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Guys and Dolls
Jun. 15th, 2009 12:27 amWhen it comes to classic musicals, it's hard to get any more classic than Guys and Dolls, a Broadway romp set in the Roaring Forties in New York City itself. So when I heard about a production in Sydney, starring some of Australia's favourite talents, there was no question I had to go.
I'd only ever listened to the songs before, so I only had a thin knowledge of the plot. (A gambler tries to woo a missionary to win a bet? Or something like that.) I was pleased to discover the plot was a clever tapestry of interlinked storylines bouncing off each other, in the tradition of the best screwball comedies. Nathan Detroit (Garry McDonald) needs a venue for his floating craps game, Miss Adelaide (Marina Prior) needs to convince Nathan to propose to her, Sarah Brown (Lisa McCune) needs to save her mission from being closed down, Sky Masterson (Ian Stenlake) needs to persuade Sarah to have dinner with him to win a bet, and Lieutenant Brannigan (Bert LaBonte) needs to catch Nathan red-handed and arrest him. All of this in glorious song and dance.
I was impressed with the vocal talent all around, some of them being actors I had never heard sing. (And Magda Szubanski, who alas did not get to sing, was nonetheless a hoot as Big Jule.) Unfortunately, the title song, 'Guys and Dolls', which should have been a showstopper, failed to reach those heights due to the singers not being able to top the orchestra. But everything else was more than satisfactory. My personal highlights were 'Luck, Be A Lady Tonight' and 'Sit Down, You're Rocking The Boat'. And there is something very appealing about men in three-piece suits and fedora hats dancing across the stage in sync. Good times all round.
(Postscript: The Capitol Theatre is a lovely venue, but the stage is very small, and after seeing how far back and high up the seating extended, I was glad we were in the front row.)
(Postscript the Second: While googling one of the cast members, I have discovered that there was a Eureka! The Musical. Damn, why did I not know about this?)
I'd only ever listened to the songs before, so I only had a thin knowledge of the plot. (A gambler tries to woo a missionary to win a bet? Or something like that.) I was pleased to discover the plot was a clever tapestry of interlinked storylines bouncing off each other, in the tradition of the best screwball comedies. Nathan Detroit (Garry McDonald) needs a venue for his floating craps game, Miss Adelaide (Marina Prior) needs to convince Nathan to propose to her, Sarah Brown (Lisa McCune) needs to save her mission from being closed down, Sky Masterson (Ian Stenlake) needs to persuade Sarah to have dinner with him to win a bet, and Lieutenant Brannigan (Bert LaBonte) needs to catch Nathan red-handed and arrest him. All of this in glorious song and dance.
I was impressed with the vocal talent all around, some of them being actors I had never heard sing. (And Magda Szubanski, who alas did not get to sing, was nonetheless a hoot as Big Jule.) Unfortunately, the title song, 'Guys and Dolls', which should have been a showstopper, failed to reach those heights due to the singers not being able to top the orchestra. But everything else was more than satisfactory. My personal highlights were 'Luck, Be A Lady Tonight' and 'Sit Down, You're Rocking The Boat'. And there is something very appealing about men in three-piece suits and fedora hats dancing across the stage in sync. Good times all round.
(Postscript: The Capitol Theatre is a lovely venue, but the stage is very small, and after seeing how far back and high up the seating extended, I was glad we were in the front row.)
(Postscript the Second: While googling one of the cast members, I have discovered that there was a Eureka! The Musical. Damn, why did I not know about this?)
