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| Cast of Guys and Dolls (Mark Kitaoka) |
Guys and Dolls
Village Theatre
Issaquah: through December 29, 2019
Everett: January 3, 2020-February 2, 2020
“What’s playing at Village? I’ll tell ya what’s playing at
Village: a thing about a guy who wants a doll but can’t stop gambling and needs
a thousand bucks so his blood doesn’t make a big spillage. That’s what’s
playing at Village!” (with apologies to Frank Loesser)
It’s an oldie but goodie, Guys and Dolls is! The
almost three-hour musical classic is so good that you can examine it through
and through and still probably can’t figure out what to cut to make it shorter.
That’s class!
A splendid version is now at Village Theatre, helmed by
stage vet Billie Wildrick who is making her name as a musical director
more often these days. You might have seen Wildrick as Miss Adelaide at the 5th
Avenue in 2011.
Wildrick and choreographer Nikki Long have freshened
the choreo elements so they are sharp, angled, in sync, and great fun. They’ve
embedded little “stories” into the choreographic elements so you have to sit up
and take notice because otherwise you’re missing a lot of “bits” that enliven
the dance.
Long is also adept at determining the limits of movers-but-not-dancers
so that their dance elements seamlessly combine to make everyone look like a
great dancer. That’s not an easy trick and I admire it.
The visuals are striking with a metal catwalk-type upper area
with stairs down to a large moving edifice with stairs on either side (designed
by Steven Capone). They call it “the boat” as it floats from side to
side of the stage allowing for the sense of travel. Other scenic elements are
simple and fly in and out from above.
Massive numbers of colorful costumes are changed into and
out of by the very busy ensemble and provided by designer Cathy Hunt. Effective
lighting by David Gipson assists scene changes and times of day or
night. Haley Parcher’s sound designs assist music director Julia
Thornton’s small-but-mighty band.
If you’re not aware of the story, about gamblers going
"good," it’s a family-friendly outing that’s funny from end to end.
Some of the most famous songs, like Luck Be A Lady, have become common
fare for singers to perform.
Nathan Detroit (Matt Wolfe) has a fiancée of fourteen
years, Adelaide (Kate Jaeger), who wants to marry him, but won’t until
he’s given up gambling. He thinks one more big score will help him quit, but he
needs a thousand dollars and bets ace gambler Sky Masterson (Dane Stokinger)
that Sky can’t get a Salvation Army "doll," Sarah Brown (Mallory
King) to go to dinner with Sky.
More than a dozen gamblers try to avoid getting arrested by
Lt. Brannigan (Charles Leggett), while being begged to save their souls
by Salvation Army missionaries Arvide Bernathy (Allen Fitzpatrick) and
General Cartwright (Bobbi Kotula). There are musical interludes from
Miss Adelaide’s Hotbox girls, to add humor and demonstrate Adelaide’s job.
A dedicated ensemble of players fills out the sturdy cast. A
bit of gender-bending is a modern twist to casting that adds flavor.
The “sin” of gambling is played mostly for laughs and it’s
set in old-timey New York so it’s also removed in time. The religious side is also
on the light side, but perhaps the timing is right to consider this a nod to
the Christmas season, as the show goes into December in Issaquah and moves up
to Everett in January.
The whole family can enjoy this classic and it’s a great one
to introduce kids to if you want them to love musicals the way you do. Also, if
you like to gift “experiences” instead of things, this is a great idea for a
favorite relative or friend’s stocking stuffer!
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