May 16, 2007
I am not ashamed to say it: Guys and Dolls is one of my favourite musicals. I love the score, the characters, the whole thing. I must admit to feeling a certain amount of trepidation as I entered the theatre for the performance. I am not a fan of celebrity casting. I need not have worried. The production is a joy from the opening bars to the closing chords.
I felt a tingle in my spine as the opening dance routine filled the stage with life, energy and panache. This tingle stayed with me during the show.
The cast are uniformly excellent – there is not a single weak performance. Shaun Williamson, Jonathan Wilkes, Lynsey Britton and Louise Dearman bring the four main protagonists to life with fresh interpretations that only improve as the show progresses. The supporting cast all have clearly defined characters and provide huge humour and great vocal polish to the evening – not to mention the fantastic dancing.
Special mention must be made of Christian Patterson who is an outstanding Nicely Nicely Johnson. His rendition of the classic ‘Sit down you’re rocking the boat’ is worth the price of admission alone.
Initially I had a few concerns over the sound design which at times seemed to place a little too much distance between the audience and the performers – but this was resolved before the evening was out.
Overall, I would go back and see this again! BOOK NOW – it is a gamble that will pay off.
PS The audience around me were perhaps some of the most talkative I have ever encountered in a theatre. So I would beg everyone who goes to the theatre to save their comments for afterwards – it would enhance the experience for everyone!
I felt a tingle in my spine as the opening dance routine filled the stage with life, energy and panache. This tingle stayed with me during the show.
The cast are uniformly excellent – there is not a single weak performance. Shaun Williamson, Jonathan Wilkes, Lynsey Britton and Louise Dearman bring the four main protagonists to life with fresh interpretations that only improve as the show progresses. The supporting cast all have clearly defined characters and provide huge humour and great vocal polish to the evening – not to mention the fantastic dancing.
Special mention must be made of Christian Patterson who is an outstanding Nicely Nicely Johnson. His rendition of the classic ‘Sit down you’re rocking the boat’ is worth the price of admission alone.
Initially I had a few concerns over the sound design which at times seemed to place a little too much distance between the audience and the performers – but this was resolved before the evening was out.
Overall, I would go back and see this again! BOOK NOW – it is a gamble that will pay off.
PS The audience around me were perhaps some of the most talkative I have ever encountered in a theatre. So I would beg everyone who goes to the theatre to save their comments for afterwards – it would enhance the experience for everyone!