent further abuse and potential scandal.
In 2001 Marty Barron (Liev Schreiber) became the first Jewish editor of The Boston Globe. When the abuse issue came to his attention he assigned the “Spotlight” team of reporters to investigate the allegations. At first the paper was reluctant to pursue the story, since Boston is predominantly a Catholic city and they didn’t want to alienate the majority of their readers. It was only after they began to conduct their investigation that they realized how widespread the scandal actually was.
The Spotlight investigative team was headed by Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo (nominated for Best Supporting Actor), Rachel McAdams (nominated for Best Supporting Actress) and John Slattery, who plays Ben Bradley, Jr.
This film is a must see, but it will prove particularly enlightening for anyone planning to pursue a career in journalism. It is fascinating to see how the reporters worked together to uncover all the facts needed to bring this terrible abuse issue to the public.
“Spotlight” bonus features: “Uncovering the Truth: A Spotlight Team Roundtable,” ” Spotlight: A Look Inside” and “The State of Journalism.” From Universal Studios, rated R.
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Attention “Star Wars” fans. I have great news for you. On April 1 “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” will be available on digital HD and April 5 on Blu-ray and DVD This is no April Fools joke–it’s absolutely true. Now you will be able to see the movie as often as you like and the DVD will be filled with added bonus materials.
