When the Guthrie did
Guys and Dolls as their summer musical in 2019,
I wrote that the Guthrie should not be doing a dated musical like this. The Guthrie should be doing the Sondheim masterpiece
Sunday in the Park with George (as they did in 2017), a stunningly relevant
Cabaret (last summer), and regional premiere musicals like
Come From Away (coming this summer). But
Guys and Dolls, which is a beloved, well-known, and comforting classic, is exactly the kind of show that Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, the comfort food of #TCTheater, should be doing. I still think the show is dated and misogynist and chock full of gender stereotypes from the title to the characters to the lyrics, but as summer escapist entertainment, it's fantastically fun. It wasn't that long ago that the Chan did three regional premiere musicals in a row (
The Prom,
Jersey Boys, and
Beautiful), so I hope that they continue to mix in some newer shows, but a return to this classic that they first did in 1969, just the second year of the theater, and last did in 1989, is not a bad choice. And Tamara Kangas Erickson, in her main stage directing debut, has assembled an incredibly talented cast of Chan favorites and also newcomers to the Chan. The highlight of the show is the outstanding choreography and this infectious score full of endlessly singable songs that are just delightful, as long as you don't pay too close attention to the lyrics.
Guys and Dolls plays all spring and summer and into September, so you have plenty of time to head West and see a really great production of a classic; the Chan really can't be beat for group dinner-and-a-show outings.
If you don't know the show, the 1951 Tony winner that was adapted into a movie in 1955, the plot is basically summed up by the dated stereotype that men don't want to get married and women have to trick them into it (and then change them). More specifically, Guys and Dolls centers around the underground gambling business in NYC and a mission trying to save the sinners. Nathan Detroit runs the big craps game in town and is always looking for a place to hold it, while trying to hide it from Adelaide, Hot Box dancer and his fiance of 14 years. To get the money to secure a location for the game, Nathan bets big-time gambler Sky Masterson that he cannot convince pious mission worker Sarah to go to Havana with him. Sky wins the bet, but it's not quite that simple. To win Sarah's heart, he bets against the guys' souls to get them to come to a meeting and save the mission. And everyone lives happily ever after.*
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Sarah and Sky (Sara Masterson and
Shad Hanley, photo by Dan Norman) |
As much as I love the usual Chanhassen company of actors, it's fun to see that three of the four leads are making their Chanhassen debuts in this show, although familiar from other stages around town. Sara Masterson may seem destined to play the role of Sarah-soon-to-be-Masterson just on the basis of name alone, but it's her the vocal chops and strong stage presence that win you over, with a gorgeous soprano I've not heard in her previous roles at Theater Latte Da and elsewhere. She's paired well with Chan regular Shad Hanley (even if he did play her father
in Fun Home last year) as a most charming Sky. A Broadway actor who
toured nationally in the title role of Mary Poppins, Madeline Trumble moved to the Twin Cities a few years ago and has been seen on various stages a couple of times, most notably as the Baker's Wife in
the Guthrie's Into the Woods, and is always a treat to watch. She's just perfect as Miss Adelaide, the voice and the mannerisms and the constant sniffling, with a very funny and endearing "Lament." Rounding out this foursome is Charlie Clark as the lovable rascal of a gambler Nathan Detroit, making us see why Adelaide loves (and sometimes hates) him. The huge ensemble cast is full of too many favorites, plus a few new faces, to mention (including Tod Petersen as the sweetest grandfather you would ask for), but you can't go wrong putting your focus on any one of them.
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Adelaide and Nathan (Madeline Trumble and Charlie Clark,
photo by Dan Norman) |
This is the first main stage show at the Chan not directed (or co-directed) by longtime Artistic Director Michael Brindisi in decades. After his tragic and sudden death last year, his longtime choreographer and close collaborator Tamara Kangas Erickson was named as his successor, and she proves in this show that it was a smart choice. This show has all the joy and heart of a Brindisi-directed show, but with a fresh perspective and maybe a few surprises. She has brought in Linda Talcott Lee to share the choreography duties, and the two of them have created not just sparkling big dance numbers, but also fun movement scenes showcasing the busy streets of NYC, and smaller paired dance breaks during scene transitions featuring ensemble members Andrea Mislan (fresh off
White Christmas) and Kyle Weiler (a
Hamilton alum and child actor at the Chan making his debut on this stage as an adult). The Dolls' Hot Box numbers are fun, but the highlight really is the Guys in numbers such as "Luck Be a Lady." One of the most fun songs in musical theater, "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat," is such a joy to watch, with Matthew Hall as Nicely Nicely putting his own spin (and runs) on the song, that I wish it were twice as long. And the Latin-inspired dancing in the Havana sequence is so hot it'll make you forget it's still winter outside.
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Andre Shoals as Big Jule with the dancing Guys
(photo by Dan Norman) |
The design of this show is a colorful explosion, starting with Rich Hamson's costume design. The Guys are wearing an array of multi-colored zoot suits with fedoras and two-toned shoes (I'm not sure that hot pink and black shoes are historically accurate, but I don't care), the Dolls in darling '30s era dresses with matching hats, gloves, and bags, the mission workers in neat military-inspired cranberry-colored suits. A backdrop of a NYC street scene on the scrim hiding the fabulous ten-piece band under Music Director Andy Kust sets the scene. Lighting highlights the action, and stars twinkle above us. Mobile set pieces including the mission doors with bright stained glass windows, a newsstand, and an elaborate jumble of pipes and sewer covers for the underground gambling scene are swiftly moved on and off stage as necessary. And a surprise performance area pops up above the audience that I don't think I've ever seen before - this nearly 60-year-old theater still has a few surprises in it. (Scenic design by Nayna Ramey, lighting design by Su Ellen Berger, sound design by Russ Haynes.)
I couldn't help but love and have a great time at this show, even if some of the lyrics, dialogue, and plot points are cringe-worthy in 2026. The world is no longer neatly divided into Guys and Dolls that all act in a stereotypical way (truthfully it never was), and women have more options than marrying a gambler and trying to change him (at least today we do, even as we watch those hard-won options dwindle). But the sheer joy of this music and the incredible dancing is impossible to resist.
Head to Chanhassen to enjoy some literal and theatrical comfort food, now through September 26.
