(Above: Ashlee Winkler, Cody Mendonca, and Ashley Apelzin sing I’ve Decided to Marry You in Actors Cabaret’s production of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder!; photo by Jim Roberts)

By Randi Bjornstad

As Joe Zingo and Jim Roberts (the founders and life force behind Actors Cabaret of Eugene) tell it, the minute A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder! won the Tony Award for Best Musical five years ago, they knew it had to be on their list for production at Actors Cabaret.

And now it is. It took awhile to get the rights to produce it here, and they say that “unless you happened to see the New York production or lived in one of the big cities that had the national tour, this will be the first chance to see this brilliant and side-splitting musical.

Sounds intriguing? The plot revolves around a guy named Monty Novarro who lived in England about 1909. Navarro, who never knew his father, grew up with his mother in what the English euphemistically called “genteel poverty.” After his mother died, a woman who knew them paid a visit and told him she also knew his father. She also revealed that his mom had been part of a very wealthy family called D’Ysquith (pronounced DYE squith), and he is in the line of succession to become the Earl of Highhurst. All he has to do, it turns out, is to do away with the eight people before him in the queue.

Now, here comes the amazing twist as far as the play is concerned: All of the D’Ysquiths in the show are played by the same actor. On top of that, Zingo and Roberts say the show is full of great Gilbert-and-Sullivan-like music and a very funny script.

And despite the promise of murder and mayhem, they also promise a happy ending.

In the ACE production, Cody Mendonca plays Montague “Monty” Navarro, with Gaylord Walker representing the entire D’Ysquith heirs-in-line. Additional featured actors are Kathy Bowman, Ashlee Winkler, and Ashley Apelzin. The ensemble inclues Hillary Humphreys, Arabella Knoles, Emily Madden, Ashley Mason, Mackenzie Nessmith, Derek Rees, and Joshua Sayre.

Joe Zingo directs, with vocal direction by Jim Roberts. Zingo also takes charge of lighting, costume, and set design.

Book and lyrics for Gentleman … are the creation of Robert L. Freedman, with music and lyrics by Steven Lutvak. The show is based on a book by Roy Horniman.

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder

When: Evenings at 7:30 p.m. on May 10-11, 17-18, 24-25, 31 and June 1, 7-8; matinees at 2 p.m. on May 12 and 19

Where: Actors Cabaret, 996 Willamette St., Eugene

Details: Dinner and brunch meals available by reservation at the time of ticketing (gluten-free and vegan options by special request); meals begin 90 minutes before showtime

Tickets: Dinner-and-show $37.95 to $42.95 on opening weekend, $45.95 to $50.95 remaining weekends; brunch-and-show $40.95 to $42.95; show-only $16-28, available at the box office, 541-683-4368, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, or online at actorscabaret.org/tickets (no online orders the day of the performance)