Who knew bumping off an entire family and some unrelated infidelity could be so darn funny?

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, a MusicalFare production on stage at Shea’s 710 Theatre to March 8, is all that and more. It’s flat-out hilarious with some of the best singing – and sight gags – you’ll hear – and see –  on a local stage.

Briefly, upon the death of his mother Montague Navarro (Ricky Needham) learns that mama was not the scrappy working class mama he loved. She was actually an exiled member of the prestigious D’Ysquith family. The bearer of this news is his mom’s friend Miss Shingle (Jenn Stafford) who spews bits of biscuit with equal part of elegance and sass. First Monty thinks that his new family might employ him, but when he realizes there is but a handful of family members between himself and the family fortune, he has a change of plan.

Needham is a riot as the murdering Monty. He’s charming and beguiling as he finds endearing ways to do in every family member between himself and the life he could have lived if mama hadn’t run off with his Castilian papa. And these family members – yes all of those who are ready to meet their maker – are perfectly portrayed by the uber-versatile Marc Sacco. With more costume changes, wigs, and manners of death  you could imagine, Sacco brings life to every D’Ysquith en route to their demise. From a tower to a skating pond to the dinner table…pure comic genius.

It wouldn’t be a credible story without a good love interest and Monty has two: the vapid and lovely Sibella (Solange Gosselin) and lively D’Ysquith cousin Phoebe (Emily Yancey. Oh those luscious soprano voices! Yancey’s “I Decided to Marry You” is the arresting ear worm you’ll hum all the way home. Her phrasing and articulation  and that beautiful range are perfection. Needham, too, had some of the funniest moments in song and some poignant ones, too, especially when he sang his love for “Sibella.”

The ensemble (Michelle Holden, Jon May, Brittney Leigh Morton, John Panepinto, and Dave Spychalski) all slip into multiple characters handily and each have their share of laughs. Holden as the haughty Eugenia, wife of a doomed D’Ysquith, is a standout as she and Sacco bicker their way through one last dinner party.

Director/choreographer Doug Weyand kept the pace at a brisk romp which suits the upbeat score and makes a lengthy production fly by. Chris Cavanagh had some fun making all these deaths laughable. He used some theatre magic on the first death (a fall from a tower) with a visual splat and splatter. Theresa Quinn at the piano leads Jim Runfola on reeds, Jay Wollin on bass and cello, Peggy Scalzo on percussion, and Jenna Noreck on violin which gave Steven Lutvak’s rapid-fire score wonderful dimension.

If this sounds familiar, MusicalFare staged this back in 2022 when COVID short-circuited the run by a couple weeks. So good to have it back again and on the more spacious Shea’s 710 stage. Lots of twists and laughs in this story, a fun set, flying fish props, and outstanding cast kept me and the Theatre Companion well entertained.

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder  runs a little over two hours with a 15-minute intermission to March 8. Find details and tickets at www.musicalfare.com.