A musical inspired by “Kind Hearts & Coronets,” A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder tells the farcical story of an impoverished nobleman (Kevin Massey) who sets out to knock off the eight relatives (all played by Rapson) who are keeping him from claiming the title of Earl of Highhurst. Co-created by Robert L. Freedman and Steven Lutvak, audaciously directed by Darko Tresnjak, the musical won numerous Tony Awards in 2014 (after earlier productions at Hartford Stage and Old Globe). Now the road company has settled in L.A. for a six-week run which will undoubtedly be successful, if the rapturous opening-night reception is to be trusted. Rapson has a ball in the Alec Guinness role, playing all those eccentric aristocrats who gets their comeuppance in a variety of satirical ways. Rapson gets expert help from the large, spirited cast, led by Kevin Massey (as the disinherited Monty Navarro), Mary VanArsdell (as a cheeky housekeeper), and Kristen Beth Williams (as Sibella, Rapson’s flaky love interest). They and the rest of the company have a ball with the Gentleman’s Guide score, belting out the show’s 20-odd songs with much comic relish, making fun not only of the British upper-class but such verities as death and greed. Tresnjak’s direction is inventive from start to finish: the action is swift, larger than life, outrageously funny, and it takes place on Alexander Dodge’s stunning set (a mock-Victorian theater, startling video projections). A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder may be a cartoon, but it’s a hugely clever and enjoyable one: a romp, really.
