Guys and Dolls
A glorious night at Shakespeare Theatre Company.
Guys and Dolls at Shakespeare Theatre Company, Harman Hall has a brilliant cast, an equally brilliant creative team, in a fast-moving, fun, production of a classic.
The story and songs are ones many know, at least if you are a little older. It was first presented on Broadway in 1950, and I think I saw it first in the 60’s. This production is superbly directed by Washington National Opera Artistic Director, Francesca Zambello. It is based on a story and characters of Damon Runyon, with music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser, book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. The incredible choreography is by Joshua Bergasse, and he had the most amazing dancers to work with. There is a scene in the second act called ‘The crapshooters dance’ which got the longest ovation of any other scene. The dancers were just exciting to watch.
The story is simple and it’s about the oldest established permanent floating crap game in New York, which just got busted. Its organizer, Nathan Detroit, (Rob Colletti), needs cold hard cash to get it up and running again. Enter high-roller Sky Masterson, (Jacob Dickey), who Nathan wagers can’t get a date with the straightlaced Sarah Brown, (Julie Benko), a Save-A-Soul missionary trying to rescue them all from sin. They sing and dance all night to songs you must have heard, including; “Luck Be a Lady,” “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat,” “A Bushel and a Peck,” and more classic tunes. The love stories in the show are between Nathan and his girlfriend who he has been engaged to for fourteen years, showgirl, Miss Adelaide (Hayley Podschun), and that of Sky Masterson and Sarah Brown. Yes, between lies, gambling, and flights to Cuba, love does win out. But as you see the love stories unfold, you are treated to an amazing amount of fun. The four leads, Rob, Haley, Jacob and Julie, are uniformly multi-talented. They all sing, dance and act, so brilliantly, you are glued to them every time they are on the stage. A joy to watch and hear. But then in this production you are treated to so many great performers, just too many to name here. One standout is Nicely-Nicely Johnson, (Kyle Taylor Parker). He is just a joy to see every moment he is on stage.
But this production would not be as great as it is without the rest of the incredible creative team. First there is Musical Director and Conductor, James Lowe. Then Scenic Designer, Walt Spangler, who outdid himself, especially with the basement scene. Then there is the brilliant Costume Designer, Constance Hoffman. It seemed she kept outdoing herself with each new scene. The Lighting Designer, Amith A. Chandrashaker; Sound Designer, Andrew Harper and Wig and Hair Designer, Kevin S. Foster II, added their great talents to make this production so enjoyable.
I would run, not walk, to get your tickets to this production of Guys and Dolls, a must-see show, here now through January 8th It will sell out fast. It was already extended a few days because of ticket demand. You can go online for your tickets today.
