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Regional Reviews: Phoenix Guys and Dolls Also see Gil's reviews of Fiddler on the Roof, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and Cooking with the Calamari Sisters
Featuring many classic showtunes that became standards, including "Luck Be a Lady," "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat," "If I Were a Bell," and the title song, the show is based on the short stories of Damon Runyon, with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and a book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It focuses on gamblers Sky Masterson and Nathan Detroit who make a $1,000 bet on whether or not Sky can get a girl, chosen by Nathan, to go to dinner with him. That simple bet sets in motion a series of events that finds Sky falling for the missionary Sarah Brown, the woman Nathan picked in the bet, and Nathan's long suffering fiancée of 14 years, Adelaide, demanding he leave his gambling life once and for all so they can marry. The show has a well composed book that paints these guys and dolls as characters you root for and director David Hock cast a talented group of individuals who showed they could bring these individuals vibrantly to life. While there were a few small drawbacks in the singing capabilities of some of the cast, the leads all displayed good comic abilities as well as charm and warmth in spades. Matt Newhard and Lauren Koeritzer were excellent as Sky and Sarah. Newhard projected the right balance of a smooth-talking gambling man and a romantic lead, with a beautiful command of the part and expert control of his songs, while Koeritzer was simply superb as Sarah, with a warm, beautiful and stirring singing voice that soared to the rafters. This is the third classic musical in which I've seen Koeritzer play the leading female part in the last 18 months and I can't wait to see what she does next. Alex Gonzalez and Liora Danine played Nathan and Adelaide and they both were fine as this lovable couple. There was only a small issue with some of their humorous moments and songs not quite hitting the heightened comical levels and notes that are required. In smaller parts, Hector Coris and Michael Schauble were comic gems as two of Nathan's gambling partners, with their expressive moves and facial gestures expertly played to deliver big laughs. Coris also brought the house down with his lead vocals in "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat." As Sarah's grandfather, Bill Diekmann was full of warmth and a simply lovable nature. The combination of Hock's skilled direction and the rousing choreography by Bill Hotaling created some exceptional stage images. The sets and costumes were rentals but full of color and creativity with several large impressive drops. My only quibble is that the drops had numerous wrinkles in them which detracted somewhat from their beauty. Hopefully in the future Hock and his creative team can find a way, if using these large rental items, to have them delivered or hung to avoid this slight drawback. SMTC prides themselves on always providing a large, live orchestra accompaniment for their productions; for this show, skilled music director Curtis Moeller and conductor Kevin Hayward achieved some superb sounds from the large cast and 18-piece orchestra. Guys and Dolls is a classic, crowd pleasing musical that is chock full of humorous characters and a sublime score. With their latest offering, SMTC proved once again that they know how to present these classic musical comedies with a good cast, solid direction, and their always impressive large orchestra to deliver an exceptional and joyous production. The Scottsdale Musical Theatre Company's production of Guys and Dolls ran from January 5th through January 8th, 2016 with performances at the Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway. You can get information and ticket information on their upcoming productions by visiting www.scottsdalemusicaltheater.com. Tickets can also be ordered by calling 602-909-4215. Based on a story and characters by Damon Runyon Cast |
