Lt. Brannigan, played by David Sitler, questions gambler Benny Southstreet, played by Noah Plomgren.

                                                  by Ed Lieberman

Move over, Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, there’s a new club in town: the Goodspeed Opera House, which is currently hosting the Oldest Established Permanent Floating Crap Game in CT!  Rumor has it that the Goodspeed accepted a bribe from one Nathan Detroit to host the game, which rumor is being investigated by Lt. Brannigan of the Vice Squad, but Nathan and his pal, Sky Masterson, have an iron-clad alibi from an unimpeachable source: Sister Sarah Brown of the Save-a-Soul Mission of East Haddam!

This is part of the plot of Guys and Dolls, one of the most celebrated Broadway musicals of all time. The original production premiered in 1950, with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, a book by Abe Burrows that was based on short stories by famous Broadway chronicler Damon Runyon, choreography by Michael Kidd, and direction by George S. Kaufman, all Broadway icons.  The original production ran for 1200 performances and won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical. It  has been revived several times since, the most successful being a 1992 production that ran for 1,143 performances and won four Tonys, including Best Revival of a Musical.

As mentioned, the show is based upon short stories of Damon Runyon, who wrote about the denizens of a fictional Great White Way, creating a fantasy world of underworld characters who speak a peculiar heightened vernacular and dress with a certain colorful  panache. As described by Director Stephenson, the show is a valentine to a New York “the way you wished it was. . . . No one is going to get shanked. These gangsters are cute and funny.”

For those unfamiliar with the story, the show revolves around a visit to New York by Chicago gambler Big Jule, who came to town specifically to shoot craps in the famous “Oldest Established Permanent Floating Crap Game in New York,” run by Nathan Detroit. Nathan is having trouble finding a venue for the Game because NYPD Lt. Brannigan is on a crusade to close it down. Nathan finally finds a place – the Biltmore Garage -- but Joey Biltmore wants $1,000 up front to cover his risk. Nathan doesn’t have the money, but when his old friend and big roller, Sky Masterson, who is known for betting on anything, comes to town, Nathan sees a way to come up with the earnest money: he bets Sky $1,000 that he can’t take a doll of Nathan’s choice to lunch in Havana, Cuba (oh, for those pre-Castro days!). Sky agrees and Nathan proposes the prim and proper Sister Sarah Brown, who heads up the local branch of the Save-a-Soul Mission.

Tony Roach (Sky Masterson) and Manna Nichols (Sister Sarah)       photos by Cloe Poisson 

The show revolves around Nathan’s attempts to find a place to hold the Game while avoiding the entreaties of his long-suffering fiancé, Adelaide, who is becoming increasingly insistent that they marry (after only  14 years of engagement), and Sky’s attempt to entice Sarah to accompany him to Cuba. This being a musical comedy, you can guess the results!

When it premiered, Guys and Dolls was considered to be one of the first “integrated” shows, meaning that the songs were “integrated” into the story line. This was perhaps more by accident than by design: the original book was written by Jo Swerling (who still gets billing as co-writer of the show), and Frank Loesser wrote fourteen songs for that book. But Mr. Swerling’s book was later jettisoned and Mr. Burrows was called in to write a new book.  As later recounted by Mr. Burrows, his libretto was written to “integrate” with the songs, rather than the other way around. And oh, those songs! Several of them have become Broadway classics, starting with the very first number: “Fugue for Tinhorns,” followed by “A Bushel and a Peck,” “If I Were a Bell,” “I’ve Never Been in Love Before,” ”More I Cannot Wish You,” the iconic “Luck Be a Lady” and “Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat,” among many others.

Of course, in such a show, the casting is all important: the actors must not only be able to act their lines, but to act their songs and dances, as well, and it is here that the Goodspeed has excelled. The cast and crew assembled is outstanding from top to bottom.

Guys And Dolls ( Cloe Poisson / April 9, 2015 ) Miss Adelaide, played by Nancy Anderson, talks with her fiance, Nathan Detroit, played by Mark Price.

 That said,  the show features several standout performances, led by Nancy Anderson, a veteran of several Goodspeed productions, who plays Adelaide, Nathan’s long-suffering fiancé and stripper at the Hot Box night club. Her performance is spot-on, with priceless facial expressions and a comedic delivery that reminded this reviewer of Judy Holliday. Ms. Anderson’s performance is matched with the diminutive Mark Price’s manic Nathan Detroit. Mr. Price is a dynamo, and his duet with Ms. Anderson in “Sue Me” was the highlight of a show that is full of highlights. Manna Nichols, in her Goodspeed debut as Sister Sarah, brings a clear soprano voice that is in keeping with her (initially) austere, spiritual role. It was fun to watch her character unwind as she falls under the thrall of Tony Roach, as Sky Masterson, who, although a bit stiff in role of lover, was more than adequate as the alpha male of the story. Other standouts include Scott Cote, who channels the great Stubby Kaye (even in his appearance) as Nice-Nicely Johnson. He is given the show-stopper, “Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat” and knocks it out of the park. And one shouldn’t overlook the talents of Noah Plomgren (Benny Southstreet), Jordan  Grubb (Rusty Charlie), and Carlos Lopez (Harry the Horse), who set the stage so well in the “Fugue for Tinhorns,” the out-of-town hoods, Paul Aguirre (Angie the Ox) and Jerry Gallagher (a very big Big Jule), and the missionaries, including Karen Murphy, as General Cartwright, and John Jellison, as Arvide, Sarah’s uncle.

As good as the cast is, the show would not be the success it is without the creative team “behind the scenes.” The Goodspeed is a true jewel box of a theater: it has a small stage. To fit a cast of the size required by this show on such a small stage, and to fill that stage with spectacular dance numbers is a monumental task. These are, of course, the responsibilities of Director Don Stephenson (ironically, composer Loesser’s son-in-law) and choreographer Alex Sanchez, who deserves special mention.

Guys And Dolls ( Cloe Poisson / April 9, 2015 ) The crapshooters perform "The Crapshooter's Dance."

The dance numbers in the show ranged from the show-opening ballet “Runyonland,” which, without words, introduced the audience to the sinners of the New York underworld and to the missionaries and police who hope to get them to change their ways; to the comic nightclub numbers,  “Bushel and a Peck” and “Take Back Your Mink,” performed by Adelaide and her talented chorus; to the balletic “Havana;” the athletic and complex “Crapshooter’s Dance” and “Luck Be a Lady,” and finally to the aforementioned show-stopper “Sit Down You’re Rockin‘ the Boat.”

Guys And Dolls ( Cloe Poisson / April 9, 2015 ) Big Jule, played by Jerry Gallagher, testifies at a prayer meeting as the crapshooters and General Matilda B. Cartwright, played by Karen Murphy, listen.

They were all performed flawlessly by the cast, a tribute to Mssrs. Stephenson and Sanchez. The sets, by Paul Tate dePoo III, were a wonder to behold, ranging from a NYC sewer to the Great White Way, featuring neon signs galore, including for the Hot Box nightclub and the old Roxy theater, among many others, and the piece-de-resistance: a Camel sign that blows smoke rings, just like the one that actually existed in Times Square for decades! Lighting design by Stephen Terry gave the set the illusion of much needed space. Tracy Christensen’s costumes, especially those designed fot Adelaide, are worth the price of admission themselves.

Guys And Dolls ( Cloe Poisson / April 9, 2015 ) Miss Adelaide, played by Nancy Anderson (center) performs "A Bushell and a Peck" with the Hot Box Farmerettes.

 The Hot Box dancers‘ costumes ranged from minimal in “Bushel and a Peck” to the glamorously accessorized stoles and gaudy costume jewelry of “Take Back Your Mink.”

Guys And Dolls ( Cloe Poisson / April 9, 2015 )Left to right: Scott Cote, as Nicely-Nicely Johnson, Mark Price as Nathan Detroit, and Noah Plomgren as Benny Southstreet.

The men were dressed in the stereotypical zoot-suits of the era in Dick Tracy-like colors, and the missionaries were dressed in, well, Salvation Army red! The audience was immediately put into the mood when they first entered the theater, as even the ushers were wearing vests, ties and fedoras similar to those worn by the cast. That leaves the musical accompaniment.

When this reviewer read the Playbill, he was amazed at the fact that the orchestra, under the direction of Michael O’Flaherty and orchestrated by Dan DeLange, numbered just seven. They sounded like a full-sized pit orchestra, and, once again, performed flawlessly, even when they deliberately injected comic dissonance when the Missionary Band was marching on-stage. Sound Designer Jay Hilton insured that at no time did the orchestra drown out the singers. The only negative, to this reviewer, was the noise of the props being moved to the stage wings, which was often done during musical numbers. This was especially noticeable during, and detracted from, the quiet number, “More I Cannot Wish You.”

In short, all phases of musical theater come together in this production in almost perfect harmony. This is a production worthy of Goodspeed’s traditional standards. It is too bad that it has a limited run (‘til June 20^th); if left to the “market,” this production could out-run the original!

The verdict: Come to East Haddam; it’s a bit out of the way for New Yorkers, but this production   is, in the tradition of Goodspeed productions, well worth the trip.

The show runs through June 20, 2015.

Performances are: Weds. - Thurs.: 2:00 and 7:30 pm; Fridays: 8:00 pm; Saturdays: 3:00 and 8:00 pm; and Sundays: 2:00 and 6:30 pm

Tix: Box Office: 860-873-8668 or Goodspeed.org

(NOTE TO THEATERSCENE READERS: Since this is the first production reviewed by this site, there are a few things you should know: The Opera House is located in East Haddam, CT., on the banks of the Connecticut River, appr. 110 miles (2 - 2.5 hrs.) from the theater district in NYC. It was built in 1876 and retains its 19th century charm, with a small lounge and bar that opens onto a balcony overlooking the river, and a grand staircase in the lobby leading up to the theater, which is three levels above the entrance (don’t worry, there is an elevator for those who require it). Goodspeed Musicals mounts six new and revived musicals a year (on the main stage and at a satellite venue in nearby Chester, CT), and, since 1963, has exported 19 productions to Broadway, most famous of which were Annie, Man of La Mancha amd Shenandoah. In addition, it has hosted 71 world  premieres.. It is the first regional theater in America to be awarded two Tony Awards).