Brandon Savage Photo by Scott Lasky

Upon his mother's death, Monty learns of his true lineage, a D'Ysquith of noble heritage, hidden as his mother had been shunned by the family because of her marrying for love. When he meets with the first such potential heir to the Highhurst earldom, a bumbling vicar who, without Monty's intervention, will fall to his death, he realizes the course of action needed. Perhaps I should mention here that this is a comedy, and also a musical–in fact, one that had a two-year Broadway run and won several Tonys and other awards.

The central character and constant throughout is Montague, portrayed by Andrew Cope, who possesses not only matinee-idol looks but a booming baritone voice with considerable range. And despite engendering bloodshed, betrayal, and adultery, his likeable qualities make him a sympathetic character through it all.

A remarkable conceit of this play is that all eight victims are performed by one actor. In this laugh fest Palo Alto Players production, the formidable Brandon Savage excels at the distinctive comic characterizations, even women, with rapid changes of costume, wig, occasional prosthetic (e.g., protruding buck teeth), and affect.

Savage is riotous in many forms. As a squire, he keeps bees and is stung to death because Monty has slathered honey into his beekeeping garb. He is the philanthropist Lady Hyacinth whom Monty induces to go into various deadly dangers in Egypt, India, Africa, and Indonesia before she finally succumbs. If this plot and casting device seem familiar to cinephiles, it is because the 1947 movie Kind Hearts and Coronets starring Alec Guinness in the multiple roles, draws from the same source, the 1907 novel "Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal" by Roy Horniman.

Monty's main squeeze from his time of poverty is the capricious Sibella, played by a charming Brenna Silva. But like her lover, she is a social climber. She will marry the more prosperous Lionel Holland, employing the twisted logic that if she didn't love Monty so much, she wouldn't have married Lionel.

Meanwhile, Monty is trapped by newly found distant cousin Phoebe D'Ysquith (an imperious Chesney Evert), who, given her superior status, announces to him in song "I've Decided to Marry You." Since the fires still burn between Monty and Sibella, it seems inevitable that Monty's balancing act will result in a three-way clash. This happens in the hilarious "love triangle moment" in which the two women are behind respective opposing doors, and Monty flails in between trying to keep them unaware of each other.

This romp plays on a turn of the (20th) century setting by scenic designer Patrick Klein having an appropriate stage-within-a-stage, replete with limelight fixtures. Director and choreographer Lee Ann Payne's tasks are mammoth, with endless sight gags. She responds with complete mastery of everything, right down to the comic demises of some of the characters to the jerky movements of the chorus in musical numbers managed by music director and conductor Tony Gaitan. Kudos also to costume designer Halbert M. DuBiel for the many and striking outfits on display and Melissa Mei Jones for hair, wigs, and makeup.

Of course, nothing works without the material provided by the creators, with book and lyrics by Robert L. Freedman, music by Steven Lutvak, and lyrics by both. The audience-appealing farce is brisk with nary a dull moment.

The musical numbers are particularly engaging, often funny, and are musically fitting for the period of the action. Rather than verse and chorus style, the songs are mostly storytelling with one continuous narrative thread and very clever lyrics. Particularly effective are the multi-voice songs. The two female leads do a wonderful rendering of the sometimes non-synchronous duet "This Horrible Woman," in which each accuses the other of being responsible for Monty's plight. Overall, singing is not the strong suit of the production, with notable unevenness. The singers do mostly display appropriate English accents, however, and the voices don't detract from the overall enjoyment.

A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder runs through September 27, 2026, at Palo Alto Players, Lucie Stern Theater, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, CA. For information and tickets please visit paplayers.org.