Guys and Dolls

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).
For the 1955 film version see Guys and Dolls (film)
For 1970s UK musical group see Guys n' Dolls
For the "Married... with Children" episode, see Guys and Dolls (Married... with Children episode)
Guys and Dolls Original Broadway Cast recording (1950)
Guys and Dolls Original Broadway Cast recording (1950)

Guys And Dolls is a hit 1950 musical. Frank Loesser composed the music and wrote the lyrics. The book was adapted by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows from The Idyll Of Miss Sarah Brown, a short story by Damon Runyon. It also borrows characters and plot elements from other Runyon stories, most notably "Pick the Winner."

The musical was first produced on Broadway at the 46th Street Theatre, opening on November 24, 1950. It enjoyed an initial run of 1,201 performances, winning five 1951 Tony Awards, including the award for Best Musical. The original London production opened at the London Coliseum on May 28, 1953 and ran for 555 performances.

On November 3, 1955 the film version debuted, starring Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, Jean Simmons, and Vivian Blaine. It was directed by Joseph Mankiewicz.

Contents

[edit] Revivals

Ewan McGregor as Sky Masterson in the 2005 London revival of Guys and Dolls
Ewan McGregor as Sky Masterson in the 2005 London revival of Guys and Dolls

Many revivals followed, including the following: A 1976 revival at the Broadway Theatre featured an all-black cast and Motown-style musical arrangements by Danny Holgate and Horace Ott and was directed by Billy Wilson. It ran for 239 performances. A 1982 London revival was directed by Richard Eyre and played at the Royal National Theatre's largest auditorium, the Olivier Theatre. The principals were Bob Hoskins (Nathan), Julia McKenzie (Miss Adelaide) Ian Charleson (Sky), and Julie Covington (Sarah). A 1992 Broadway revival, directed by Jerry Zaks, played at the Martin Beck Theatre on Broadway and ran for 1,143 performances. In 1995, a Las Vegas production featured an all-star cast including Jack Jones, Maureen McGovern, and Frank Gorshin.

The 2005 London revival opened at the West End Piccadilly Theatre in June 2005 and is scheduled to close in April 2007.[1] American actors Patrick Swayze (2006) and Don Johnson (2007) appeared as Nathan Detroit after Douglas Hodge left.

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The story revolves around the activities of New York petty criminals and professional gamblers. Nathan Detroit runs an (illegal) "floating craps game", despite constant encouragement to "go straight" by Miss Adelaide, a nightclub singer to whom he has been engaged for fourteen years but will not marry. When a surge of "high-rollers" comes to town, Nathan is pressured to find a place to hold his floating crap game. Due to strong police activity, namely Lieutenant Brannigan, he can only find one spot, the Biltmore garage. The owner's requirement, however, is a $1,000 deposit for security.

Trying to obtain the money, Nathan comes across Sky Masterson, a gambler willing to bet on virtually anything. Nathan proposes a bet which seems impossible to lose: take Sarah Brown, a straight-walking sister at the Save-a-Soul Mission, to dinner ...in Havana, Cuba. Surprisingly, Sky manages to get Sarah to agree to the date, putting Nathan in an even worse position. Over the course of their date, Sky manages to break down Sarah's social inhibitions, and they begin to fall in love with one another.

Nathan is also struggling with his relationship with his fiancé of fourteen years, Adelaide. Tired of his habitual lying, she walks out on him. Meanwhile Sky is having problems of his own with Sarah as their conflicting lifestyles clash. Convinced that his love for Sarah is true, Sky makes good on a bet he made with Sarah to fill her failing mission with a dozen sinners. Also, he lies about succeeding on his original bet with Nathan and pays him the $1,000. At the same time, Sky wins a bet with the guys at Nathan's crap game that results in them having to appear at Sarah's mission. Nathan also attends, alone.

Sarah fatefully runs into Adelaide to where the two realize that they cannot fight love any longer. Adelaide is relieved when Sarah mentions that Nathan had attended a service earlier in the night, which Adelaide thought he had been lying about.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Notes on the script

The 'high rollers' bids are in the thousands of dollars. Modern audiences should note that US$1,000 in 1950 has the same buying power as US$8,443 in 2007.[2].

There is a suggestion that Nathan Detroit may be Jewish, due to his frequent use of Yinglish phrases, especially in the song "Sue Me" which includes "nu" (an interjection roughly meaning well, as of expectation), and turns of phrase such as "What can you do me?"

The character was based on a real gambler whose name, or at least the name he went by, was Meyer Boston.

Most of the characters are generally portrayed as preying on society's weakness for gambling, but although they make threats, they are not prone to following through - and even such instances of violence as a brief, one-sided fight between Sky Masterson and Chicago high roller Big Jule are played largely for comic element.

[edit] Characters

As per the 1951 script by Jo Swerling, Abe Burrows, and Frank Loesser:

  • Nicely-Nicely Johnson
  • Benny Southstreet
  • Rusty Charlie
  • Sarah Brown
  • Arvide Abernathy
  • Mission Band
  • Harry the Horse
  • Lt. Brannigan
  • Nathan Detroit
  • Angie the Ox
  • Miss Adelaide
  • Sky Masterson
  • Joey Biltmore
  • Mimi
  • General Matilda B. Cartwright
  • Big Jule
  • Drunk
  • Waiter
  • Agatha
  • Priscilla
  • Oona White
  • Crapshooters
  • Hot Box Girls

[edit] Musical numbers

  • "Runyonland" (Orchestra)
  • "Fugue for Tinhorns" (Nicely, Benny, Rusty)
  • "Follow the Fold" (Mission Band)
  • "The Oldest Established" (Nathan, Nicely, Benny, Guys)
  • "I'll Know" (Sarah, Sky)
  • "A Bushel and a Peck" (Miss Adelaide, Hot Box Girls)
  • "Adelaide's Lament" (Miss Adelaide)
  • "Guys and Dolls" (Nicely, Benny)
  • "If I Were A Bell" (Sarah)
  • "My Time of Day/I've Never Been in Love Before" (Sky, Sarah)
  • "Take Back Your Mink" (Miss Adelaide, Hot Box Girls)
  • "More I Cannot Wish You" (Arvide)
  • "Crapshooters' Ballet" (Orchestra)
  • "Luck Be a Lady" (Sky, Guys)
  • "Sue Me" (Miss Adelaide, Nathan)
  • "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" (Nicely, Company)
  • "Marry the Man Today" (Miss Adelaide, Sarah)
  • "Finale" (Company)

[edit] Historical cast information

The following table shows the principal casts of the major productions of Guys and Dolls:

Cast of various productions of Guys and Dolls
Nathan Detroit Miss Adelaide Sky Masterson Sister Sarah Brown Nicely-Nicely Johnson Arvide Abernathy Big Jule Harry The Horse Benny Southstreet
Original 1950 Broadway Production Sam Levene Vivian Blaine Robert Alda Isabel Bigley Stubby Kaye Pat Rooney B.S. Pully Tom Pedi Johnny Silver (actor)
Original 1953 London Production Sam Levene Vivian Blaine Jerry Wayne Lizbeth Webb Stubby Kaye Ernest Butcher Lew Herbert Tom Pedi Johnny Silver (actor)
1955 Film Frank Sinatra Vivian Blaine Marlon Brando Jean Simmons Stubby Kaye Regis Toomey B.S. Pully Sheldon Leonard Johnny Silver (actor)
1976 All Black Cast Robert Guillaume Norma Donaldson James Randoplh Ernestine Jackson Ken Page Emett “Babe” Wallace Walter White Christophe Pierre
1982 Royal National Theater London Bob Hoskins Julia McKenzie Ian Charleson Julie Covington
1992 US Revival Nathan Lane Faith Prince Peter Gallagher Josie de Guzman Walter Bobbie John Carpenter Herschel Sparber Ernie Sabella J.K. Simmons
2005 London Production Douglas Hodge Jane Krakowski Ewan McGregor Jenna Russell

[edit] Awards and nominations

  • Original 1950 Broadway production
  • 1965 Broadway revival
  • 1976 Broadway revival
    • 1977 Tony Award
      • Best Actor in a Musical-Robert Guillaume (nominee)
      • Best Actress in a Musical-Ernestine Jackson (nominee)
      • Most Innovative Production of a Revival-nominee
    • 1977 Theatre World Award
    • 1977 Drama Desk Award
      • Outstanding Actor in a Musical-Robert Guillaume (nominee)
      • Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical-Ernestine Jackson (nominee)
  • 1992 Broadway revival
    • 1994 Theatre World Award-Burke Moses (WINNER)
    • 1992 Tony Award
      • Best Actor in a Musical-Nathan Lane (nominee)
      • Best Actress in a Musical-Faith Prince (WINNER)
      • Best Actress in a Musical-Josie de Guzman (nominee)
      • Best Scenic Design-Tony Walton (WINNER)
      • Best Lighting Design-Paul Gallo (nominee)
      • Best Choreography-Christopher Chadman (nominee)
      • Best Direction of a Musical-Jerry Zaks (WINNER)
      • Best Revival (WINNER)
    • 1992 Drama Desk Award
      • Outstanding Actress in a Musical-Faith Prince (WINNER)
      • Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical-Walter Bobbie (nominee)
      • Outstanding Choreography-Christopher Chadman (nominee)
      • Outstanding Director of a Musical-Jerry Zaks (WINNER)
      • Outstanding Costumes-William Ivy Long (WINNER)
      • Outstanding Lighting Design-Paul Gallo (WINNER)
      • Outstanding Set Design-Tony Walton (WINNER)
      • Outstanding Revival (WINNER)
  • 1982 London production
  • 2005 London production

[edit] Trivia

  • Isabel Bigley, who played Miss Sarah Brown, wrote an article about the frustrations and accomplishments that took place throughout the creation of Guys and Dolls. Among other things, she claimed that Frank Loesser physically assaulted her for not singing his songs the way he believed she should.[citation needed] (Susan Loesser, his daughter, in her book A Most Remarkable Fella: Frank Loesser and the Guys and Dolls in His Life., page xix, writes: "During a tantrum that became a Broadway insiders' legend, he [Frank Loesser] actually slapped Isabel Bigley in the face when she failed to sing his way. Like his explosion with the chorus, his attack on Isabel was over in a flash.")
  • The show is very popular with High Schools (and even some colleges) all around the world and has become a standard for local community theatres.
  • One of Tony award winner Victoria Clark's first Broadway roles was in the 1992 revival.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ http://www.playbill.com/news/article/95279.html and http://www.playbill.com/news/article/106610.html
  2. ^ Inflation Calculator. U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved on January 3, 2007.

[edit] References

  • Susan Loesser (1993): A Most Remarkable Fella: Frank Loesser and the Guys and Dolls in His Life. Donald I. Fine, New York ISBN-0-634-00927-3.
  • Davis, Lee. "The Indestructible Icon" in ShowMusic, Winter 2000-01: 17-24, 61-63

[edit] External links


Frank Loesser musicals
Where's Charley? • Guys and Dolls • The Most Happy Fella • Greenwillow • How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying • Pleasures and Palaces
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../g/u/y/Guys_and_Dolls_da75.html"
In other languages