Guys and Dolls. Based on a story and characters by Damon Runyon. Music and Lyrics by FrankLoesser. Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. Directed by Jude Colquhoun . Musical direction by Jenna Hinton. Vocal director Emma White. Choreography by Belinda Hassall. Queanbeyan Players. The Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre. Until November 12. theq.net.au or 62856290.
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The enduring popularity of Guys and Dolls is testament to the quirky, slippery and sly characters of Damon Runyon's short stories. Likeable rogues, Nathan Detroit (Anthony Swadling), Nicely Nicely Johnson (Ben Wilson), Benny Southwest (Tristan Foon) and smooth operator, Sky Masterson (Steve Galenic) are among the gangsters and the hustlers who run their illegal crap games in the back
blocks off Broadway. Hot on their trail is the long arm of the law, Lieutenant Brannigan (Paul Jackson) and into this motley mix Runyon introduces Detroit's 14-year-long fiancée, Miss Adelaide (Tina Robinson) and Sister Sarah Brown (Kirsty McGarry)of the Save A Soul Mission. Theplot thickens when Masterson accepts Detroit's bet to whisk the pious and proper Sarah off to Havana, and Miss Adelaide keeps up her persistent attempts to lead Detroit to the altar. It's a recipe for a romantic comedy on the rocky road to a happy ending.Queanbeyan Players' production of Frank Loesser's musical grew on me as the evening progressed
The slick, sharp and sassy edge of the scheisters was missing. McGarry's high notes strained at times and Galenic's Masterson, while vocally strong, never achieved the cool charm of the seducer. A snappier styled costume might have helped to capture the charm offensive.
Quibbles aside, there is much to commend in this easy to watch staging of Guys and Dolls. It is refreshing to see the orchestra under Jenna Hinton's musical direction placed at the back of the stage in the tradition of the Big Band concerts of the 1940s. Director Jude Colquhoun with the assistance of Jenny Norberry's carefully designed and colourful costumes has imbued the production with a sense of period and some inventive moments of business. Belinda Hassall's choreography takes into account the non-professional nature of Queanbeyan Players' cast and achieves effectiveness in the stylish Hot Box Debutante number Take Back Your Mink and the crap shooters' opening routine to Luck Be A Lady. The performance of the night goes to Robinson's funny, frustrated and long suffering Miss Adelaide.
Comedy and pathos combine in Adelaide's Lament to voice the pre-Germaine Greer expectations of the time. In a moving, gentle rendition of More I Cannot Wish You, Rob Grice's elderly missionary, Arvide Abernathy, wishes true love for Sarah Brown. It is the ultimate gift – with marriage as its desired consequence for every doll in love with her guy.
Queanbeyan Players' community production of Guys and Dolls didn't quite rock the boat on opening night. I'm willing to wager that with a little more confident pizzazz, this enthusiastic company could roll the dice and come up with a show that is swinging with all its bells ringing
