Guys and Dolls

Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser

Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows

Directed by Jon Tolins

Musical Direction by Ron Duvernay

At Kirkland House tonight and tomorrow

The K-House Drama Society puts on a terrific musical virtually every semester, but this time they've outdone themselves. For his production of Guys and Dolls, director Jon Tolins has gathered together the best musical comedy talents at Harvard with an innovative choreographer and a well-organized technical crew. The result is pure entertainment.

As the lights go up, the audience is transported to a mythic New York City underworld in which all of the guys--and a curious policeman--are desperately trying to find out where Nathan Detroit (Nick Davis) is going to hold his famous floating craps game next. Meanwhile, over at the Hot Box dance club, Nathan's fiance of 14 years, Miss Adelaide (Lisa Tornell) is putting on another show with the dolls.

Into this slightly sleazy scene come Salvation Army Sergeant Sarah Brown (Sarah Beatty) determined to rescue the gamblers from their sinning ways, and Sky Masterson (Andrew Gardner), a gambler who bets as high as his name. As a result of a wager, this disparate pair finds itself flying to Cuba. Of course, they end up falling in love, and all sorts of plot tangles and twists follow. Despite his reputation, Sky turns out to be more a gentleman than a gambler, and he stakes his fortune to save Sarah's mission.

Guys and Dolls is blessed with catchy, danceable music by Frank Loesser, and the K-house production doesn't let it go to waste. Combining the strong singing voices, the lively comic wit of the four lead actors and the enthusiasm brought by the actors in the smaller roles, this version of the frequently revived show shines at virtually every moment.

In the leading male roles, both Davis and Gardner possess wonderfully expressive faces and charming smiles, and they infuse their roles with sparkling wit. Davis is particularly amusing in his scenes with Miss Adelaide as he talks his way in and out of her good graces.

As Adelaide, Tornell is more than up to Davis' mettle. She pulls off a stellar performance as she alternates between pouts and smiles, and her rendition of "A Person Can Develop a Cold" is another of the show's comic delights.

In their duet together, Beatty's operatic voice contrasts nicely with Tornell's more comic style and lends the tune some real musical flair. But Beatty is no slouch when it comes to comedy, as she does a wonderful job with the scene where "mission doll" Sarah Brown discovers Bacardi.

One of the most refreshing aspects of Tolins' Guys and Dolls is that even the smallest parts have their even the smallest parts have their own distinctive personalities. Remo Airaldi's rendition of "Sit Down, you're Rocking the Boat," gets the whole audience clapping, and David Dishy is hilarious as Harry the Horse. As Arvide Abernathy, one of the other "mission dolls," Allison Charney has an extraordinarily beautiful voice and a great sense of comic timing.

As with any good musical comedy, the dancing is an integral part of the show's success. choreographer Lesley Blumenthal, who has worked on earlier Harvard hits like Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, has done it again. Blumenthal displays considerable talents as a soloist, but the group dance numbers are where the production really shines. Tolins and his crew have made large production numbers possible by moving the stage to the side of the JCR, and the well-trained cast keeps the routines controlled and very lively.

All in all, Guys and Dolls is a sure bet, one of the best shows to hit Harvard this year.