Scottsdale Community Players' Guys & Dolls at Stagebrush Theatre
(out of 
)Mark S.P. Turvin
(home office) (602) 912-0117
I can be reached for comment via e-mail at: mspt@goldfishpublishers.com
Reviewed 1/28/00
(out of )Some musicals became so ingrained in the American Musical Theatre psyche, they overstayed their welcome. First, they had eternal runs on Broadway, then they were toured to death. Later, they were a staple of semi-professional and community theatres, and finally became the exclusive domain of Youth Theatres. Now, they rarely see the light of day, and that's a shame. Perhaps things have come full circle, though, as it's been awhile since Frank Loesser's incorrigible musical fable of Broadway, Guys & Dolls has trotted the boards in the valley.
Leave it to Stagebrush Theatre's Scottsdale Community Players to show us what we've been missing. Every character's a pip. Every song's easily recognized. And the well-worn path from Nathan Detroit's Permanent Floating Crap Game to Mindy's Diner and from Havana to Sarah Brown's Mission is a treat to stroll again. This is made all the more true in T.J. Weltzien's earnest reproduction and in the capable hands of D. Scott Withers, Kristen Drathman, Ross Collins and Kathi Osborne. This may not be a perfect production, but it takes a lot to make this show unwatchable, and cast, crew and designers haven't strayed anywhere near that mark.
Mr. Weltzien and Choreographer Bruce Nelson have done a good job of setting this over two-and-a-half hour long production on its feet and moving it hilariously forward. Mr. Weltzien has included some ambient action behind the main scenes to add flavor to the piece. These are occasionally distracting, most noticeably during the Havana sequence, when the players at the front are overwhelmed by the strolling couples and dancers added for effect. Despite this, he has wisely allowed the humor of the production to drive the pacing and presentation, never allowing the audience to grow bored or confused. Mr. Nelson's choreography contains no surprises, but who needs surprises from a bunch of dancing hooligans and other denizens of the seamy underside?
As virtuous Salvation Army Sergeant Sarah Brown, Ms. Drathman is an almost overwhelmingly imposing figure, but balances it with a wonderful voice and loads of earnest innocence. Her presentation of "If I Were a Bell" exemplifies this, when she comically bowls over suitor Sky Masterson, but undeniably gives a great vocal and acting presentation. Mr. Wither's Sky forgoes the rough edge of his gambler character, choosing suave as his focus, and surprisingly succeeds for this choice, as seen in his presentation of "My Time of Day." Mr. Collins is fighting the flu that everyone has, but you can't tell when he's hamming up his Nathan. Some of his impromptu asides can grow tedious, and seem more like Ross than Nathan, but when he's hilariously-but-honestly offering his heart to eternal fiancé Adelaide in "Sue Me," all is forgiven. As the thick-accented nightclub singer, Ms. Osborne maybe pushing the 14-year engagement envelope a tad far, but no one can fault her in this role when she sings her lament and schemes for marital changes to future hubby with the sly "Marry the Man Today."
The ensemble is on par with the principles, lead by the perfect presentation of gangster cut-up Nicely-Nicely Johnson from Jeremie McCubbin. When he, Dion Johnson and Nicholas S. Cartell present the hilarious "Fugue for Tinhorns," they establish the show wonderfully. Mr. McCubbin shines brightest, though, from his silly observations to the rousing "Sit Down, You're Rockin' The Boat."
Technically, the show is better in concept than execution. In a further blurring of the lines of the top two Community Theatres in town, Theater Works' Artistic Director Gregory Jaye has aided Mr. Weltzien in Set Design. As sometimes happens on Mr. Jaye's endeavors, the idea is spectacular, presenting a city street with storefronts that slide out to reveal their interiors. Unfortunately, this set demands a lot of WD-40 and smoother transitions, causing some jarring stoppages, loud squeaking and even a broken set piece opening night. Michael J. Eddy's lighting fares much better, from sultry Havana night to murky depths of a Broadway sewer. Timothy C. Slope's costumes work very well, although the oft-mentioned checkered suits are in short supply. David Temby's Sound Design is solid, though the mikes seemed to be intermittent at best. Musical Director Alan J. Plado has done a commendable job with his offstage orchestra.
It's often nice to take a stroll down memory lane, and even better when that stroll is well-presented and full of life, as this production is. While I hope this doesn't mean that every company will add Guys & Dolls back into its yearly repertoire, there's no denying that it's great to be reminded of why it played itself to death in the first place.
Production Details:
Guys & Dolls Based on a
story and characters by Damon Runyon Music and Lyrics by
Frank Loesser, Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows
Scottsdale Community
Players
Stagebrush Theatre, Scottsdale
(480) 990-7405
January 28th - February 20th, 2000