A WINNING PRODUCTION FROM THE GANG AT INTERACT.Byline: Evan Henerson Theater Critic TIMES MUST BE tough indeed in Runyonland when a couple of Hot Box dancers - including the somewhat-past-her-prime Agatha (played with ``I'm flaunting it anyway'' gusto by Carole Goldman) - go directly from the club to their second gig, costume in hand, at the Salvation Army Salvation Army, Protestant denomination and international nonsectarian Christian organization for evangelical and philanthropic work. Organization and Beliefs The Salvation Army has established branches in 100 countries throughout the world. . So it goes with John Rubinstein's production of ``Guys and Dolls'' at the Interact Theatre. The cast is big, the band is small, the production values Production values is a media term for "production cost." It refers to the professional look, or "polish," of a production. Factors that affect perceived production value may include video and audio quality, lighting, number of errors, and amount and quality of special effects. creative but minimal, and the song and dance abilities wide ranging. ``Guys and Dolls,'' Frank Loesser/Abe Burrows and Joe Swerling's staple of musical theater, isn't an easy show to botch as long as the actors are game. And game, Rubinstein's players certainly are. Nobody figures to win any vocal competitions, but they can sell Loesser's cheery brand of gambler disrepute dis·re·pute n. Damage to or loss of reputation. disrepute Noun a loss or lack of good reputation Noun 1. . The guys - for whom Nathan Detroit (James Gleason James Gleason (May 23, 1882 – April 12, 1959) was an American actor born in New York City. He was also a playwright and screenwriter. Balding and slender with a craggy voice, Gleason portrayed tough but warm-hearted characters, usually with a New York background. ) is a patron saint patron saint Saint to whose protection and intercession a person, society, church, place, profession, or activity is dedicated. The choice is usually made on the basis of some real or presumed relationship (e.g., St. - just want to shoot craps Verb 1. shoot craps - play a game of craps gamble - play games for money . The dolls, led by ever hopeful Miss Adelaide (Leslie Hicks), want to reform the guys. Oh, and marry them to boot. As Miss Adelaide attempts to put an end to to destroy. - Fuller. See also: End her 14-year engagement to Nathan, gambler Sky Masterson (Michael Manuel) takes an ill-advised bet that he can take Salvation Army Sgt. Sarah Brown (Susan Hull) to Havana. Sarah has bigger fish to fry, namely putting butts in the seats of her flagging mission. The Nathan-Adelaide pairing is the more effective at Interact. Gleason makes Nathan a henpecked hen·peck tr.v. hen·pecked, hen·peck·ing, hen·pecks Informal To dominate or harass (one's husband) with persistent nagging. hustler who doesn't over-punch the character's ``why me!'' sense of his identity. Gleason partners cutely with Hicks' nasaly Adelaide, a showgirl with domestic inclinations and a justifiably short fuse. Hull's Sgt. Sarah easily out-sings Manuel's Masterson, who makes the interlude ``My Time of Day'' a bit sour. Sky isn't usually played as quite this much of a bruiser bruis·er n. Informal A large, heavyset man. bruiser Noun Informal a strong tough person, esp. a boxer or a bully Noun 1. , and it seems a little off that a high roller of this caliber would spend the entire duration of the play - including the Havana trip - wearing the same suit. Still, just about everybody is at least up to snuff. Choreographer Jane Lanier (who also alternates as Miss Adelaide with Hicks) uses her strongest dancers for the Havana sequence and crapshooters' ballet. Principles and ensemble alike mesh tunefully with musical director/pianist Brad Ellis, who has left in the rarely performed number ``Adelaide.'' The highlight of Curt Beech's functional set is a set of three windows that serve as poster boards for Broadway leaflets, Hot Box neon and the like. The posters, like the wallpaper, are cracked and peeling. Times may be tough in Runyonland, but Nathan and the gang make the adventure pleasurable. Evan Henerson, (818) 713-3651 evan.henerson(at)dailynews.com GUYS AND DOLLS - Three stars Where: Interact Theatre, 5215 Bakman Ave., North Hollywood. When: 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday; through Oct. 26. Tickets: $30. Call (866) 448-2849. In a nutshell: Small scale but as delightful as ever. |
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