So, the very first show of 2016 was A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder at the Hippodrome in Baltimore. A few years ago when it was on Broadway, I desperately wanted to see it, but for some reason never got around to it. So when I heard it was touring, it was a must-see for sure. After seeing it, I'm happy I didn't waste Broadway-level money on it...
Don't get me wrong, it was cute but it definitely wasn't what I thought it was going to be. I was more impressed by the cool stage tricks they had than the story itself. Because, if nothing else, the stage decorator deserves some accolades for what he or she pulled off. The stage was not only beautiful to look at - sort of a vintage vaudeville stage-vibe - but it also moved in different ways to create all sorts of fun gags. Using a projection screen for quick scene stages, was another awesome way they chose to set the mood. These neat tricks definitely made for a more interesting show.
The story wasn't terrible - a poor guy finds out he's actually 8th in line to an Earldom, so he starts bumping off the people in line in front of him, in increasingly ridiculous and funny ways. The joke here is that the 7 people in line in front of him are all played by the same actor. So the poor guy "dies" on stage 7 times, which was much funnier than it sounds.
Even the acting was top-notch. The guy that died and the guy that killed him 7 times were both especially great. They both had great comic timing and really nailed the ridiculousness of it all.
But even with all this going for it, I can't say I'd want to see it again, or really recommend it to anyone. I can't put my finger on why, but there was definitely something I didn't like. Or, I could have just been way too excited to see Sherlock to focus all that much on the show. That is most definitely a possibility, I'm not gonna lie...
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