Jefferson Performing Arts Society

Jefferson Performing Arts Society

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A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder

July 31 - August 9, 2026

Westwego Performing Arts Theatre
177 Sala Avenue, Westwego, LA

  • Tickets

A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder is the knock-'em-dead, uproarious hit and the most-nominated show of the 2014 season. With ten Tony nominations and four wins, including Best Musical.

When the low-born Monty Navarro finds out that he's eighth in line for an earldom in the lofty D'Ysquith family, he figures his chances of outliving his predecessors are slight and sets off down a far more ghoulish path. Can he knock off his unsuspecting relatives without being caught and become the ninth Earl of Highhurst? And what of love? Because murder isn't the only thing on Monty's mind....

A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder is a murderous romp filled with unforgettable music, non-stop laughs and a scene-stealing role for one actor playing all eight of the doomed heirs who meet their ends in the most creative and side-splitting ways.

Creative Team

David Hoover - Director
Jennifer DeLatte - Music Director
Mary Clare Eastland - Choreographer

CAST

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John Michael Haas

Bio coming soon.

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John Michael Haas

Montague "Monty" Navaroo

Gary Rucker

Bio coming soon.

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Gary Rucker

The D'ysquith Family

Christina Cross

Bio coming soon.

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Christina Cross

Miss Shingle

Maria Hefte

María Hefte made her first appearance on a NOLA region stage back in 2018, with her role as Martha Watson in White Christmas. She is thrilled to be back on stage with the company that started it all. Her most recent roles include her Tulane Summer Lyric debut in early July as Jacqueline (La Cage Aux Folles) and at Rivertown Theater as Marianne Wilson (Disaster!) and Lady Larkin (Once Upon A Mattress). She looks forward to workshopping and performing two new musicals before the end of this year!

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Maria Hefte

Sibella Hallward

Maggie Windler

Bio coming soon.

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Maggie Windler

Phoebe D'ysquith

Ryan Nocito

Ryan Nocito (Man #1) is a proud, born-and-raised Westbanker who is thrilled to be back on the WJPA stage! He was most recently seen performing here in Ricky Graham’s Murder Most Mee Maw back in February. Other recent credits include Disaster! The Musical (Ted), It’s a Wonderful Life Y’all (Joe, Uncle Billy, et al.), Once Upon a Mattress (Jester), Assassins (Guiteau), and The SpongeBob Musical (Mr. Krabs). By day, he proudly plays the role of “teacher” and “theatre director” at Brother Martin High School, his alma mater. He has also directed numerous productions for JPA’s youth program, including their recent summer production of Frozen Jr. His heartfelt thanks go out to David, the production team, his castmates, and the crew for making this experience a capital delectation—far more delightful than deadly. Special thanks to his awesome parents, family, and friends for their constant love and encouragement.

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Ryan Nocito

Ensemble

Chrissy Bowen

Chrissy Bowen (Woman #2) is thrilled to be making her WJPA debut!  Her favorite JPAS credits include: Mary Poppins (Winifred Banks), The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and White Christmas. Other notable local credits include: Alison in the New Orleans regional premiere of Fun Home, Sister Act (Mother Superior), The Drowsy Chaperone (The Drowsy Chaperone), Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Madame), 9 to 5: The Musical (Roz), Me and My Girl (Maria, Duchess of Dene), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Domina), Gypsy (Mazeppa), Guys & Dolls (General Cartwright), Something Rotten, She Loves Me, and Ragtime. However, her most favorite role to date is that of "Ms. Chrissy" at Thibodeaux Dance in Mandeville, LA, where she teaches tap to students of all ages. She is a proud graduate of NOCCA (Musical Theatre) and Wright State University (BFA, Musical Theatre).  She would like to thank David, Gary and the entire cast and creative team for this “murderously” wonderful experience! Special thanks to her Mama, friends, and family for their constant support!

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Chrissy Bowen

Ensemble

Mitchell Kogan

Mitchell is thrilled to return to the stage in his JPAS-Westwego debut in "Gentlemen's Guide!" Mitchell is a 2021 Graduate of UNO and no stranger to the arts in the River Parishes. He has performed in multiple theaters including the River Region Drama Guild, St. John Theater, and Rivertown. Recent credits include "All Shook Up" (Dennis); "The Odd Couple" (Oscar Madison); "Once Upon a Mattress" (Prince Dauntless); "Assassins" (Leon Czolgosz); Elf: The Musical" (Buddy); and many more. Mitchell wants to give a big thank you to both David and Gary for their belief in him and for taking him along for the ride. He would also like to thank his family and friends for their continuous support in his passion for the arts, especially his girlfriend Morgan who gives him the encouragement to only get better. Enjoy the show!

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Mitchell Kogan

Ensemble

Noah Smith

Bio coming soon.

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Noah Smith

Ensemble

Shelbi Copain

Bio coming soon.

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Shelbi Copain

Ensemble

Cara Waring

Cara Waring, born and raised in Alexandria, LA, graduated with her Master's from Louisiana State University in Vocal Performance in 2015. She has sung with Collegiate Chamber Choirs and Opera Theater Workshops. Her opera experiences include the title role in Princess Ida (Gilbert and Sullivan), Madame Pompous in Too Many Sopranos (Penhorwood), Celine in Signor Deluso (Pasatieri), Belinda in Dido and Aenaes (Purcell), and chorus roles in Trial by Jury (Gilbert and Sullivan), Merry Widow (Lehár), Faust (Gounod), and Suzanna (Floyd). She has also enjoyed participating in musicals such as Godspell (Schwartz), Kiss Me Kate (Porter),  Hello Dolly (Herman), Urinetown (Hollman), and The Music Man (Willson). She's spent some time studying in Europe and the United States of America. More recently, she performed as Zerlina in Don Giovanni in Bulgaria and then as Despina in Cosí fan tutte (Mozart) in D.C.  She enjoys singing in local churches and currently resides in the New Orleans area. She is grateful for this opportunity to perform with incredible cast!

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Cara Waring

Ensemble