Nathan Detroit's Alive and Well

THERE ARE perhaps a half dozen musicals which are done by almost all amateur groups sooner or later--and Guys and Dolls is, without question, one of them. Many of us have already been acquainted with the marvelously larger-than-life, Runyonesque characters in the form of Sky Masterson, Nathan Detroit, or the inimitable Nicely-Nicely Johnson. Thus, the success in presenting Frank Loesser's musical depends, for better or for worse, on the degree to which the performers can live up to a firmly established level of caricature. In this respect, the opening-night Leverett House audience was not disappointed.

The book, by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, is about a Save-A-Soul Missionary's (Sarah Brown) attempt to convert Broadway's crap-gamesters, Sky, Nathan, and their cohorts, from a life of sin. Sky, always looking for a wager, boasts that he can "get any doll," whereupon Nathan does a slow take in the direction of Sister Sarah, as she sings a processional hymn, "Follow the Fold." "Oh, no...not that'doll'!" exclaims Sky. Of course, Sky and Sarah eventually fall for each other. Mean-while, Sarah's job is jeopardized by her failure to bring in enough lost souls to the Mission, and the "heat" is on, forcing Nathan and friends to find a safe place for their floating crapgame. They end up shooting craps in the Mission while everyone is out on an all-night crusade. Sky wins their souls with a toss of the dice. He herds the gamblers into the midnight prayer meeting, Sarah keeps her job, the sinners are saved, and Sky and Sarah are married. It's not the most clever plot around, but it does provide the impetus for the parade of magnified characters and a great score, including such standards as "I've Never Been in Love Before" and "Luck Be A Lady."

In "Fugue for Tinhorns," David Goldbloom (Nicely-Nicely) opens the show with a crispness and energy that characterize his entire performance. With good support from James O'Connell (Benny Southstreet) and Barclay Rives (Rusty Charlie), Goldbloom brings a distinctive quality to the role, in addition to a fine voice. His rubbery-faced performance in "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" is one of the highlights of the show. As Sarah, Winnie White sings and acts quite well, although her solo, "If I Were A Bell," is better suited to her smoothly lyrical voice than are some of her other tunes. Peter Kellogg is a good Sky, hampered occasionally by a bit too much strain in his hands and face. For example, in "Luck Be A Lady," strength or exaggerated tension can be easily overdone; to the audience, this can mean the difference between appearing cramped and out of control, or relaxed and confidently in control. Vocally, Kellogg handles his tunes well.

Ted Merritt portrays Nathan with an appropriate and consistent accent, and possesses a good sense of timing. There are several fine comic moments between Nathan and his fiancee of fourteen years, Miss Adelaide (Joann Beckson). Miss Beckson is outstanding, bringing to the role all of the necessary chintziness and gum-cracking, charm, coupled with a comic flair and a powerful voice. Her rendition of "Adelaide's Lament" is delightful, as is her duet with Nathan, "Sue Me."

Backing up Miss Beckson are the eight Hot Box Girls who handle their Busby Berkeley-ish routines with adequate precision. However, in "Take Back Your Mink," their strip-tease number which features skin-tone body stockings with strategically-placed, appliqued hearts, the Hot Box Girls appear more embarrassed than their audience.

Where Jeff Melvoin's direction is adequate, Bob Berger's choreography is excellent. Berger, whose staging was the strong point of last spring's West Side Story at the Loeb, is very effective with the patterns he creates. Working with a small stage, he manages to made a group of ten or more dancers look amazingly uncrowded, despite Paul Eisenberg's rather confused set. As a teacher, Berger has accomplished a great deal with the men in the show, many of whom have never danced before; any lack of expertise on their part is easily compensated by their enthusiastic approach to the staging. His choreography is designed with an added regard for the music, especially the "Havana" sequence, beautifully danced by Linda Karash. Although there are many difficult starts and stops in the number, music director Jonathan Sheffer had good control over the generally tight orchestra. Marred now and then by a pitch problem in the brass, the orchestra is in tune and fairly precise.

Costume designer Dorothy Weaver has succeeded in capturing the late-forties/early-fifties mood of Guys and Dolls. In this respect, aside from the Hot Box scenes, the show relies disproportionately upon the costumes.

Despite its occasionally campy script, Guys and Dolls is, after all, one of the classics. And even if the Leverett House portrayals don't make you walk out with Damon Runyon on the mind, there are still quite a few good moments and a selection of great tunes, presented by an enthusiastic company. The odds are good.