On the streets of 1950s New York, every roll of the dice raises the stakes. Guys gamble it all while their dolls look on aware that the price of losing could be everything.
Bishop Ireton High School’s production of “Guys and Dolls,” with various show dates and times April 4-12, transported audiences back in time with a comprehensive and immersive performance that captured the heart and grit of the era.
The script for “Guys and Dolls” was written by Jo Sterling and Abe Burrows, based on a collection of short stories. Frank Loesser wrote the score.
The show begins with Nathan Detroit, a seasoned but perpetually unsuccessful gambler, desperately searching for a venue to host New York’s “oldest established permanent floating crap game.” In order to raise the funds required, Detroit makes a bet with the notoriously lucky risk-taker Sky Masterson, who soon finds himself drawn unexpectedly into a whirlwind romance.
No matter the scene, the Ireton ensemble remained active, each member contributing their own storyline that enriched the stage without distracting from the main plot. The cast came together cohesively, creating the hustle and bustle of the city that never sleeps.
Masterson, played by Donovan Furey, uncharacteristically allows himself to be trapped by a seemingly impossible bet: convince the prim and proper missionary Sarah Brown to travel to Havana with him. Furey exuded the collected cool of a sly and sleazy crook, with smooth vocals captivating those around him. However, as Masterson falls for Sarah, Furey’s facade began to crack: his expressive gaze softened, and a note of desperation entered his voice.
Playing Sarah, Erin Allen demonstrated a wide range of both acting capabilities and vocal tones. She shifted effortlessly from a proper mission girl outside the mission in New York City to a drunken wreck in a park in Havana. Allen demonstrated a clear, floating head voice that flowed smoothly into a grounded chest voice. Together, Allen and Furey’s enraptured eye contact, palpable tension, and impeccable harmonies turned enemies into lovers, then back into enemies, then lovers again.
Nathan Detroit, played by Hutson Anguita, faced pressure on all sides: his fiancé of 14 years pressuring him to finally get married, while his cohort of gamblers rely on him to find a location for their floating crap game. Anguita fully switched demeanor between the two contexts, remaining caring and enamored with his doll while becoming frantic and anxious with his men. As Nathan’s fiancé, Miss Adelaide, Bethany Tilahun embraced a vocal tone not only accurate to the time period and location, but also to her character’s femininity. She maintained her ditzy, high-pitched vocals whether she was talking or singing.
The sets team, led by Anna Wisneski, Own Penrose and Caroline Reams, constructed a city skyline framed by two towering dice, which opened to reveal a total of four possible settings. Within the dice, an incredible attention to detail was demonstrated by time period accurate posters, signs and decorations.
The lights team, led by Lauren Capistran, used color to convey the personalities and relationships of the characters on stage. When Sky and Sarah were just beginning to acquaint themselves, the backlighting remained a contrast of pink and blue. However, as the two grew closer, the color merged into a unified lavender backdrop, demonstrating the relationship developing between the two.
In three hours’ time, Ireton’s cast and crew of “Guys and Dolls” delivered a dazzling performance full of heart, humor and charm. By the final curtain, one thing was clear: sometimes, love really is worth risking it all. This talented ensemble made every moment of that gamble feel like a sure bet.
