‘Guys and Dolls’ remains catchy as ever

Independence High School’s “Guys and Dolls” was a terrific show featuring a very talented cast. This musical, set mostly in New York, starts with Nathan Detroit, a gambler engaged to Adelaide for 14 years. In attempt to get $1,000 to set up a crap game, Nathan bets Sky Masterson – who’s known for his willingness to gamble on anything – that sum that he can’t take a “doll” to Havana with him. Sky turns to the leader of the local mission, Sarah Brown, and tries to win her over.

The live orchestra did a very good job, playing loudly and as a unit. While there was nothing spectacular about the sets, they accurately helped the audience know what was going on. The best parts of them were two runways that extended from the front of the stage, letting cast members perform there.

What stood out most were the talented voices. Charles Austin-Zimmerman, Veronica Rice, Lexi Moore, and Jordan McKoy did a great job with the songs. “Luck Be a Lady” was particularly powerful; Austin-Zimmerman did an excellent job as Sky, projecting his voice and hitting all the notes. Other noteworthy performances were Rice’s in “I’ve Never Been in Love Before,” Moore and Garrett Bradshaw’s in “Sue Me,” and McKoy’s (plus the ensemble’s) in “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat.”

Choreography was a big part of the show in the night club numbers “A Bushel and a Peck” and “Take Back Your Mink” and the scene in Havana with the club dancers. The dancers themselves were talented but sometimes out of sync with each other, which took away from the performance as a whole. Scenes with Moore’s Adelaide had contagious energy.

Actors and actresses’ accents also added to the show. The main characters, particularly Bradshaw and Moore, sounded authentic and really helped set the stage.

I walked away wanting to hear all the songs again, because they were so catchy and fun. The way the cast took a show with exclusively adult roles and made it seem realistic with teenagers was impressive. I didn’t get the feeling they were too young to fulfill adult roles, as I sometimes do when watching high schoolers perform.

“Guys and Dolls” has a significantly higher number of male roles than female roles, and the guys stepped up to the challenge. All the male roles were filled by talented actors and singers, as well as the few female lead roles and dancers.

This story was originally published May 7, 2015 at 9:55 AM with the headline "‘Guys and Dolls’ remains catchy as ever."