Show T First Rate Guys and Dolls at Pioneer Theatre Company y By Scott C. C Morgan Staff Miter When Pioneer Theatre Company released their 96 1995 season many people in the theater community groaned when Guys and Dolls was listed as the season finale It wasn't because Guys and Dolls is a bad musical it was because the show has been produced so many times Guys and Dolls is unanimously considered by critics to be the quintessential quintessential quintessential quin quin- New York musical from Broadways Broadway's Golden Age And yet it suffers from that distinction for the quality of Guys and Dolls has resulted result result- ed in numerous productions of varying varying varying vary vary- ing quality This fact was amusingly played up in the musical parody show Forbidden Broadway with the song I 1 Know Ive I've Seen This Show Before Despite the overwhelming familiarity familiarity familiarity famil famil- of t the e show audiences will still probably be entertained by Pioneer Theatre Company's professional production production production pro pro- of Guys and Dolls Under the resourceful direction of Charles Morey many attempts tomake to tomake tomake make the material fresh and new succeed succeed succeed suc suc- while others just barely miss the mark What really keeps Guys and Dolls afloat is its energetic ensemble of actors that keep the production production production pro pro- moving at a fast pace Sharon Kay Whites White's portrayal of the suffering long fiance Adelaide isa is isa isa a true delight alongside Bernie Bemie humorous depiction of the to hubby-to-be Nathan Detroit Brigid Brady and Matthew Loney perform the love-interest love roles of Sarah Brown and Sky Materson terson well though the chemistry didn't really shine through at the performance I attended The most memorable production number in the show is the Havana seque sequence ce due in most part to Jayne Lukes Luke's gyrating choreography Lukes Luke's other production numbers were executed extremely well though they appeared to be somewhat somewhat somewhat some some- what limited by Rob Odorisio's creative creative creative cre cre- yet constraining set Karl E E. E Haas' Haas lighting design was colorful and moody for the night sequences but its it's brightness during the daytime scenes threatened to i N r lo N i tt 4 55 I S 'S A k I ir Photo by Robert Clayton Nicely-Nicely Nicely Johnson Daniel Marcus Benny South Street Scott Davidson and Harry the Horse Max Robinson wonder where the crap game is in Pioneer Theatre Company's Guys and Dolls destroy the make believe NewYork New NewYork NewYork York atmosphere of the turntable set The orchestra under the masterful direction of James Prigmore moves the production along nicely though one wishes that Micheal 1992 orchestrations were used instead of the original ones Because of this the production sounds tobe to tobe tobe be moving at a leisurely pace when compared to the 1992 Grammy Award winning Guys and Dolls s cast album Aside from a few minor qualms Pioneer Theatre Company delivers a a. a rate first-rate production of Guys and Dolls s. Even if one has seen this show before th there re are still several new things to see in this classic broadway musical Guys and Dolls s plays through May 18 on the Lees Main Stage of Pioneer Memorial Theatre on the University of Utah Campus Tickets can be obtained by visiting the PIC box office or by calling |