A Review Of The Performance By Guys And Dolls
Lindsay Chandler
Lkc5074@psu.edu; INART 005 Section 3
Guys and Dolls Review Musicals can be boring—especially ones that last nearly three hours. The story can seem to drag on forever, and the audience can get tired of the characters breaking out into song every few minutes. This was not the case in Penn State Centre Stage’s production of Guys and Dolls, on Friday in the Playhouse Theatre. When the musical ended, almost three hours after it began, the audience seemed not to be tired but, in fact, re-energized. Instead of snoozing in their seats, the audience sprang up to give a standing ovation to the very deserving cast. So, what made this musical stand out as spectacular? Yes, the classic, feel-good love story and superb acting certainly were important factors, but what contributed most to the success of Guys and Dolls was the undying energy exhibited by every member of the musical’s cast. Guys and Dolls has been around for years and has seemed to captivate audiences ever since its Broadway premiere in 1950. What makes this musical so timeless? Certainly it is not the gangsters and gamblers, as they aren’t as big of an issue as they were during the musical’s original production. One might also argue that the memorable songs are what have allowed Guys and Dolls to stand the test of time. Although there are certainly many features of the show that are truly brilliant, the most timeless aspect of Guys and Dolls is the heartwarming love stories of two very different young couples. The love stories may be a tad cheesy and somewhat predictable, but over sixty years after its original production, the musical can still give even the biggest non-believer in love hope that true love can one day be found. On the subject of love, one might have believed that the actors playing Sky and Sarah and Nathan and Miss Adelaide were actually in love as a result of their excellent acting. The young cast, with the exception of the older gentleman playing Arvide Abernathy, did a fine
Lkc5074@psu.edu; INART 005 Section 3
Guys and Dolls Review Musicals can be boring—especially ones that last nearly three hours. The story can seem to drag on forever, and the audience can get tired of the characters breaking out into song every few minutes. This was not the case in Penn State Centre Stage’s production of Guys and Dolls, on Friday in the Playhouse Theatre. When the musical ended, almost three hours after it began, the audience seemed not to be tired but, in fact, re-energized. Instead of snoozing in their seats, the audience sprang up to give a standing ovation to the very deserving cast. So, what made this musical stand out as spectacular? Yes, the classic, feel-good love story and superb acting certainly were important factors, but what contributed most to the success of Guys and Dolls was the undying energy exhibited by every member of the musical’s cast. Guys and Dolls has been around for years and has seemed to captivate audiences ever since its Broadway premiere in 1950. What makes this musical so timeless? Certainly it is not the gangsters and gamblers, as they aren’t as big of an issue as they were during the musical’s original production. One might also argue that the memorable songs are what have allowed Guys and Dolls to stand the test of time. Although there are certainly many features of the show that are truly brilliant, the most timeless aspect of Guys and Dolls is the heartwarming love stories of two very different young couples. The love stories may be a tad cheesy and somewhat predictable, but over sixty years after its original production, the musical can still give even the biggest non-believer in love hope that true love can one day be found. On the subject of love, one might have believed that the actors playing Sky and Sarah and Nathan and Miss Adelaide were actually in love as a result of their excellent acting. The young cast, with the exception of the older gentleman playing Arvide Abernathy, did a fine