The sets get a thumbs down from this reviewer, but everything else about the latest from Musical Theatre West is standing-ovation-worthy as a supremely talented cast, choreographer, and director make Frank Loesser’s seven-decade-old classic Guys And Dolls feel fresh and new down Long Beach way.

Based on a story and characters created by Damon Runyon and adapted for the musical stage by songwriter Loesser and book writers Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling, Guys And Dolls brings to infectious musical life the Fellas & Gals of a post-WWII Times Square.

 There’s high-rolling gambler Sky Masterson (Jeremiah James), who wagers he can convince virginal Save-A-Soul Mission “Doll” Sarah Brown (Madison Claire Parks) to join him on an overnighter to Havana.

There’s feckless but lovable gambler Nathan Detroit (Matthew Henerson), ever on the lookout for a new venue for the “oldest established permanent floating crap game in New York.”

 And there’s Miss Adelaide (Bree Murphy), headline dancer at the Hot Box Nightclub, whose engagement to Nathan has been going on for so long (fourteen years and counting) that it has caused the frustrated fiancée quite possibly the lengthiest psychosomatic cold on record.

Will Sky be able to persuade Sarah to fly with him to Cuba? Will Nathan take advantage of the couple’s absence to hold tonight’s crap game inside the Save-A-Soul mission? Will Miss Adelaide convince Nathan to marry her and in so doing, finally get over her cold? Will Sarah find out Sky’s real name?

There’s hardly a musical theater aficionado who doesn’t know the answers to these questions, and even those who’ve never seen Guys And Dolls can probably win their own bet by correctly guessing the answers.

 The pleasures in Guys And Dolls are not so much plot-related as in the memorable characters that Runyon created and that performers have relished bringing to life for the past sixty-eight years, that and song standards like “Luck Be A Lady,” “Sit Down You’re Rockin’ The Boat,” “I’ll Know,” and “I’ve Never Been In Love Before.”

As for the justly famed show-opening “Runyonland,” the production number not only sets the New York City street scene and introduces Guys And Dolls’ lead characters but lets the MTW audience know that with Daniel Smith choreographing, this is going to be one of the most thrillingly dancy Guys And Dolls ever.

East Coast visitor Mark Martino helm the production with abundant flair while fulfilling the proverbial 90% of a director’s job by casting performers born to play their roles (and in some cases reinvent them).

 Leading man James does L.A.’s Hamilton High School proud as Sky, combining classic leading man looks and charm and a glorious baritone opposite MTW favorite (and The Fantasticks Off-Broadway star) Parks, once again revealing quite possibly the most exquisite soprano in the biz, beauty and acting chops to match, and oodles of chemistry with Sarah’s ever so handsome Sky.

 Murphy’s deliciously Boop-Oop-a-Doopy Adelaide is backed by sizzling Hot Box Girls Judy Fernandez, Veronica Gutierrez, Katie Marshall, Veronica Musselman, Isabella Olivas, and Alissa Wilsey, and Henerson is everything you want the ever conniving but irresistibly lovable Nathan Detroit to be.

 Andrew Metzger’s Nicely-Nicely is as wonderfully wacky as he is a scene-stealing charmer opposite Blake Joseph’s Benny Southsteet and Bobby Underwood’s Rusty Charlie, both pitch-perfectly Runyonesque.

Great big Phil Nieto’s great Big Julie is matched by partner-in-organized-crime Ted Barton’s Harry the Horse, Fred Bishop’s Arvide Abernathy sings a lovely “More I Cannot Wish You,” Kenny Landmon is an NYPD-ready Lt. Branningan, and I’ll wager you’ve never seen a Save-A-Soul Mission director steal the show quite like Janna Cardia’s hot-for-Sky General Matilda B. Cartwright.

 Triple-threats extraordinaires Joven Calloway (Liver Lips Louie), Danil Chernyy (MC, Moscow Mickey), Brandon Taylor James (Brandy Bottle Bates), Joe Komara (Society Max), dance captain Tanner Rampton (The Greek), Darren Shin (Scranton Slim), and Michael Stumpfig (Angie The Ox) sing and dance their tushes off, with Helen Planchet (Agatha), Ali Swift (Martha), and Jonathan Murietta (Calvin) completing the all-around splendiferous cast.

Vocals and the MTW pit orchestra sound sensational under Benet Braun’s expert musical direction, with Audio Production Geeks LLC once again providing a pitch-perfect sound design.

Hundreds of iridescent-hued 1940s costumes bring Damon Runyon’s NYC to vibrant life under Paul Black’s vivid lighting design, which does its best to make the production’s rented sets look as good as they do. Still, as was the case in the 2015 non-Equity tour for which they were created, Randel Wright’s scenic designs are mostly cheap-looking scrims with a bizarre arrow motif that I didn’t get then and still don’t.

Michon Gruber-Gonzales (wig design), Tamara Becker (costume design), and Marcie Baker (properties) merit snaps as do Kevin Clowes (technical director), Shawn Pryby (stage manager), Mary Ritenhour (assistant stage manager, company manager), and Matt Terzigni (production manager). Sets are provided by The Music & Theatre Company, San Diego. Costumes are provided by Theatre Company, Upland.

Give Musical Theatre West’s Guys And Dolls the Broadway-caliber scenic design it deserves and I’d give it an unqualified rave. As is, it’s still just about as perfect as any G&D lover could wish for.

Musical Theatre West, Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center, 6200 Atherton St., Long Beach.
www.musical.org

–Steven Stanley
February 17, 2018
Photos: Caught In The Moment Photography

Tags: Damon runyon, Frank Loesser, Los Angeles Theater Review, Musical Theatre West