Review: Bet On A Great Time at GUYS AND DOLLS at the Stratford Festival
Festival Theatre audiences last saw GUYS AND DOLLS in 2017. Like this current production, 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 the two. 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.
