Theater review: 'Guys and Dolls'

The Asolo Rep opens its latest season with a sure thing—“Guys and Dolls.” This big, splashy, old-school Broadway musical features lyrics by Frank Loesser, a book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows and characters drawn from the short stories of Damon Runyon.

The action unfolds in the mean streets of New York City in the early 1950s. Nathan Detroit (Chris Hoch) makes a $1,000 wager with Sky Masterson (Cole Burden) that he can’t persuade Sarah Brown (Audrey Cardwell) to accompany him on a trip to Havana. Sky is a notorious high roller and ladies’ man; Sarah is the straight-laced sergeant of the Save-a-Soul Mission — a Salvation Army knock-off. Nathan needs the money to finance a floating crap game, which he conceals from the police and his perpetually unmarried fiancée, Adelaide (Veronica J. Kuehn). Sky takes the bet, and Sarah makes the flight — there wouldn’t be a musical, otherwise. Hijinks, song-and-dance numbers, crap games, chases, misunderstandings, kisses, break-ups and make-ups ensue. As with Shakespeare, the lead characters get married in the end.

Close your eyes and imagine what a Broadway musical looks like. It probably looks something like this. Not just a great show. A big show. A lush, colorful, over-the-top exaggerated dream.

Director and choreographer Josh Rhodes dials the dreamy fantasy up to 11. The actors follow suit.

Burden has a strong, confident voice and an attitude to match. Sky’s a charismatic character — and a flop if the actor lacks the chops. But Burden (who resembles a young Jack Nicolson) hits it out of the park. Cardwell has a sweet, original take on Sarah Brown. Not too prim and proper before Havana; not so loose and crazy when she gets there. You actually believe she’s the same person. Where Sky is Mr. Smooth, Chris Hoch’s Nathan is Mr. Hustle — always on the move and on the make.

Kuehn puts a hilarious Betty Boop spin on Adelaide — a showgirl with psychosomatic post-nasal drip due to the absence of Nathan’s wedding ring. (Aside from Betty’s freakishly large cranium and Adelaide’s blonde hair, the two characters have much in common.) Todd Buonopane is always a crowd-pleaser as Nicely-Nicely Johnson, one of Nathan Detroit’s underlings. The show’s army of tinhorns, gamblers, cops, showgirls and other supporting characters are all in top form.

Realistic? Never.

Nathan Detroit and Sky Masterson have about as much resemblance to real gangsters as Bugs Bunny does to Bugsy Siegel.

These are larger-than-life characters. In a larger (and louder)-than life world.

The show telegraphs its unreality before it starts. Lee Savage’s set is a blast of neon jazz — Dance! Girls! BURLESQUE! And when the show actually begins …

“Runyonland” turns the normally static overture section into a frenetic introduction to Runyon’s fantastic subculture. Lots of bits of business — people running around, fences, bookies, pickpockets, showgirls, crooks disguised as nuns, a beat cop desperately trying to impose law and order. Excellent choreography by Rhodes — and it sets the tone for the evening. Paul Miller’s lighting and Brian C. Hamesath’s rainbow costumes fit the fantasy perfectly. In this dream of New York City, the gangsters wear plaid.

The writing behind it all is very good. Underneath the flash and filigree, it’s a story about two star-crossed couples and a crap game. The narrative keeps several balls in the air and keeps you clear about what’s at stake. The spoken-word sections feel like sketch comedy. The songs pick up the ball and keep the story going.

And what unforgettable songs Loesser penned: “Luck Be a Lady,” “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat” and “Bushel and a Peck,” to name a few. Even if you don’t know the musical, you probably already know many of them. Music director Sinai Tabak somehow makes you feel like you’re hearing them for the first time.

Aside from lots of laughs and smiles, what’s the take-away?

“Guys and Dolls” bills itself as “a musical fable of Broadway.” While there are no talking animals, there is a moral of sorts. Men and women live in very different worlds. “Guys” and “dolls” want very different things. Love brings them together, whether they like it or not.

Not the most original revelation. But it’s a lot of fun to see and hear.