'Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder' brings laughs to Penn State Oct. 19

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Tony Award-winning Best Musical “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder” will bring its national tour to Penn State for one performance at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19, in Eisenhower Auditorium.

“Gentleman’s Guide” tells the uproarious story of Monty Navarro, a distant heir to a family fortune who sets out to jump the line of succession by any means necessary. All the while, he must 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.

“Gentleman’s Guide” is one of Broadway’s most celebrated musicals. It received 10 Tony nominations in 2014 and won four: Best Musical, Direction of a Musical, Book of a Musical, and Best Costume Design. In addition, it won the best musical prizes from the Drama League, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle, and received a 2015 Grammy Award nomination for Best Musical Show Album.

“Gentleman’s Guide” features a book and lyrics by Robert L. Freedman and music and lyrics by Steven Lutvak. The creative team for this production includes direction and choreography by Peggy Hickey (“Anastasia”), based on Broadway’s original Tony-winning direction by Darko Tresnjak (“Anastasia”) and her own original choreography.

The design and production team is comprised of two-time Tony nominee Alexander Dodge, scenic design (“Anastasia,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”); Tony winner Linda Cho, costume design (“Anastasia”); Adam Cates, associate director and choreographer (“Anastasia”); Philip S. Rosenberg, lighting design (“The Elephant Man,” “It’s Only a Play”); four-time Tony-nominated Dan Moses Schreier, sound design (“Into the Woods,” “American Psycho”); Aaron Rhyne, projection design; and Jason Styres, CSA, casting. Original orchestrations are by Jonathan Tunick and vocal arrangements are by Dianne Adams McDowell and Steven Lutvak. Paul Staroba serves as music supervisor.

“‘Gentleman’s Guide’ will lift the hearts of all those who’ve been pining for what sometimes seems a lost art form,” wrote a New York Times reviewer. A critic for The Hollywood Reporter wrote the production “restores our faith in musical comedy.” And a Time magazine reviewer wrote, “Just as I was about to give up on musicals, along comes ‘A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder.’”

For more information about the show, visit the Center for the Performing Arts online or call 814-863-0255.

Artistic Viewpoints, an informal moderated discussion featuring a visiting artist or artists, is offered in Eisenhower one hour before the performance and is free for ticket holders. Artistic Viewpoints regularly fills to capacity, so seating is available on a first-arrival basis.

Audio description, which is especially helpful to patrons with sight loss, is available for this performance at no extra charge to ticket holders. Reservations are required by Thursday, Oct. 5. Phone 814-863-0255 to reserve this service.

Northwest sponsors the presentation.

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