Kith & Kin Theatre Collective: A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder! Lyric Storytelling In A Grand Style!

A Gentleman’s Guide To Love And Murder! could also be called the Land of a Thousand costumes. This boisterous comedic musical runs across Turn of The 20th Century England landscape and cultural environs. And with four named characters who appear in any number of situations and an ensemble who play multiple roles and at times act as a Greek Chorus, costumes abound. And that doesn’t even include the D’Ysquith Family! More on them later. But my sincerest thanks to Costume Designer: Cas Mayhall for pulling this off.

This is a highly effective send up of rom-coms, murder mysteries, musicals, English operettas, colonialism, and the British aristocracy. Not even the Earl of Highhurst can maintain his stiff upper lip. And for those of you of a certain age you might detect a tip of the hat or two to Monty Python gags.

The chorus. Photo by Adam Laberge. Photo courtesy of Kith & Kin Theatre Collective

But first we meet our Greek Chorus, warning us of the mayhem and the gore that is to follow and the squeamish may want to leave now…and then a warning is sent to the first two rows…that they may be splattered with blood and such and that they may want to move back. Ignore them! This is a small intimate theater with general admission seating. Get there early to secure the front rows! I promise you, you won’t be disappointed.

left to right: Emily Mertens, Jonathan Riker, and Shannon Messplay. Photo by Adam Laberge. Photo courtesy of Kith & Kin Theatre Collective

And now to the real story. We find Monty Navarro sitting in a jail cell waiting for the jury to decide if he is innocent or guilty of murder. Concerned that no one will understand how he came here, he is writing his ‘true’ memoir. That is the major conceit of the musical, Monty narrates a bit and then the cast plays out the story for our ears and eyes. Jonathan Riker gives us a determined but unconcerned Monty. Telling his story seems more important than his potential fate. But once we get the story underway, Riker is the main boisterous voice and is the center of attention from here on out…but Riker still plays it cool as he learns he is eighth in line to be Earl of Highhurst…a discovery brought to him by his mother’s best friend after her funeral. She had married for love and was disowned and cast out from the family. His disbelief turns to acceptance and he begins the journey of ‘joining’ the family while improving his chances to be Earl…with a bit of cleverness and steadiness that Riker playfully brings to the stage.

Jonathan Riker and Emily Mertens. Photo by Adam Laberge. Photo courtesy of Kith & Kin Theatre Collective

Oh and the guide to love? Monty is in love with Sibella Hallward, a charming young lady who also happens to be in love with Monty. Emily Mertens is very effective as the sexy and flirtatious Sibella and she seems quite attached to Monty. But his low class position doesn’t suit her ambitions and she marries another gentleman with a motor car. But that doesn’t mean she and Monty are through…not by a long shot.

Shannon Messplay and Jonathan Riker. Photo by Adam Laberge. Photo courtesy of Kith & Kin Theatre Collective

Shannon Messplay is the shy, coy, and cool as a cucumber Phoebe D’Ysquith. She is completely taken with Monty’s mother’s story…able to marry for love! And is equally attracted to Monty himself. And not being in line ahead of Monty for the Earldom, he too is taken with her and wholeheartedly accepts her proposal to wed. Messplay is a delight as Phoebe.

Ezra Quinn. Photo by Adam Laberge. Photo courtesy of Kith & Kin Theatre Collective

And then there is The D’Ysquith Family! Every single one of them played in joyous over the top performances by Ezra Quinn! From the pastor, sister, cousin, son, father, janitor, and Earl, Quinn leaves nothing behind…having far too much fun I would hope! And Quinn is one of the reasons you want to be down in front…Quinn gets to act out one grisly death scene after another and produces some of the best laughs in the play. You don’t want to miss a single overwrought death throe!

Ezra Quinn. Photo by Adam Laberge. Photo courtesy of Kith & Kin Theatre Collective

And my congratulations to Director Kimberly Laberge for convincing this gang of talented people to play this treasure trove of misfit characters and making it all work so smoothly and without any missed bits or false steps.

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder was written by Robert L. Freedman, Book and Lyrics, and Steven Lutvak, Music and Lyrics, and based on a novel by Roy Herniman. (still feeling a bit silly after attending yesterday’s matinee, I wanted to write: based on a novel by a man named Lear so so bad…if you don’t know…you can Google it)

left to right, Shannon Messplay, Jonathan Riker, and Emily Mertens. Photo by Adam Laberge. Photo courtesy of Kith & Kin Theatre Collective

Kith & Kin Theatre Collective will continue to present A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder at Inspiration Studios (1500 S. 73rd St, West Allis) through May 18, 2025.

More information here and ticket information here.

And Extra Credit Reading: The Playbill

Million Dollar Quartet : Great Balls Of Fire!

On December 4, 1956, Sam Phillips hosted a jam session in his Sun Records recording studios featuring four stars of the early rock and roll genre. All four had hits with Sun Records: Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and of course, Elvis Presley. There are a number of recordings available that document the songs they performed that day including a bit of studio banter but they don’t tell the whole story.

The cast of Million Dollar Quartet. Photo by Michael Brosilow. Photo courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

Playwrights Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux further imagine events of the day in their musical, Million Dollar Quartet. And they weave a very dramatic story around twenty two hits from these four artists. And they go beyond just banter in a studio during a jam session to also flesh out a story that gives us the history of Sun Records and Sam Phillips and some of the dynamics of the burgeoning recording industry in post-war America.

Before I get further into the performances, I want to compliment Daniel Conway on the truly amazing set design he developed for the Sun recording studio. It seems to hit all of the notes that we see from period photos of recording studios while feeling open and friendly to the audience experience and certainly gives the performers the space needed to rock on!

And I have a question for director Laura Braza: how do you prepare to cast a play like this when the four main characters are well known and well loved personalities with clear and discernible traits and performing styles? I was a but dubious at first but once Million Dollar Quartet got underway, those doubts were erased. Braza has assembled an incredible ensemble here who get the story and the history and they music!

Seth K Hale and Aja Alcazar. Photo by Michael Brosilow. Photo courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

Although not an actual member of the quartet, Sun Records owner, Sam Phillips is a principle character here. Seth K Hale is a dynamic and enthusiastic Sam Phillips. Hale’s Phillips is not only fully invested in the music, he is fully committed to his boys and Sun Records, and Hale clearly plays to that role. But he also has to switch up a bit as Escott and Mutrux have given him a second role: Phillips also speaks directly to the audience at times, separate from the interactions on stage, giving us the history of Sun Records, his relationship to the artists, and his plans for the future…and a bit of back fill and back story so we too are in the know. He’s the glue that pulls the overall story together.

Blake Burgess. Photo by Michael Brosilow. Photo courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

Blake Burgess is Johnny Cash. Tall and somber at times as the man in black, he also knows how to have a good times with his friends. Burgess throws himself into the songs and hits some low notes that I am not sure even Cash managed on stage. But Burgess is a sure presence here!

Carl Perkins is played by Armando Gutierrez with a ton of vigor and exudes Perkins enthusiasm for his own music. And Gutierrez’s singing and guitar playing are so so suited to the genre. But Perkins can be a little direct and aggressive in protecting his own music, taking a dim view of Phillips introduction of Jerry Lee on piano for the sessions for a new Perkins single. And he clearly takes umbrage at both Phillips and particularly Elvis for recording Blue Suede Shoes, a song Perkins wrote, immediately after his own release of the song. Of course Elvis had a bigger hit with it (which should have put songwriter royalties in his pocket but maybe not given the era). But Gutierrez can bring that feisty to bear here too, befitting that subplot in the story.

JP Coletta. Photo by Michael Brosilow. Photo courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

And Jerry Lee Lewis! The flamboyant, over the top, piano player and singer! How do you bring that to life? Well Braza found her man in JP Coletta…who can play any style from the gospel tunes to country licks to straight ahead rock and roll…standing up, sitting down, standing on the piano, reaching over the piano backward, and all without missing a beat or a lyric. But he’s always his own best front man and promoter and ends up being the subject of a few very funny and very clever jokes. But really, Coletta is a consummate piano player and feels Jerry Lee to his very core.

Patrick Morrow, Joe Hebel and Armando Gutierrez. Photo by Michael Brosilow. Photo courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

And here’s Elvis! Elvis is probably a hard role given that the whole world saw him on television and movies throughout his career. But Joe Hebel gives us the young and rebellious and yet a bit unsure star performer here. Never missing a vocal hiccup or physical tic or any other familiar bits and pieces of the Presley swagger, almost to the point of parody, and I think in 2025 that is the point. But Hebel brings it all to life.

And then there’s Dyanne, a singer in her own right that tags along as Elvis’ girlfriend. Although not part of the quartet they all encourage her to join in and Aja Alcazar’s Dyanne does with a flawless voice and amazing range. Alcazar gives us a Dyanne that holds her own here with the boys and proves to be a star on her own. And she played off of Jerry Lee’s advances just right!

The cast of Million Dollar Quartet. Photo by Michael Brosilow. Photo courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

There are 22 songs here. Not the ones actually recorded that day which were often gospel or country standards that all of the artists knew. Instead Escott and Mutrux gave us a tapestry of hit songs from each artist and other hits of the period that they may have covered or admired at the time. So beyond the great solo personalities, the feeling of camaraderie and ensemble prevails for most of the songs. No small task to present a memorable performer set in everyone’s memory but then to stay in character while performing in ensemble is a real accomplishment. And this cast pulls that off in a resounding fashion.

The cast of Million Dollar Quartet. Photo by Michael Brosilow. Photo courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

This is a remarkable musical written around a number of dramatic events (some that happened but probably not as shown) with songs that live on in our culture and just when you think the play and drama has resolved and you prepare to clap…a rock concert breaks out. What a rousing toe tapping finale! This is the last new show of the season and the Rep left us with a whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on.

The Milwaukee Rep presents Million Dollar Quartet at the Wilson Theater at Vogel Hall at the Marcus Performing Arts Center now through May 24, 2025. It runs about two hours without intermission…and you won’t miss that intermission with the music going down, trust me. And listen to the band!

Cast Change Note: Blake Burgess continues as Johnny Cash through May 11th, but Trevor Lindley Craft assumes the role after that.

More information and ticket info can be found here.

Extra Credit Reading: Program

LCP’s Jekyll & Hyde, The Musical Is Quite Literally A Tour de Force!

Jekyll & Hyde, The Musical isn’t exactly the story you remember from high school English class when you read Robert Louis Stevenson’s 19th C novella, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The core story is the same, where an inquisitive doctor delves into the two halves of man’s souls…the good vs. the evil…and experiments on himself. And there is still the sense of dread, the macabre, the horror, and the violence of the original, but there is also a bit more love as a number of female characters are included and Jekyll’s friends show their humanity as well.

The Company of Jekyll & Hyde, The Musical. Photo courtesy of Lake Country Playhouse and Academy. James Baker Jr. photographer.

Jekyll & Hyde, The Musical has a long history. Originally conceived for the stage by Frank Wildhorn and Steve Cuden, the musical has its book and lyrics from Leslie Bricusse with music by Frank Wildhorn. And this is a grand musical with most of the story told via 28 songs…this would be an opera if it were in Italian! LOL! But there are also 24 performers here who dominate the stage and provide a very thrilling indeed story of the macabre.

If you’ve read any of my previous reviews of plays at LCP, you know that they have a little jewel of a black box theater, with a stage probably 40 feet wide and maybe 25 feet deep and around 150 seats? So it is quite an intimate experience no matter what play is being presented but to support a cast of 24 singers/actors…particularly with 4 or 5 full company songs…is a real accomplishment of note for directors Breanne Brennan and Sandra Renick as well as choreographer Thom Cauley, and stage manager Lori Albers…that it all works so well and moves so smoothly in their compact home is a wonderful storytelling success. And set designer Chris Celetin has a very simple but versatile set. Backed by an evening view of a skyline implying a robust London in our background, the central feature converts from fountain, to hospital bed, to fireplace, to bordello bed, to finally, Dr. Jekyll’s lab…there is some smoke…but I didn’t catch any mirrors.

Emma Carew and Dr. Henry Jekyll. Photo courtesy of Lake Country Playhouse and Academy. James Baker Jr. photographer.

But it is time to delve into the characters. Of course the main character is Dr. Jekyll and his alter ego, Mr. Hyde. Is alter ego the correct word here? This role of course demands quite a bit from an actor, requiring any number of changes beyond a simple costume change. And Adrian Ford quite remarkably transitions from Jekyll to Hyde…through changes in posture, vocalizations, stature and personality. I am not quite sure how Ford manages all of this…going from the smooth lush voice for the songs belonging to the good doctor to the growls and screams of Hyde…but Ford has quite mastered it. Hopefully he can rest his voice and recover between performances.

Dr. Jekyll in his lab. Photo courtesy of Lake Country Playhouse and Academy. James Baker Jr. photographer.

And two of the changes from the novella include women who are in love with Dr. Jekyll. First is Alyssa Booton as Emma Carew, a very strong willed and independent woman who is engaged to Dr. Jekyll despite her father’s misgivings. But she affirms her right to choose her life partner over any parental obligations. And then there is Lucy Harris, a prostitute at the Red Rat, who is played by Jaime Nyland. Nyland also presents a strong willed character, at least on the surface, but emotionally unwilling or unable to remove herself from her surroundings, even when urged to leave by Jekyll and with funds he provides. She too loves the doctor for being a friend and comforter when she is injured by Hyde. Emma and Lucy have a very moving duet of sorts…more a song swap than a duet I guess…in the number, In His Eyes. This is an incredible piece and their voices will move right through you and enter your bones.

Emma (left) and Lucy. Photo courtesy of Lake Country Playhouse and Academy. James Baker Jr. photographer.

Three other characters of note are Gabriel John Utterson, an attorney and the best friend that Dr. Jekyll could ever hope to have. Bradley Wooten presents a very formal and effective lawyer Utterson at first, then he succumbs to some temptations, but rallies when the Jekyll/Hyde dichotomy starts to surface, despite having no idea how to solve the issue…until it is far too late. Andrew Byshenk is Sir Danvers Carew, Emma’s father, and a prominent citizen who supports Jekyll to a point but without much confidence…more out of love for his daughter as opposed to his own convictions. And John Rottier is Simon Stride, another prominent citizen who also loves Emma and tries to win her over up until the last minute. All three characters have prominent songs during the play and are dominant voices and clearly engaged in their songs and their characters.

The Red Rat Girls, Lucy back row center. Photo courtesy of Lake Country Playhouse and Academy. James Baker Jr. photographer.

What is quite remarkable are the numbers that involve the whole company or the group of Red Rat Girls. Not a note is out of place, everyone is in character, and they occupy the stage as one.

There is a live chamber group providing the instrumental accompaniment. And that is not an easy feat given the small footprint off the back corner of the stage given all of the activity occurring just inches away. The intrepid musicians? Jim Van Deusen, piano and conductor; Tracy Garon, piano; Tony Fenner, drums; Cheryl Miracle, French horn; and Glen Quarrie, woodwinds.

The wedding scene and the end of Jekyll/Hyde. Photo courtesy of Lake Country Playhouse and Academy. James Baker Jr. photographer.

No, I didn’t forget Sarah Jo Martens, the costume designer. This must have been a pull your hair out effort for Martens, given the number of characters, and the several costume changes for almost all of the principal characters here, particularly Jekyll/Hyde, Emma, and Lucy. This story would have been lacking some power without the costumes we experienced so elegantly.

Jekyll & Hyde, The Musical, is scheduled to run from now through April 13th, 2025. BUT it is sold out for the entire run. If you are interested, you can contact their box office to see if any tickets are returned for resale. Their email is info@lakecountryplayhousewi.org

And Mr. Edward Hyde. Photo courtesy of Lake Country Playhouse and Academy. James Baker Jr. photographer.