“Guys and Dolls” a Hit at Westchester Broadway Theatre

BY GEORGE J. DACRE
PHOTOS BY JOHN VECCHIOLLA

This perennial favorite hits the mark at Elmsford as a finely tuned cast puts on a musical that started out as a story by the famed Damon Runyon and wound up on Broadway in 1950 and has played many venues since then. Directed and choreographed by Richard Stafford, Guys and Dolls moves smoothly and features such great music that it makes for a very enjoyable evening of dinner theatre.

It is, of course, the story of Sarah Brown, an upright “mission doll” trying to reform the Broadway characters who live only to gamble headed by Sky Masterson who, on a bet, woos Sarah and falls in love with her. With such characters as Nathan Detroit, Nicely-Nicely Johnson, Miss Adelaide, and the Hot Box girls, “Guys and Dolls” is set in prohibition era in New York City.

Frank Loesser’s music is done very professionally by Gary Lynch as Sky Masterson, Jayson Elliot As Nicely-Nicely Johnson, Courtney Glass as Sarah Brown, Michael Brian Dunn as Nathan Detroit and Allie Schauer as Miss Adelaide and the rest of the cast.

The ensemble is true to the original that played so long on Broadway and made Guys and Dolls a classic. An almost full house on press night enjoyed the show and of course the dinner that went with it. Jayson Elliot scores as “Nicely-Nicely” doing “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ The Boat.” Courtney Glass and Lynch make beautiful music with “I’ve Never Been In Love Before,” Allie Schauer is fine as Miss Adelaide and the Hot Box girls and “A Bushel and A Peck” and “Adelaide’s Lament.”

Musical direction by Jihwan Kim is right on the mark. I rate Guys and Dolls at Westchester Broadway Theatre three stars out of four!!! It is the 178th production headed by producers Bill Stutler and Bob Funking. For tickets 914-592-2222 or broadwaytheatre.com.

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