Since I no longer work full time in the radio industry, I no longer have the privilege of attending and reviewing live theatre events on an ongoing basis as I did in the past, so nowadays it is a hit and miss proposition for me. But when I do attend I feel the need to wear my reviewer's hat as in days of old and give my take on a particular theatre or music event.
Such was the case last weekend as my far better half and I travelled to Stratford for an overnight stay at our favourite B&B and catch a couple of rush seats for the big musical this season, Guys and Dolls.
First off, let me say rush seats are not what they used to be. I know we are supporting the arts and all that, but there didn't appear to be much of a rush for rush seats for the Sunday afternoon performance, from what I could see. Even at that, the theatre was just over 65 per cent full at showtime, from my best guess.
It is interesting to note we attended both festivals this past month, the Shaw and Stratford Festivals, each time catching their big musical for the season. Maybe it is just me, but with the acrimonious atmosphere we appear to be living in today as far as the world is concerned, something light and escapist seemed to fit the bill just fine, thanks.
While I don't mean to pit both major festivals against each other here, it is hard not to draw comparisons between the two big musicals being offered this season. While the Shaw Festival revived a nicely updated version of a 1937 musical poking fun at the British aristocracy, the Stratford Festival decided to bank on a tried-and-true Broadway classic by Frank Loesser, Guys and Dolls, harkening back to the 1940s when New York City was a hotbed of gamblers, gangsters and particularly unsavoury characters.
Described as a "musical fable of Broadway", Guys and Dolls dates from 1950 and is based on a story and colourful characters dreamed up by the one and only Damon Runyon. Music and lyrics are by Frank Loesser with a book by Jo Sterling and Abe Burrows.
The story is well-known by now: a bunch of gangers and gamblers are trying to stay one step ahead of the law as they try to find new and creative places to hold their all-night crap games, wagering whatever and whenever they can. Into this less-than-ideal atmosphere march the local unit of the Salvation Army, trying to save souls from the evils of gambling and such.
The Sally Ann brigade is led by a winsome young lady named Sarah Brown, played with great charm here by Alexis Gordon. Somewhat naive and of good moral character, she cannot see the forest for the trees at times as she and her band of dedicated soul-savers work tirelessly on a thankless task.
Sarah meets up with the sorry lot of gamblers and finds herself strangely attracted to Sky Masterson, one of the gambling kingpins who wagers a bet he can whisk her off to Cuba for a quick dinner getaway. She accepts and gets more than she bargains for when the drinks take effect. So, too does Sky, played nicely by Evan Buliung, who falls hard for Sarah and starts thinking maybe it's time to turn over a new leaf.
Into this mix of good and not-so-good characters add Sean Arbuckle's convincing take on Nathan Detroit and his long suffering girlfriend cum fiancee Miss Adelaide, played with great style and sexiness by Blythe Wilson. Nathan gets roped into marrying showgirl Miss Adelaide after stalling for fourteen long years in order to help secure a gambling spot for the guys.
Supporting cast members that stand out are numerous in this first-rate cast, including Steve Ross' snack-eating Nicely-Nicely Johnson and Mark Uhre's ultra athletic Benny Southstreet.
But as good as this cast is, and they are collectively very, very good, the real star of the show is director and choreographer Donna Feore, who just seems to go from strength to strength at Stratford, proving to be the director/choreographer of choice now for the ultra-important big-scale musical on the Festival Theatre's thrust stage.
Her work here is simply breathtaking, with many moments when you sit watching the cast and wonder just how they do what they do without colliding on stage. She's that good. Feore has the cast to back up her ambitious steps, of course, but her vision is what drives this show from start to finish.
Sure, the storyline is somewhat dated to be sure, and gender equality is not really part of the mix here. But you check your logic at the door here as you do with Shaw's slick Me and My Girl and just enjoy the show. There simply is no better way to spend a fall afternoon at either festival than to catch either musical before they close.
The run for Guys and Dolls has been extended to November 5th as have several other shows at Stratford this season, so you still have plenty of time to see the show before it closes. For this fan of great musicals, Guys and Dolls rates a solid 3 out of 4 stars.
For tickets and more information, call the box office or go to www.stratfordfestival.ca.
Next week, more on our trips to Stratford this season and things to see outside of the theatre at any season.
Have a great weekend!
October 14th, 2017.
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