GUYS AND DOLLS

“ Guys and Dolls  is a musical with music and lyrics by  Frank Loesser  and book by  Jo Swerling  and  Abe Burrows . It is based on “ The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown ” (1933) and “Blood Pressure”, which are two short stories by  Damon Runyon , and also borrows characters and plot elements from other Runyon stories, such as “Pick the Winner”. The show premiered on Broadway in 1950, where it ran for 1,200 performances and won the Tony Award for Best Musical. The musical has had several Broadway and London revivals, as well as a  1955 film adaptation  starring  Frank Sinatra ,  Marlon Brando ,  Jean Simmons , and  Vivian Blaine . “



Diane and I saw a matinee performance of Guys and Dolls at the MusicalFare Theater. The local musical group put on an energetic show for the sold-out audience. The plot is silly: a floating crap game in New York City is threatened by a determined police officer. As the gamblers try to find a site for their game, a pretty missionary for the Salvation Army becomes a key factor in the game between the gamblers and the police.



“Bushel and a Peck” is the song I remember from my youth. And, “Luck Be a Lady.” The local actors belted out the songs and the audience responded with much applause. I would estimate the average age of the audience to be 80 years old.



Are you a fan of Broadway musicals? GRADE: B