Guys and Dolls

Ok, so I'm on a roll with the Broadway shows right now... Next Up... Guys and Dolls.

I heard mixed reviews. My theatre buff friend Anna said it was awful. My theatre buff friend Alina said it wasn't that bad. Guys and Dolls is actually my favorite musical (Thanks to Marlon Brando's rendition of Sky Masterson in the movie version... Those smooth-talking, swaggering men in suits who aren't afraid to take chances = Kryptonite), so I was going to give it shot, no matter what the critics said.

And...

Ok, I still love the play, but they weren't kidding... this is not the best production I've seen. They did some kind of rewrite on the script and took out all of the cool anachronistic language. What used to be intelligent and witty banter between the characters, now comes across almost on the level of farce. Lauren Graham was a cute Adelaide, and I'm pre-disposed to like her because of her Gilmore Girls days. She played the part well, but didn't bring anything to the character - though she does have a gift for comedic timing. Kate Jennings Grant/Sarah Brown has a great voice, but also didn't bring anything new to the table. Oliver Platt was a cheap Nathan Detroit, and Craig Bierko lacked the edgy center that is necessary to pull off Sky Masterson. Oh, and the staging! The changing computerized background in poor resolution and poor focus looked like someone made budget cuts in the wrong category. Adelaide's costumes were at least imaginative and interesting, while the rest were unimaginative and left something to be desired.

And to boot, they left out my favorite song!

Ugh. Now I need to go watch the movie to redeem my memories of the play and get doughy eyed over Marlon Brando.

Excuse me.