Three Ladies and A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder

7/21/2014

If you happened to catch the 68th Annual Tony Awards this year, you know that A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder won for Best Musical. You would also be privy to the fact that in total it won 4 Tonys in 2014 including Best Direction, Best Book of a Musical and Best Costume Design of a Musical.

In a word, this play was Dee-lightul with a capital D! From the beautifully, colorful stage design to the witty and eloquently written dialog and lyrics and the cursive stage direction, I was entranced from beginning to end.

This theatre day, I was not only joined by my usual theatre partner, Mom but also by her dear friend, Irene. We three ladies ventured into NYC for a matinee of this engaging show, on what started out as a balmy, overcast day. As fate would have it, the day turned sunny and breezy and that same bright and cheerful atmosphere filled the Walter Kerr Theatre that afternoon. I knew very little about this play, except that it recounted the memoirs of an English gent in prison. With a relatively small cast in reality, multiple costume changes and numerous roles gave the perception that there were far more in the company.

View of the Stage of A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder

Mr. Jefferson Mays, nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical, was spectacular as he played eight different characters with remarkable comedic ease bringing unique mannerisms and personality to each individual. Mr. Mays' performance was hilarious with each silly body movement, gesture and character voice. Truly entertaining.

On the day we saw the play, there were several changes in the usual cast. The lead role of "Monty Navarro", was played by Jeff Kready, who was quite fetching as the proper and gentlemanly narrator. Ms. Pamela Bob was also standing in for the alluring character "Sibella Hallward" with an amusing and flirtatious portrayal. Together, they created a playful, on-stage chemistry full of whimsy and fun.

We sat in the mezzanine, and were lucky enough to have front row seats!! What a view!

This show is theatre at it's best - an original, cleverly written story with incredible talent in the quintessential Broadway tradition.

WITH PAMELA BOB WHO PLAYED "SIBELLA HALLWARD"

After the show, we were thrilled to see that the stage door was easily accessible to approach the exiting cast members. I had the pleasure of getting a picture with Pamela Bob, who was a great deal lovelier in person. We also met Jefferson Mays, who was gracious and immensely thankful for our praises and complements about his unforgettable performance. We snagged a few photos with this unbelievably talented actor!

Jefferson Mays with Mom

Me with my theatre buddies! (Mom & Irene)

Jefferson Mays with Irene

As luck would have it, my friend recommended a restaurant the day before the show, that just fortuitously happened to be two doors down from the theatre. La Masseria. I wasn't aware of this wonderful restaurant right in the middle of the theatre district, situated on West 48th Street, right off of 8th Avenue. The atmosphere was warm and inviting and the staff was welcoming and personal. Our waiter just happened to be from my grandfather's home town of Taormina, Sicily, so we struck up quite a conversation about his home town, causing him great home sickness.

MOM, ME & IRENE AT LA MASSERIA

The menu was filled with a wonderful cross section of Italian specialties, including a number of daily specials. Irene and I shared the Mozzarella, roasted pepper and eggplant special, drizzled in balsamic Glaze. YUM! We also shared an order of shoestring fried zucchini, which were light and crunchy. Mom ordered a delicious Masseria salad filled with Arugola, radicchio, endive, mushrooms, olives, tomato & roast peppers. For our main courses, we were quite unoriginal, but also very happy with our choices.

Irene and Mom selected the Homemade Fettucini Bolognese whereas, I chose the Spaghetti with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil. Everything was delectable and coupled with the decor, the open air restaurant front, it was a relaxing meal for all of us. Mom and I ended the meal with Passion Fruit Sorbet and a slice of Italian Cheesecake (made with ricotta cheese) which was the best I had ever eaten!