Official Description:GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE tells the uproarious story of Monty Navarro, an heir to a family fortune who sets out to jump the line of succession by—you guessed it—eliminating the eight pesky relatives who stand in his way (each played by Tony winner Jefferson Mays in what The New York Times calls “the year’s greatest musical theater performance”). All the while, Monty has to juggle his mistress (she’s after more than just love), his fiancée (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.
My Take: my first takeaway from this show: I was very disappointed. I had high expectations for this show and it did not rise to the occasion. Having won the Tony against shows that I really enjoyed like Beautiful and Aladdin and being nominated over shows that I thought were ok like Big Fish and Bridges, an amazing rave by the NYTimes and a fun Tony performance, I was expecting to really enjoy it. Conclusion: I did not enjoy it that much, and the preview at the Tony’s was pretty much one or the only musical number that I totally got into.Looking at it critically, it is a funny and clever show. The performances are amazing, and Jefferson Mays is spectacular, his 8 character performance is worth the price of admission alone. Yet the show did not fully connect with me, especially the music that for me was not a highlight. Also its not an uplifling show. The book is great and as a musical I understand its qualities it just did not cut it for me on the day I saw it.
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