Messing, Wilson, Hathaway, Reilly to be 'Guys and Dolls?'

The New York Post's Michael Riedel reports that a star-studded cast is being sought for the upcoming Broadway revival of the Frank Loesser musical classic Guys and Dolls.

"Producers for the upcoming Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls are pursuing Debra Messing (Adelaide), Patrick Wilson (Sky), Anne Hathaway (Sarah) and possibly John C. Reilly (Nathan). Sources say there's a 50-50 chance that cast will be locked up for a spring opening of the musical, which will be directed by Michael Grandage (Frost/Nixon)," he writes.

The Guys and Dolls West End revival, after a hit run of almost two years, closed at London's Piccadilly Theatre on April 14th. The show opened in London on June 1st, 2005, with a lustrous cast playing in lead roles--Ewan McGregor (as Sky Masterson), Jane Krakowski (as Miss Adelaide), Jenna Russell (as Sarah Brown) and Douglas Hodge (as Nathan Detroit). Directed by Michael Grandage and choreographed by Tony Award-winner Rob Ashford (who also recently reunited for the hit London Evita revival), the production was a somewhat grittier interpretation of the classic musical, which is set in a New York world of gamblers, gangsters, chorus girls and Sarah Brown, a Salvation Army girl who wants to reform all of them. Of course, Sarah also falls in love with gambler Sky Masterson. 

Patrick Swayze, Neil Morrissey, Sarah Lancashire, Claire Sweeney, and Nigel Harman were among other stars who have filled the show's lead roles during its West End run.

Guys and Dolls opened on Broadway at the 46th Street Theatre on November 24th, 1950 and won the 1951 Tony Award for Best Musical. Running for 1,200 performances, it featured Robert Alda, Vivian Blaine, Isabel Bigley and Sam Levene as its leads. Based on the stories of Damon Runyon, Guys and Dolls features a score by Loesser and a book by Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling. There have been 3 Broadway revivals, and a 1955 film starred Marlon BrandoMarlon BrandoMarlon Brando, Blaine, Frank SinatraFrank SinatraFrank Sinatra and Jean Simmons.

Photo of Anne Hathaway by Retna Ltd.