Broadway Breakdown

Episode: "A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER"

Host: Matt Koplik
Guests: Elliot and Harry White (Foster Cat Productions)
Release: November 21, 2024

Episode Overview

This week, host Matt Koplik welcomes theatrical entrepreneurs, directors and producers Elliot and Harry White for an in-depth, fast-talking, irreverent, and affectionate exploration of the Tony-winning musical A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. From personal origin stories to Broadway lore, tangents about stage door camp, and a raucous discussion of the show's legacy, the episode delves deep into what made GGLAM special—and why it’s become a cult favorite among theatre aficionados.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Histories with GGLAM

• Early Obsession:

  • Harry shares he first encountered the show as a teenager researching NYC theater for a trip with his grandparents. The show's artwork caught his eye, leading to tickets and an ensuing obsession before even attending.
    • “Until a deep hole of obsession with the show before we even saw it...” —Harry [03:13]
  • Both recall the disappointment of missing Jefferson Mays due to an understudy, later rectified on a return trip.

• Cast Recording Culture:

  • Both were deep into cast recordings as teens, though initially bullied out of it (including peer-to-peer bullying!).
    • “First I bullied Harry out of it, and then I got bullied by others out of it...” —Elliot [05:42]

• Randomly Reencountering GGLAM:

  • Harry worked with GGLAM’s director Darko Tresnjak on an LA Opera project, and through a makeup designer friend, met Jefferson Mays.
    • “It’s randomly been in our lives, specifically this year.” —Harry [05:24]

2. Show Structure and Staging

• Slow Burn, Then All-In:

  • The hosts note the show’s slow opening, with its comedic pace really kickstarting once Monty embarks on his murderous campaign.
    • “For the first 20 minutes I was a little bored… But once Bryce Pinkham as Monty Navarro gets going with them plans, then I think the show’s like off to the races and then I have no notes.” —Matt [06:03]
  • Jefferson Mays’ multi-role performance doesn’t fully ignite until about 20–25 minutes in.

• Intimacy and Tone:

  • Despite imagining a splashier, broader musical, both guests were surprised at the show’s intimate feel and the Edwardian atmosphere, which perfectly fit the Walter Kerr Theatre.
    • “It doesn’t, like, force you to…it’s kind of like presenting itself and you warm up to it.” —Harry [08:54]

3. Source Material & Adaptation

• Origins:
  • Loosely adapted from the English film Kind Hearts and Coronets (starring Alec Guinness) and its source novel, with plenty of legal kerfuffle regarding rights.
    • “Now I think, for legal reasons, they say it’s based off of the book." —Matt [13:33]
  • The musical softens some of the darker edges of the film, and makes Monty less actively murderous at the outset.

4. Favorite Songs & Performances

• Song Highlights:

  • That Horrible Woman (Elliot’s pick): Loved for its captivating opening piano and Eddie Korbich’s unique voice.
    • “When I was younger…the whole melody for that song…I think it’s just a beautiful song.” —Elliot [14:31]
  • Act 1 Finale (Harry’s pick): Noted for the stirring family melody, and as a testament to the show’s structural strengths.
    • “I really, really enjoyed…I love the melody that the DY Squiff family.” —Harry [17:09]

• Underrated Out-of-Context:

  • Many musical numbers, especially comedic ones, don’t stand alone outside the show context—a challenge when students use them as audition pieces.
    • “It’s not the same on its own...When you take out each piece individually, it’s not as strong as when they’re together.” —Harry [31:30]

5. Favorite Deaths

• Comedy in The Murders:
  • Guests and host rattle off favorite onstage dispatches, hailing the creativity and slapstick staging, especially the beekeeping, the ice skating, barbell decapitation, and the “bang!” of Lady Salome's Hedda Gabler.
    • “She’s just running around, jumping on stage, shouting BANG. And Monty ultimately does her in by putting in real bullets in her gun...the audience leapt to its feet.” —Matt [29:02]
  • The deaths escalate in absurdity and directness as Monty grows bolder.

6. Structure, Tone, & Character Arc

• Monty as a Murderous Underdog:

  • The show carefully earns audience sympathy for Monty: he's introduced as an orphaned underdog trying to do the right thing, only resorting to murder after being rebuffed by his aristocratic family.
    • “You don’t have to necessarily root for your main character...But with Gentleman's Guide...you HAVE to root for him because he does a lot of terrible stuff...” —Matt [43:05]
  • Monty’s journey from passive, lovesick loser to confident, swaggering anti-hero is charted both humorously and musically.

• Love Triangle to Polyamory:

  • Unconventional even for Broadway, the show ends with Phoebe and Sibella choosing to share Monty.
    • “The show sort of ends with polygamy or open relationships…I think that is one of the most baller things about the show.” —Matt [47:55]

7. Sopranos & Subverting Broadway Tropes

• Uncommon for modern musicals, GGLAM features two legit soprano roles that are both comedic and complex, making it a delight for certain kinds of performers.

  • “A musical that has two soprano roles, and they also get to be funny, which is even rarer.” —Matt [38:09]

• The songs often subvert genre conventions by avoiding big 11-o’clock belting finishes; many numbers build uniquely or end quietly.

  • “This is one of the first shows I heard where…there is a lot more subversion with the composing.” —Elliot [36:49]

8. Jefferson Mays & Star Vehicles

• Mays’ performance as the entire D’Ysquith clan is central to the show’s magic, combining highbrow comic acting and vocal agility.
  • “He is what I call a talent alien…so bizarrely talented, he can do so many things that normal people can’t.” —Matt [54:44]
• Speculation about future revivals centers on the idea that a major comic or dramatic actor seeking a challenge could drive a new production.

9. Broadway Business and Tony Lore

• The show’s commercial run is legendary: it played to slow houses for months before striking big post-Tony win, becoming a model (often unsuccessfully emulated) for struggling shows banking on award season.
  • “A lot of shows think, ‘Well, if we just make it to Tony nomination day, we’ll be set.’ And then a lot of shows close…Gentleman’s Guide had a lot of things in its corner.” —Matt [73:22, 79:42]
• The peculiarities of Tony voting, reasons the score lost to Bridges of Madison County, and the context of the competitive 2014 season are debated at length.

10. Legacy and Accessibility

• The GGLAM score is highly singable and distinctive, but its period style, vocal demands, and production requirements make it difficult for many theaters to stage—perhaps contributing to its “cult hit” status rather than showtune ubiquity.

  • “You need the ability to have big costumes that can just zip up and zip off.” —Harry [115:53]
  • “It’s a hard show to do, right, Gentleman’s Guide.” —Elliot [117:39]

• Whether the show will have a City of Angels-type legacy—admired but rarely revived—is discussed. All agree it’s due more time before its true impact is known.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Opening and Show's Tone

“For the first 20 minutes I was a little bored…But once Bryce Pinkham as Monty gets going, then I think the show’s off to the races and I have no notes.”
—Matt [06:03]

On Characters and Comedy

“Monty is not a murderer or anything at the beginning…it’s not his natural inclination at the start of the play.”
—Elliot [21:38]

On Staging and Deaths

“She’s just running around, jumping on stage, shouting ‘BANG!’…And the audience leapt to its feet.”
—Matt [29:02]

On Score and Music

“Not every song needs to be that sweeping grand thing…but for me, it’s like…maybe I’m more attracted to that type of, like, not every song needs to be that.”
—Elliot [89:45]

On Broadway and Tony Whispering

“A lot of shows will build in their capitalization money to tide over a show so they can build momentum, word of mouth…and a lot of shows think, ‘Well, if we just make it to Tony nomination day, we’ll be set.’”
—Matt [73:15]

On the Show’s Legacy

“Good art will find a way of rising to the top. Gentleman's Guide is a really, really strong piece. Even if it's not the most popular...that's what really made it popular at the time.”
—Harry [124:40]

“It's the show of the niche, but—it’s not a weird musical. You can’t say, ‘I love the esoteric stuff…I love A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder’…don’t you want to use your niche card for something a little, like, darker?”
—Matt [122:18]

Fun Tangents

• Discussions of stage door camp (Stage Door Manor), old-school VHS vs DVD culture, and outrageous casting/role-acquisition stories.
• Off-topic but always-on-brand rants and analysis about theatrical comedy, Broadway business, the legacy of other musicals like City of Angels, Pirates of Penzance, and Drood.
• A running joke about being spit on by Broadway stars in the front row. (“If it’s Bryce Pinkham or Jonathan Groff, I’m not going to be mad at either one of them for spitting on me.” —Matt [40:27])
• Dreamcasting potential future stars or celebrity types for a new GGLAM run—Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, or Tom Hollander.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Personal history & how they discovered the show: [02:30]–[05:24]
• Pacing, structure, and opening commentary: [06:03]–[09:05]
• Sources, adaptation, and legal drama: [10:25]–[13:33]
• Favorite songs & early musical theater interests: [14:28]–[17:45]
• Deaths, comedy, and staging: [24:24]–[31:34]
• Monty's progression, love triangle, polyamory: [43:05]–[51:14]
• Tony Awards: Business strategy and legacy: [73:15]–[83:29]
• Score vs. hummability, Broadway trends: [84:50]–[90:05]
• Casting challenges, legacy, and future: [114:16]–[117:48]
• Stage Door Manor nostalgia & closing notes: [139:49]–[146:40]

Conclusion

This rollicking, sprawling episode captures the unique blend of cleverness, wit, and heart that defines A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, as well as its status as a modern cult favorite among musical theater enthusiasts. The hosts and guests offer deep analysis, plenty of Broadway insider gossip, and reverent irreverence—a combination fit for any fan wishing to revisit, discover, or appreciate anew the D'Ysquith's dastardly dynasty.

Next week: Even the hosts don’t know yet!
Closing music chosen by the guests: Angela Lansbury, “Everything’s Coming Up Roses"
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Guests: Foster Cat Productions Host: Matt Koplik on Instagram