Few musicals can claim as convoluted a backstory as Guys and Dolls. It’s songs were created before its story. Its plot grew out of a chance suggestion. And the person who ended up scripting its storyline had never written for Broadway before. Despite that, the acclaim the musical received in 1950 when it debuted on Broadway was both universal and fervent. And in the 74 years since it premiered, it’s popularity has only become more entrenched. Drury Lane Theatre’s current production of the classic shows how all of the things that make Guys and Dolls different also make it an irresistible draw.
When two young producers, Cy Feuer and Ernest Martin, were brainstorming ideas for a project to do on the heels of their first stage success in 1949, it was one of their wives who suggested basing it on a collection of short stories she was reading by newspaper columnist and sports writer, Damon Runyon. Called Guys and Dolls, the anthology chronicled the lives of fictional characters inhabiting the nightlife around Times Square and Broadway. The exploits of gamblers, pickpockets, dancers, pimps and players were all endearingly exposed through Runyon’s distinctly astute and benevolently comic voice.
Feuer and Martin then tapped a person who helped them with their first foray onto Broadway; another newcomer, Frank Loesser, to create the music. They’d also settled on Runyon’s short story about a missionary and a high rolling gambler, The Idyll’s of Miss Sarah Brown, as the basis for the musical’s book. The first book, or libretto, didn’t quite work out, so they approached a friend and colleague of Feuer’s, Abe Burrow, to write another one. By that time, Loesser had already penned most of the song’s for Guys and Dolls. The only thing to do was to write in reverse and adapt the story to the already existing music.
That unorthodox approach is barely perceptible while watching the show; but you detect subtle distinctions about its rhythm and flow. From the very beginning, you notice how quickly it moves and how exciting its cast of characters promises to be. It’s impossible not to be interested in people who live lives completely different from our own and the denizens of Runyon’s world operate from a completely non-traditional playbook. Gambling defines both their purpose and their passion. And life is all about finding the next crap game. Making those games happen is the job of Nathan Detroit (Jackson Evans) and his band of colorful night crawlers with names like Angie the Ox (Brian Selcik), Harry the Horse (Jordan Anthony Arredondo) and Nicely-Nicely Johnson (Nkrumah Gatling).
The driving force of this production is Nathan’s longtime girlfriend, Miss Adelaide (Alanna Lovely) who’s been his fiancée for 14 years. To say Adelaide’s anxious to finally land the marlin wouldn’t do justice to her plight. As the musical progresses, we find out there are other reasons, well beyond her obvious love for her guy, that make her so desperate to get to the altar. When Lovely breaks into Adelaide’s Lament, you’re immediately on her side as she puts her own unforgettable spin on “plucky with a good heart”.
In scarlet red uniforms and loaded with righteous intent, Save-A-Soul missionaries, led by the attractive Sarah Brown (Erica Stephan), routinely hit the streets looking to redeem souls not in the least bit interested in being saved. When one of Nathan Detroit’s cohorts, Sky Masterson (Pepe Nufrio) shows up in town, he places a bet with Masterson that he’d never be able to get Save-A-Soul’s Sarah Brown to go with him to Havana, Cuba the next day. As persuasive as he is suave, he succeeds, setting the stage for a match of opposites that can’t help but lead to friction. Bringing the curtain down with a passionate rendition of I’ve Never Been in Love Before, the gambler and the missionary leave us guessing how this blending of contrasts will reconcile itself.
After intermission, you’re just as concerned about Adelaide and her predicament. By now, she’s developed into a force and you’re rooting for her so hard you’d think you had a stake in the outcome. When she and her entourage of delightful dancers, the Hot Box girls, slide into Take Back Your Mink; she’s actively nudging G.O.A.T. status. Nathan just needs to figure it out and take action.
The cavalcade of vibrantly drawn and intriguing characters would continue to expand in the second act and include Big Jule (KC McNeil), a shyster who rolls dice with dots only he can see. And to a cleverly conceived degree, it also includes Austin Nelson Jr. as the Hot Box nightclub emcee. That touch of the Vogue universe he brings to the effort adds an air of under the radar urbanity that gives the production sheen.
Song interpretation is such an odd beast. It’s most noticeable when it’s done very well or very badly. With Carey Deadman’s musical arrangements, all of the music in this Guys and Dolls easily occupies the high ground. Duets between Jackson and Lovely were consistently and particularly masterful displays of theatrical acuity and honed talent. But it was Nkrumah Gatling in his role as Nicely-Nicely Johnson who established a new world order with his take on Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat. Joined by the ensemble, the wonderfully crafted arrangement gloried in the clarity, power and lush texture of Gatling’s exceptional voice and beautifully reinterpreted a Broadway classic.
Director Dan Knechtges’ vision also brought to the forefront how much the contributions of the supporting cast can enhance the pleasure of a performance. Jordan Arredondo as Harry the Horse was a never-ending source of mirthful intrigue and interest. Gene Weygandt, who played Sarah’s grandfather, was the essence of compassionate wisdom as he encouraged her to give Sky Masterson a chance. And Heidi Kettenring as General Matilda B. Cartwright, stole scenes with the acumen of a cat burglar as she showed how quickly one can transition from strait-laced to “why not”.
Guys and Dolls
Through June 9th, 2024
Drury Lane Theatre
100 Drury Lane
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
