Guys and Dolls
Oct. 23rd, 2004 04:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
garnigalLast night I met my mother in Stratford and went to Guys and Dolls at the Festival Theatre. It was really good, as expected. I've never seen anything at Stratford that I didn't like. However, there were some things I'd do differently, if I were the director.
1. Nathan Detroit (played by Geordie Johnson) sounded a little too Jewish to be a gangster. What was up with that accent?
2. Cynthia Dale (Sarah Brown) drowned out Scott Wentworth (Sky Masterson) when they sang together. They both have fabulous voices, but they don't blend that well together.
3. I've never seen someone so tense as Big Jule (pronounced Julie, played by Grant Linneberg). I don't know if that was intentional, or if Grant Linneberg just isn't very flexible.
There were also some things that were so good they gave me shivers.
1. I just love Nicely Nicely Johnson (played by Bruce Dow). He's well written, and well acted. I'm going to answer "Nicely nicely, thank you" every time someone asks me how I am.
2. Sheila McCarthy as Miss Adelaide cracked me up. Unlike Geordie, her accent and voice were spot on (and her throat must have been killing her at the end of the show, staying so nasal.)
I love musicals. I love music, I love the theatre, I love the big splashy costumes. Usually, when I go to a big show like this, I'm way familiar with the story and music ahead of time. The only song I knew going in was Luck, Be a Lady. When I heard them, some of the others sounded familiar (The Oldest Established, Bushel and a Peck [yes, the children's song], Adelaide's Lament). Mom had to get me to stifle myself with my coat at some of the lyrics in Marry the Man Today (give him your hand today, give him the fist tomorrow - seriously!). I love the guys' dance numbers because they are so athletic and active.
I'm going back to Stratford tonight to see Midsummer Night's Dream (Reid rocks), so I'm going to stop into The Theatre Store and get the cd.
Come back tomorrow or Monday for my review of Midsummer Night's Dream.
1. Nathan Detroit (played by Geordie Johnson) sounded a little too Jewish to be a gangster. What was up with that accent?
2. Cynthia Dale (Sarah Brown) drowned out Scott Wentworth (Sky Masterson) when they sang together. They both have fabulous voices, but they don't blend that well together.
3. I've never seen someone so tense as Big Jule (pronounced Julie, played by Grant Linneberg). I don't know if that was intentional, or if Grant Linneberg just isn't very flexible.
There were also some things that were so good they gave me shivers.
1. I just love Nicely Nicely Johnson (played by Bruce Dow). He's well written, and well acted. I'm going to answer "Nicely nicely, thank you" every time someone asks me how I am.
2. Sheila McCarthy as Miss Adelaide cracked me up. Unlike Geordie, her accent and voice were spot on (and her throat must have been killing her at the end of the show, staying so nasal.)
I love musicals. I love music, I love the theatre, I love the big splashy costumes. Usually, when I go to a big show like this, I'm way familiar with the story and music ahead of time. The only song I knew going in was Luck, Be a Lady. When I heard them, some of the others sounded familiar (The Oldest Established, Bushel and a Peck [yes, the children's song], Adelaide's Lament). Mom had to get me to stifle myself with my coat at some of the lyrics in Marry the Man Today (give him your hand today, give him the fist tomorrow - seriously!). I love the guys' dance numbers because they are so athletic and active.
I'm going back to Stratford tonight to see Midsummer Night's Dream (Reid rocks), so I'm going to stop into The Theatre Store and get the cd.
Come back tomorrow or Monday for my review of Midsummer Night's Dream.
