April 11, 2010
Guys and Dolls
>Done by the St. John's University Stagers Society
By J.D. Cook
I was surprised at how much I liked Guys and Dolls. It’s not
that I went in expecting to hate it because, on the contrary, I had a very open mind about it. I just did not think that I would
be kept awake for the entire performance due to it being a musical, having a student cast, and being from the fifties. Yet I was
forced to choke on all these preconceived notions as I was widely entertained by this play.
My first thought upon hearing the dialogue was of how timeless it was. I believe this show could be shown fifty years from now
and still get laughs and chuckles. The story is also one that seems to endure as many films since have used similar plots which
include betting on obtaining an obtainable girl. The songs also add humor, and forward the plot. This is a very good thing
considering I have seen quite a few nonsensical musicals in my time.
The acting was also quite superb for a student play. I have been to a few where the student cast has been more of curse then a
blessing, but this show was the opposite. There were only a very small number of line slips, and that could be overlooked. The
four leads stuck out as the best singers, and actors, but John Herron stood out the most as Nathan Detroit. He is a fine young
actor who has that slight something that gives people the ability to slip into another role without losing themselves. Alyssa
Brullo as Adelaide also stood out, mainly because she had to do an accent throughout the show, but the best singer was Faith
Ndifornyen. I hear she sings in church often and it certainly made a difference on the stage.
Now to move into the focus of this review being that it is for a music class. All the songs were catchy and toe tapping, and
although some of the actors certainly did not seem like classically trained singers they pulled off their songs with admirable
vocals. I was most impressed with "Luck Be a Lady", not because it was the best song, but because I knew it. This was the only
tune I knew before the show, but I was not aware this song was from Guys and Dolls. So I was pleasantly surprised. Both
Adelaide's Laments were done fantastically, and gained a smile from my face more than once. The small orchestra dominated much
of the night with great playing that accentuated the whole show. Daniel Braz's piano playing stuck out the most of anything.
In closing, Guys and Dolls was a nice escape from my schoolwork. The plot is timeless and imitated often. The student
actors did a flat out great job in the performance I viewed. Finally the music was superb, and I have to tip my hat to Frank
Loesser the show's creator for mixing humor, and drama into a delicious musical cake. I should throw in a final nod here to the
set design which was also very nicely done. In closing I believe this show is well worth anyone’s time.
© 2010 Leah Della Croce. All rights reserved.
