National tour of Broadway’s “A Gentleman’s Guide” headed to Chicago

“A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” the Broadway hit that received the 2014 Tony Award for Best Musical, will launch its 44-week national tour in Chicago, playing Sept. 29 – Oct. 11 at the Bank of America Theatre, 18 W. Monroe.

The show spins the zany, breathless tale of Monty Navarro, a distant heir to a family fortune who sets out to jump the line of succession by any means necessary. Meanwhile, he must juggle his mistress (who is after more than just love), his fiancée (who just happens to be his cousin, but who’s keeping track?), and the constant threat of landing behind bars. However, if Monty can slay his way to his inheritance — and be done in time for tea — all the manic machinations might just pay off.

If the plot sounds more than a little familiar (the driving conceit of the show is that all the many victims in the story are played by the same actor), it should. Its source is the 1907 novel by Roy Horniman, “Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal,” which also was the inspiration for the blackly comic 1949 British film classic, “Kind Hearts and Coronets,” starring Alec Guinness. (The film is not credited in relation to the musical as the result of a rights issue.)

Casting for the national tour will be announced at a later date.

Featuring a book and lyrics by Robert L. Freedman (who won a Tony Award for his work), and music and lyrics by Steven Lutvak, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” is directed by Darko Tresnjak (who also won a Tony), with choreography by Peggy Hickey. The design team includes Alexander Dodge (sets), Linda Cho (costumes) and Philip S. Rosenberg (lighting). Orchestrations are by Jonathan Tunick, vocal arrangements are by Dianne Adams McDowell and Lutvak, and Paul Staroba serves as music director. The show opened on Broadway on Nov. 17, 2013, with Jefferson Mays(yet another Tony winner) in the leading role. Its original cast recording received a 2015 Grammy Award nomination.

Group tickets for 10 or more are now on sale by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710. Individual tickets will go on sale at a later date. For more information visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com or www.agentlemansguidebroadway.com.