By Deidra O’Brien.
Sit down and get ready, they’re rockin’ the boat! A veritable classic of Broadway’s Golden Age, Guys and Dolls, written by Damon Runyon, opened at Theatre Three September 17th. Jeffrey Sanzel directs this production in Port Jefferson, which will run through October 22nd.
Comfortably nestled as a gem in Broadway’s crown, Guys and Dolls first premiered in 1950, ran for 1,200 performances, garnered a Tony for best musical, and was repolished for several major revivals. The hit takes us down New York City’s gambler-ladden streets, where the pious Sarah Brown (Rachel Greenblatt) seeks to scrub the the city clean of sin through the Save-a-Soul Mission. Through her efforts, the stories of Sky Masterson (Kevin Shaw), Nathan Detroit (Steven Uihlein), and Miss Adelaide (Sari Feldman) converge. The result is the unlikely combination of two gamblers who just can’t walk away from the game, a dancer who longs to marry one of them, and a missionary who wants to save them all.
Before any actors have a chance to sing a note or shimmy a shoulder, the band commands the theatre with “Runyonland” and continues to delight throughout the show. The cast gives a formidable performance which hits its high notes in the second act. The company dazzles in “The Crap Game Dance” and “Luck Be a Lady,” where Ryan Nolin’s choreography adds a palpable layer of enjoyment of the experience. Earning chuckles throughout, Finn MacDevitt as Nicely-Nicely Johnson delivers an explosive and magnetic performance with the company of “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat.” A personal favorite highlight is Sari Feldman, who does a beautiful job of portraying Miss Adelaide with the dimension the characters deserves; she is funny, and she is strong as she yanks at hearts to invest ourselves in the character. By the end of show, I was smiling warmly.
Overall, Guys and Dolls is a vintage classic, though a bit démodé. The theatre has accomplished it’s mission—transporting the audience out of daily life and deep into a story, albeit, an old one. If you want to journey into the past glory of Broadway for a light story of love, you will enjoy this show.
Running time is approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes with one 15 minute intermission.
Guys and Dolls is playing at Theatre Three in Port Jefferson until October 22nd. For directions and tickets click here.