Written by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows based on story by Damon Runyon Music and lyrics by Frank Loesser. At: Light Opera Works at Cahn Auditorium, 600 Emerson St., Evanston. Tickets: 847-920-5360 www.LightOperaWorks.com; $34-94 ( ages 21 and younger half price ). Runs through: Jan. 3
Guys and Dolls has been a musical-theater mainstay for 65 years, thanks to a simple plot, lovably flawed characters and songs that broke into the mainstream like "Luck Be a Lady" and "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat." Although the show feels a bit dated, specifically in its views on "men and women," it remains a terrific introduction to Broadway-caliber musical theatre for children and therefore a great pick for Light Opera Works holiday season production.
Light Opera Works has mounted finer productions than Guys and Dolls, and not just in the complexity of its show choices. The company's production values, namely the set pieces, tend to be higher and the finished products a little more crisp, but Guys and Dolls opts to be simple and relies on its cast to transport the audience to gangster-era Manhattan—and their effort is superb even they ultimately cannot shoulder that burden.
Light Opera Works' hallmark of casting strong, classical vocal talent does not waver, at least with the show's big four of Sarah Brown ( Elizabeth Telford ), Sky Masterson ( Justin Adair ), Nathan Detroit ( Steve Silver ) and Adelaide ( Sarah Larson ). Telford and Adair are terrific together and separately as the optimistic mission sergeant and the gambler who makes the toughest bet of his life. Their powerful vocals are this production's highlight and beautifully intertwine in "I'll Know" and "I've Never Been in Love Before." Given how difficult Sarah Brown is to play as a high soprano asked to perform some jazz/swing numbers and move from morally uptight to passionate and free, Telford finds the sweet spot vocally and with the character.
Sarah Larson also gives Adelaide a nicely controlled personality as opposed to overplaying the whiny voice and shtick of the perpetually ill nightclub singer awaiting marriage to Nathan Detroit, who Steve Silver makes easy to despise and love, as he should be. In general, the acting here is not a far second to the vocal ability, as is sometimes the case in Light Opera Works' productions.
But even with the talent in the right places, the bigger picture of the production isn't as transporting as perhaps it should be given its reputation as a crowd-pleaser. The painted backdrops and lack of polish in the dancing and even in some cases, the orchestra, keep the charms of this musical from completely washing over the audience. Many of the jokes don't land as they should ( or once did ).
Perhaps Guys and Dolls has become a bit cookie-cutter and dated in 2015, and that productions of it these days need to take more risks if they're going to resonate rather than simply pacify the audience. Light Opera Works gets the core pieces of the show right and taps into the magic of the timeless music, but for audiences beyond families and nostalgia-seekers, there's no need to roll the dice before this one closes Jan. 3.
