Guys and Dolls, Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre, Winchester, VA

 

I have seen four productions of Guys and Dolls in the past four years: the Kennedy Center production (October 2022) as part of the Kennedy Center Broadway Center Stage series (which I hope will be revived), an “immersive” production directed by Nicholas Hytner at London’s Bridge Theatre (September 2023), the Shakespeare Theatre Company production (December 2025), and now at the Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre in Winchester, VA. I wrote about the Kennedy Center and STC productions (you may find the links at the end of this article), but not the London production.

What is my obsession with this show? First, I believe it is one of the greatest of the so-called “golden age” of the American musical, featuring a wonderful Frank Loesser score and a libretto by Abe Burrows (who shares credit with Jo Swerling), with endearing characters and an engaging plot that still “holds up” today. Second, I directed a college production of it over 40 years ago, one of the most pleasurable directing experiences from my years of teaching.

I have recounted the plot in my two previous reviews, so I will sum it up succinctly.  In 1949 New York, we meet characters from two different worlds: a group of gamblers and their girlfriends on one hand and a group of missionaries trying to save sinners on the other. When the two worlds collide, hilarity and romance ensue.

After seeing their delightful production of The Drowsy Chaperone two summers ago, I looked forward to making the trip to Winchester to see what the Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre would make of Guys and Dolls.

On the whole, I enjoyed the performance. It was visually exceptional, from the colorful representation of mid-20^th century New York City (including a subway car!), as well as locales (by scenic designer Eric Luchen) as varied as a cheesy New York nightclub and a more exotic one in Havana, the sewer system, and the Save-a-Soul mission, and true-to-period costumes designed with a keen eye and sly wit by Karsen Green. Mario Raymond’s lighting design enhanced the visual impact. Aurally, Adam Visconti’s sound design managed a good balance between the vocalists and the orchestra (in collaboration with music director Josh Harvey and music supervisor) Garrett Jones, who elicits excellent vocal performances from the cast and makes the 14-piece orchestra sound much larger), which is often not the case (see my recent reviews of CrazySexyCool and Pippin). Choreographer Trey Coates-Mitchell earns extra credit for the breadth of his choreography, from the athleticism of the “The Crapshooters Dance” to the hokum of “A Bushel and a Peck.” Director Jeremy Scott Blaustein has brought these collaborators together and coordinates it all.

Add to all of these elements some first-rate performances by a talented cast and you get an entertaining performance, but something just didn’t quite “gel.” Largely, these were directorial decisions that misfired or missed the mark, sometimes by just a smidgen, sometimes more than that.

The four main characters include one pair (Sky and Sarah) with rapturous love songs and ballads, balanced by another pair (Nathan and Adelaide), whose songs are comic “character” songs. Adam Hollick has a strong, resonant baritone and projects a heroic profile as Sky, playing opposite Isabel Robin as Sarah, who possesses a lovely soprano and a demure innocence till she “lets loose” in Havana. Their “I’ve Never Been in Love Before” at the end of Act I features a delightful melding of their voices.

Francisco Rendon as Nicely-Nicely Johnson in rehearsal for “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat” in Guys and Dolls at Winchester’s Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre. Photo credit: Charles King/C King Media.

At the other end of the spectrum are Nathan and Adelaide, who serve to contrast with the others and are required to sing as very specific characters. In this production, both Jordan B. Stocksdale as Nathan and Katelyn Crall as Adelaide demonstrate greater vocal prowess than is required. The voices they employ (at times) are really too polished for the characters. Adelaide, for example, is working as an “entertainer” in a hokey burlesque-type dive of a nightclub (and has been for years). Crall’s voice (she is a full-on “belter”) transcends her surroundings. Nathan’s role is written as vocally limited (because the actor who first created the role had limited singing ability), but in this production shows off what he has by matching Adelaide a couple of times during “Sue Me,” including a who-can-hold-the-note-longer standoff that makes little sense dramatically.

I know how difficult it can be to assemble a full dancing ensemble of men. The Kennedy Center production solved that, in part, by casting actress Rachel Dratch as Big Jule, a visiting gambler from Chicago who has a somewhat-threatening presence. No, it wasn’t technically “right” for the production, but Dratch and the company committed to it and it worked. This production goes in a completely different direction, casting a 10-year-old in the role and giving him two even-younger companions. Their attempt to project power and danger goes nowhere and looks silly. The ensemble featured plenty of strong, appropriately-aged “grown-ups” who, I believe, would have “fit” very well. The cast includes a number of musical theatre students, who have a great learning experience working with more experienced, professional actors

Two additional quibbles. Lt. Brannigan, the policeman who has been tailing Nathan and the gamblers, gets caught up in the spirit during the final mission scene, which seemed out of character. I also noted an anachronism in a production otherwise extremely faithful to the period: at one point, Sarah takes out the trash, which is when she runs into Adelaide. The trash is in a black plastic bag, which would not have existed in 1949.

Those directorial decisions, I think, were the major causes of the missing “something” that made this production less than satisfying. Granted, I attended a weekday matinee, but I wanted to feel more energy and precision.

A number of supporting performances deserve special mention. Francisco Rendon’s rendition of “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat” lifts the energy toward a rollicking conclusion. He is joined by Giovanni Santoro as Benny Southstreet and Jack Bieniewics as Rusty Charlie for a rousing “Fugue for Tinhorns” to kick off the show and set the stage for what is to come. Peter McClung is grandfatherly as Arvide Abernathy, but reveals another side of the character when he threatens to expose Sky if he does not follow through with his bet. Paulette Oliva adds an unexpected but fun bit of flirtatiousness to the otherwise dour General Cartwright. Raven Burckhalter manages a nice laugh as Mimi with one line and her exit in a nice moment on the stage.

Guys and Dolls closes July 5, but the Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre presents the romantic musical comedy She Loves Me (with score by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, who wrote Fiddler on the Roof) July 10-19 and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical July 24-August 2.

If you’re interested, you may find my previous Guys and Dolls reviews at:

theatregoerthoughts.blogspot.com/2022/10/guys-and-dolls-kennedy-center.html and

theatregoerthoughts.blogspot.com/2025/12/rob-collletti-center-and-cast-of-guys.html.