One of my personal joys in theater is seeing familiar work with fresh eyes. This happens at “Guys and Dolls” offered by Opera Saratoga. The production continues through July 7.
It is a fantastic experience for those who treasure the original cast album or for someone seeing the show for the first time.
Don’t worry, this is not revisionist approach to the material. Opera Saratoga is faithful to the book by Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling, which is adapted from stories by Damon Runyon. This is a company of young actors, trained in opera, raising a taken-for- granted score to new melodic heights.
The classics are breathtaking and the traditional tunes stay intact. Playing Sister Sarah, the head of a Times Square Mission, is Mikaela Bennett. She is wonderful throughout.
As her unlikely suiter, the notorious and dashing gambler, Sky Masterson, Shavon Lloyd shows confidence and a rich singing voice. Bennett is breathtaking with “I’ll Know” and “If I Were a Bell.” Lloyd excels in “My Time of Day,” and “Luck Be a Lady.” Their duets are magical.
The same is true of the supporting characters Nathan Detroit and Miss Adelaide. William Socolof as Nathan catches low-key comedy in the character who is always foiled in his attempts to run “The oldest established floating crap game in New York.” With “Sue Me” he finds all the rueful comedy in explaining why after a 14 year engagement, he is still not ready to marry.
As his long suffering show girl fiancée, Miss Adelaide, Ariadne Greif is a joy. She is a ditzy pleasure throughout and nails the classic “Adelaide’s Lament,” commonly known as “ A Person Could Develop a Cold.” Though the romance of Sky and Sarah drives the show, the relationship of Nathan and Adelaide provides the fun.
The 11 o’clock number, “Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat,” is performed by the character Nicely-Nicely. Maximillian Jansen’s rendition is everything one might expect from the rousing number. It stops the show, as it should. It’s especially impressive to realize Jensen was the star of last year’s “Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.”
Another memorable moment comes with “More I Cannot Wish You.” Usually a throw away number, Opera Saratoga made it into a special event with the powerful and revealing performance of Aubrey Allicock.
Though a wonderfully satisfying night of theater, the show is better in the second act than the first. Part of the reason is getting over preconceptions of how certain characters should look
and sound. The young cast, at first, seems too young for their roles. Nathan and Adelaide could not be engaged for 14 years, unless it started in high school. But more important this group brings a contemporary attitude to their characters. This is good. But it takes a couple of scenes to get used to it.
A very minor quibble. Period hats help establish the era, but I was soon wishing they would take them off, so their faces and personalities would be better revealed.
Most of act one is about establishing a simple plot using equally simple characters. In the second act, we find the sincerity of the individuals and start to care about them.
The genius of Loesser, (who with his next work, “Most Happy Fella,” was a precursor of Stephen Sondheim) is that the musical numbers define this change. Still fun, the music reveals the genuiness of the situation.
This can be seen by the choreography of Caili Quan. The dancing in act one starts out as serviceable, pleasant but uncomplicated. Gradually it becomes more full cast, ensemble-like, as well as excitingly vibrant.
Indeed, as a hater of dream dances in musicals, I greatly admire the “Crapshooters Ballet,” in this production. It was sensually performed by Benjamin Freedman and Erik Debono.
There is so much to praise such as the smart direction and staging by Mary Birnbaum, Opera Saratoga’s producing-artistic director and the music direction of Steven Jamail, who conducted a marvelous, yet unobtrusive orchestra.
As a bonus, Jamail includes an overture.
“Guys and Dolls” only runs at Universal Preservation Hall through July 7. It should not be missed. Tickets and schedule information at operasaratoga.org or 518-584-6018.
Bob Goepfert is theater reviewer for the Troy Record.
The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.
