Guys and Dolls on Broadway
I had the pleasure of attending a Broadway performance of Guys and Dolls on April 16, 2009 in New York City. It was an incredible experience, although as a theater enthusiast, I may be slightly biased. However, as I have learned more about the processes and work required to put on a play, I feel as though my appreciation of theater, especially of this caliber, increases with each play I see.
Guys and Dolls is a fun musical set in 1930s’ New York City in the 1930s and is about gamblers, strippers, lying, and love, featuring hit numbers such as “Luck Be a Lady Tonight” and “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat.” It was particularly fun to listen all the references to New York, since we had been getting to know the city for the past few days; for example, every time a character mentioned the subway or there was a sound cue of a rumbling train, I laughed and remembered taking the wrong train and getting lost earlier that day. My mom originally chose this play, instead of the dozens of other Broadway shows, because of the fact that Lauren Graham, star of the television show Gilmore Girls, was performing as Miss Adelaide, a leading role. As both my mom and I are huge fans of Graham and Gilmore Girls, this was the cherry on our Broadway sundae. However, luck was not a lady for us because that night, Graham’s understudy stepped up to play the role. Although we were disappointed, we only remained so until the show started; the understudy, Lorin Latarro, graduated from Juliard. On Broadway, even the actor with the smallest part is largely talented.
The performances were without fault—the dancing in particular was impeccable—although, on Broadway, I would not expect anything less. As I said before, even the ensemble embodied their characters and hit every note. I have noticed that once the acting performances are at such a high level, the audience no longer has to evaluate or critique the performances and can instead lose themselves in the story. Although, since I have become intimate with the other production aspects of a play, I instead began to pay attention to things like lighting, sound, and costumes.
Most of what you pay for when seeing a Broadway show does not go to the actors—they are called starving artists for a reason—but to the technical aspects. The lighting on Guys and Dolls was exciting and vibrant; the stage utilized giant neon signs to represent Broadway and a moving background on a cyclorama screen in the back. I was also especially impressed by the sound, which included a full orchestra on stage behind the screen. In one scene, a group of dancing mobsters are playing in a craps game, but no dice are rolled; the effect of dice is portrayed all through the actors’ physicality and a sound cues. The timing of the entire effect or music, dancing, and sound had me forgetting that the dice were not there. I wanted to high-five the stage manager calling the cues so precisely that I was believing without seeing. Another cool effect was a surround-sound plane taking, a combination of a moving image on the screen and a moving roar overhead.
Guys and Dolls was a memorable example of why I will always get dolled up to go see plays. The enjoyment experienced and quality of the performance are why people are continually willing to shell out hundreds of dollars to see plays in a time when disposable income is hard to obtain. I loved Guys and Dolls and I hope I have the opportunity to see many more shows like it.
- Photo by Xiaming / Used with Permission
- Photo by / Used with Permission
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Sounds like a great play! Do you know if it is coming to San Francisco anytime soon?
I actually played Sky Masterson when I performed this show. It was one of my more enjoyable acting experiences.