*ABOUT THE PLAY*

Called “the greatest of all American musicals” by TIME Magazine, Guys and Dolls is an enduring treasure of style and substance – a pleasure to the ear, a feast for the eye, and a tickle to the funny bone. When 1950 New York underworld gangsters and gamblers collide with Sarah Brown and her Save-a-Soul missionaries, all bets are off – anything and everything could happen – and does! With a re-written book by Abe Burrowes (a radio comedy writer of his day) and music by Frank Loesser, Guys and Dolls became an instant smash hit, winning the Tony Award for Best Musical. As you may know, the characters are loosely drawn from Damon Runyon’s short stories, but the role of Miss Adelaide was created exclusively for Viviane Blaine, a favorite of Frank Loesser’s who was considered too effervescent for the buttoned-up Sarah Brown. It is fun to note: Walter Matthau once played Nathan Detroit, and Laurence Olivier had his eye on that role, too; The original Sarah Brown, Isabel Bigley, was once slapped in the face by Loesser because she wasn’t singing his songs the way he wanted; An actor who couldn’t sing (Marlon Brando) played Sky Masterson at the peak of his career.

Believe me, the guys and dolls you will see on stage tonight easily emerge from the shadows of any of their predecessors. You are in for a treat! Enjoy!

MARTHA TRAVERSE DIRECTOR