Review: Bet On A Great Time at GUYS AND DOLLS at the Stratford Festival
Dazzling Choreography and a Spectacular Cast make GUYS AND DOLLS an instant hit!
Festival Theatre audiences last saw GUYS AND DOLLS in 2017. That production was also Directed and Choreographed by Donna Feore. Audience members who had the opportunity to see the previous production will undoubtedly notice delightful similarities between that production and this one. There are some familiar costumes and set pieces, the (magnificent) opening Runyonland number feels almost identical, and there are a few familiar faces on stage from back in 2017 as well. It’s clear Feore was unafraid to lean into the familiar in an ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ sort of way, but this current production still feels like a fresh new take on the classic show. It’s always so wonderful to see Feore reinvent a show for the Festival Theatre stage. This time, we get to see her tackle a show she has done before through new eyes, with a (mostly) new cast of leads. The result is a boisterously fun night at the theatre.
With Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser and Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, GUYS AND DOLLS is a Musical Theatre classic. Set in Manhattan in 1949, this musical presents a comical intersection of gamblers, showgirls, and missionaries with the commonality between them all being love. Long time couple Nathan Detroit (Mark Uhre) and Miss Adelaide (Jennifer Rider-Shaw) comedically negotiate their future nuptials while Nathan is simultaneously trying to find a place to run an illegal crap game. High roller and life long bachelor, Sky Masterson (Dan Chameroy) finds himself falling for Sergeant Sarah Brown (Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane) of the Save-A-Soul-Mission after agreeing to court her as part of a bet with Nathan. Surprisingly, (especially to her) strait-laced Sarah finds herself returning his affection. Crap games, night club performances, sinner testimonials, and a lively trip to Havana ensue, allowing many an opportunity for song, dance, comedy, and love stories to grace the stage.
Two couples take centre stage in GUYS AND DOLLS and all four leads ooze likeability and charisma.
Jennifer Rider-Shaw provides nothing short of a musical theatre masterclass as Miss Adelaide. I’m not exaggerating when I say that this might be my favourite performance I have ever seen on this stage. Her comedic timing is stellar, her powerhouse vocals and dance skills are on full display, and what I might love the most, are the moments of vulnerability we see in the character that immediately have the audience on her side. This is a perfectly crafted portrayal of a beloved Broadway character. The way Rider-Shaw commands the stage in Adelaide's Lament will be remembered far beyond this season.
As Adelaide’s long time fiancé Nathan Detroit, Mark Uhre is excellent. The plight of poor Nathan desperately seeking a place to run his crap game whilst also anxiously avoiding marital commitment is hilarious to watch from start to finish. Uhre has great chemistry with everyone he interacts with and as always, sounds fantastic. Uhre was in the 2017 production as Benny Southstreet and it’s fun seeing him now take on a new role.
Speaking of 2017 Stratford productions, this is not the first time Uhre and Rider-Shaw have portrayed squabbling lovebirds onstage. The two starred opposite each other in HMS PINAFORE and although these two shows and their performances in them could not be more different, the talent and chemistry remains delightful and undeniable.
Festival favourite Dan Chameroy brings the necessary suave confidence to seasoned gambler and womanizer Sky Masterson. He plays well off of Uhre and has great chemistry with Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane as Sarah. The sequence in Havana in which Sky orders Sarah an alcoholic beverage without her knowledge is (rightly) tricky to portray tonally in this day and age. It works here because of the immediate concern and protectiveness Chameroy’s Sky displays once he realizes the innocent Sarah is a bit of a lightweight.
Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane brings layers to prim and proper Sarah Brown. She takes great care to give depth and complexity to a character who could otherwise be seen as two dimensional. I remarked to my viewing partner after the show that it feels like every time I see production of GUYS AND DOLLS, the vocal style of the actress portraying Sarah is different. I’ve heard it performed primarily in a legit soprano, in a crystal clear bell tone, and now, Brisbane-Sinclair brings us a 'beltier' Sarah.. I do wonder if audiences might be surprised by this choice, but as someone who always appreciates a new take on vocal performance, I found it to be intriguing. She has a lovely tone, and blends well with both Dan Chameroy and Jennifer Rider-Shaw in her duets.
Steve Ross is the one performer who is reprising the principal role he played in the 2017 production of GUYS AND DOLLS. He was such a beloved and memorable Nicely Nicely Johnson back in 2017 - as evidenced by the entrance applause he received on Opening Night. Audiences know they are in for an impressive performance and he does not disappoint.
Gabriel Antonacci’s Benny Southstreet is the perfect comedic partner to Ross. The two have superb physical comedy skills and their duet of the titular number earns raucous applause.
I would now like to take a moment to celebrate the talents of Devon Michael Brown, who plays Rusty Charlie in this production. Brown quite literally sprang onto the Stratford scene when he made his Festival debut in the 2017 production of GUYS AND DOLLS. His acrobatic feats as an ensemble member have been the talk of the town ever since. He has not only returned to the GUYS AND DOLLS ensemble in top form, but is now doing even more. It was great to see him in the Fugue for Tinhorns with Ross and Antonacci, and I could be wrong, but I feel like we get even more back handsprings, back layouts, and pirouettes in the Crapshooters Ballet than we did last time!
Speaking of the Crapshooter’s Ballet number – Feores choreography phenomenal in 2017 and this time around, I can confirm the ante has been upped. The entire ensemble of this production has otherworldly and quite frankly, unparalleled athleticism. And this time, Stratford newcomer Wade Pierre Buller is here to contribute some impressive flips as well!
As always, the orchestra, conducted by Franklin Brasz is in top form, providing us with the iconic music we know and love.
This production of GUYS AND DOLLS is sure to be a hit this season and is one of those shows you can see again and again!
GUYS AND DOLLS continues in repertory at the FESTIVAL THEATRE until November 1st.
PHOTO CREDIT: David Hou
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