A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder won four Tony Awards at the 68th annual Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The story of murder and mayhem has had audiences dying laughing over the adventures of Monty Navarro since 2014 in New York but is now tackling a tour. This morbid tale has the cast, including Northwestern University graduate Matt Leisy, playing multiple roles.
Leisy starred in The Fantasticks off-Broadway and spun the Carousel on PBS. His regional credits include the Importance of Being Earnest and the gay-centered school drama The History Boys.
Windy City spoke with Leisy by telephone before his Chicago arrival.
Windy City Times: Hi, Matt. Where in the world are you?
Matt Leisy: Schenectady, New York. We are currently in previews until our big Chicago debut!
WCT: I read you live in New York, so that's not a big trip for you.
ML: Exactly. I went to Northwestern for college. I thought I would stick around in Chicago but ended up in New York. I was born in Boston but my mom is British, so I moved to England right after I was born. I was there until 10; then, since my dad is from Kansas, we moved to Kansas City.
WCT: You have traveled all over with touring shows.
ML:: One of my first jobs was an Asian tour of The Sound of Music. I've performed in Arizona, Missouri, Kansas, Tennessee, Virginia and Pennsylvania.
WCT: What is something you learned at Northwestern that has helped you in life?
ML:: My goal was to become an opera singer when I was at Northwestern. I found theater when I was at that school. From there, I did the music-theater program. I took acting classes, so I started doing plays. I had a varied performance schedule while at Northwestern.
I spoke recently to my theater professor and he mentioned he should have featured me more in school. I told it was a great lesson to learn because I learned how much drive and passion I had for acting. I wasn't handed everything and realized I did want it. My career has been a slow climb so I appreciate everything.
WCT: Talk about Gentleman's Guide for people that aren't familiar with it.
ML:: Gentleman's Guide won the Tony for Best Musical in 2014. It is the story of one man realizing that he is in line to become Earl of Highhurst —with eight people ahead of him that he will have to knock off. He was raised poor and this is his opportunity. He fantasizes about this dream and the life he can have. He accidently kills the first person then realizes how easy it is. He spends the rest of the musical killing off the characters that this one actor plays.
Murder is not usually funny but these characters are larger than life. He plays men and women that are all slightly not the best people.
It is a hilarious new musical and we are excited to take it on the road.
WCT: Who is your character?
ML:: I understudy the male lead, Montague Navarro, who murders everybody. I play a myriad of feature characters; I should count how many roles I play. The main one that I am credited with is Tom Copley, a country farmer who lost a bunch of land to one of the D'Ysquith family members.
I play a newsboy, a tailor, a bitchy mourner, an ancestor of the D'Ysquiths, a guard in the prison—hmm ... what else?
WCT: That is enough. That sounds tiring.
ML:: It is. I have never done a show where I had to change costume so much. At the end of act one I have three quick changes within one number. It is crazy! There is another show going on backstage that is equally exciting.
WCT: It is fast-paced, from what I saw in the preview.
ML:: Absolutely. When that train gets going, it goes!
WCT: How does it tie into current issues with being a period piece?
ML:: You for the main character because he hasn't been handed the best deck of cards in life. With this opportunity he takes advantage of it. You root for him even when he is killing people. There is also a love triangle.
WCT: Is there gay humor in it?
ML:: Yes, there is a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor. There is a song called "Better With a Man" with some great lyrics such as "No one else besides a man can understand what you need," then talks about a rousing climax. "You need a man to wrestle with" and "Gentlemen have secrets they will never tell their wives" are some other quotes.
This guy Henry, who my character Tom Copley is angry at, is the quintessential dandy who has a wife but lives in London. He decides to live in the country so he can have his little trysts and boys on the side. He is hitting on Monty Navarro in a scene. It is homoerotic but they are not singing about the same thing. Henry wants to get in his pants while he says it is better with a man.
The guy who plays Asquith D'Ysquith plays a couple of women who are larger than life. The style of camp has been referenced a little bit in those portrayals of female characters.
WCT: This seems like a great chance to see the show if people can't go to New York.
ML:: I am so excited to share it with people. It's good for all ages. It is smart and silly. I think the audience will eat it up!
A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder is at Bank of America Theatre, 18 W. Monroe St., through Oct. 11. Take a stab at tickets by clicking on broadwayinchicago.com/show/gentlemans-guide-love-murder .
