Guys and dolls dance around CMU stage

Guys and Dolls Dec. 7 and 8 Philip Chosky Theater, Purnell Center Carnegie Mellon… Guys and Dolls Dec. 7 and 8 Philip Chosky Theater, Purnell Center Carnegie Mellon University Directed by Steve Cosson 412-268-2407

Fifty years after the original release of the musical “Guys and Dolls,” its theme can still be applied to our society today – a man will do anything for the woman he loves.

From Nov. 29 to Dec. 8, the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama presents this popular musical, bursting with pure energy and talent. Based on the short stories by Damon Runyon, “Guys and Dolls” first premiered onstage in November 1950. It won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, in 1951 and has become an even bigger hit among audiences today.

Taking place in New York City, “Guys and Dolls” revolves around Nathan Detroit (Ben D. Goldberg), who runs a floating crap game and Sky Masterson (Robert Lenzi), “the highest player of all” who is looking for action. After heightened police activity, most specifically from Lieutenant Brannigan (Dusty Alvarado), Detroit is in need of a place to hold his crap game. He finds a place for the game, but there is only one problem – money. In order to get the $1,000 to rent the space at the Biltmore Hotel garage, he makes a bet with Masterson that seems impossible to lose – Masterson must take Sarah Brown (Jessica Waxman), the missionary good-girl, on a date with him to Havana, Cuba, and if not, he must pay Detroit $1,000. All the while, Detroit’s fiance of 14 years, Adelaide (Emily Rossell), who is a nightclub performer, believes he is through with gambling. Things get all mixed up as Sky and Detroit experience a rollercoaster of relationship ups and downs.

Despite a few microphone problems (which were fixed by the second act), the show was spectacular. The lighting and set really established the tone of New York City. The brightly lit Times Square contrasts well with the dingy atmosphere of the city streets, thanks to the much used fog machine.

The standout performance was, without a doubt, Emily Rossell as Adelaide. When Rossell is onstage, she has everyone’s attention. She is the epitome of Adelaide -whiny, over-melodramatic and sometimes obnoxious. Her voice is versatile and powerful, as she can easily manipulate it from nasally and high-pitched to deep and sultry in an instant, such as in “Bushel and a Peck.”

The songs Adelaide and the Hot Box Dancers perform provide a touch of humor and really grab the male audience member’s attention. “Bushel and a Peck” features the ladies wearing cute farm girl outfits (blue checkered tops and skirts) that show a bit more skin than the usual farmer would. The girls dance around, singing backup for Adelaide and randomly adding in squeaky “ooh”s and “eeh”s. At one point, the girls cluck around Adelaide like chickens, giving off a sense of childlike innocence, which it is far from. However, “Take Back Your Mink” doesn’t try to hide anything. The girls start by strutting their stuff in white mink coats only to strip them off in minutes, revealing the sexy corsets underneath.

The delightfully entertaining “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat,” is sure to be an audience favorite. Barrett Davis, playing Nicely-Nicely Johnson, lets the song take him over as he shares a dream he had with his fellow crapshooters during a prayer meeting. Throughout the song, everyone is dancing and singing, sitting and standing, moving and grooving. The song culminates as the crapshooters spin the benches, which are attached by a platform, in a circle while they repeatedly sing “sit down” faster and faster. The high energy level onstage quickly permeates throughout the entire theater.

The lyrics to the final song “The Happy Ending” (a bit cheesy, I know) are relevant today – “When you see a guy reach for stars in the sky, you can bet that he’s doing it for some doll.” Even after 50 years, “Guys and Dolls” has continued to be a favorite among audience – maybe because its message still holds true, or maybe because it’s purely entertaining. Either way, the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama knows how to bring the story to life.