Guys and Dolls

Guys and Dolls
Music and lyrics by Frank Loesser. Book by Jo Swerling & Abe Burrows. Queanbeyan Players Inc. Director: Jude Colquhoun. Musical Director: Jenna Hinton. Vocal Director: Emma White. The Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre. Nov 3 – 12, 2017

This is a snappy, fun show with direction that has led to wholehearted participation from everyone involved. From the principal roles to each member of the chorus, each performer has their own part to act and sing and is dedicated to it.

The gamblers start the show with Nicely-Nicely Johnson (Ben Wilson), Benny Southwest (Tristan Foon) and Rusty Charlie (Joe Moores) setting the scene on Broadway with fine harmonies and good characterisation.

In contrast both in music and costume, Miss Sarah Brown, played by Kitty McGarry, and her band of missionaries, bring in the battle to save souls. Kitty McGarry’s voice is a delight to hear in “If I Were a Bell” and in her duet with Steve Galenic in “I’ve Never Been in Love Before”.. 

Steve Galenic sings the role of Sky Masterson, best shown in “Luck Be a Lady” with its attendant dramatic clash with Big Jule, played by Chris Bennie with a quiet but scary villainy.

Tina Robinson plays Miss Adelaide and sings “Adelaide’s Lament” most amusingly. Her song and dance with the Hot Box Dancers is a good start to the second act, with choreography by Belinda Hassall and again the costumes being of the period. Consistent care and attention has been paid to costume design by Jennie Norberry.

Musical direction of a band onstage is a way to use the stage available at the Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre. Occasional intonation problems occurred in both acts but may have improved during the show’s run. Sound and lighting design were done well except for shade on performers at the front of the stage, and set design uses the stage space nicely to move from a streetscape to the Hot Box or the Save a Soul Mission.

Well done, Queanbeyan Players.

Rachel McGrath-Kerr

Photographer: Michael Moore (Moore Photography).

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