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| Jennifer Yamashiro and Michael Rouches |
By Tina Arth and Darrell Baker
Nobody ever accused Theatre in the Grove of being afraid to
tackle the tough ones, and the current production of Guys and Dolls (like their last play, August In Osage County) clearly illustrates this point. The large
cast, intricate vocal harmonies, tricky timing, complex dance numbers, and
demanding speech patterns make this show more challenging that its pre-Lloyd Webber
origins might predict. Director Darren Hurley has assembled a fine cast, punctuated
by some true standout performances, to bring one of our favorite shows to the
Forest Grove audience.
Set in the early 1950s,
Guys and Dolls presents a cartoonish tribute to some of New York City’s seedier
inhabitants (cheesy nightclub dancers, gamblers, gangsters, and crooked cops)
juxtaposed against a team of floundering missionaries desperate to draw sinners
to their revival meetings at the “Save A Soul” mission. The two populations
(and story lines) mesh when floating crap game organizer Nathan Detroit
(Michael Rouches) bets inveterate gambler Sky Masterson (James Grimes) that he
cannot get “Mission Doll” Sarah Brown (Carly Wasserstein) to accompany him to
Havana. Through a series of misadventures, the gamblers end up in the mission
twice – first to shoot craps, and later as somewhat repentant sinners.
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| Brandon Weaver, Michael Rouches, and Justin Canfield |
Of the two lead couples, Sky and Sarah are always at a
severe disadvantage when compared to Nathan and his perennial fiancé, Hot Box
star Miss Adelaide (Jennifer Yamashiro). Nathan and Adelaide get almost all of
the best comedy lines and songs, and Yamashiro and Rouches pitilessly exploit
this advantage with their unbelievable performances. Neither actor misses the opportunity to
shamelessly milk a line, gesture, nuance, or scene. The timing, vocals, and
pathos of “Sue Me” exemplify the genius of this pairing, and “Adelaide’s Lament
“ is a thing of beauty. Another show highlight is “Marry the Man Today,” a
number that gives Wasserstein a chance to shine, dumping her prim persona as
she and Yamashiro conspire to ensnare their respective beaus. Wasserstein’s beautiful soprano blends well
with Grimes’ “Broadway Baritone” in numbers like “My Time of Day/I’ve Never
Been in Love Before.”
Speaking of shameless milking, Brandon Weaver’s portrayal of
Detroit’s sidekick Nicely Nicely Johnson is a masterpiece – he never tries to steal
a scene, yet any scene he’s in is immeasurably enhanced by his presence. From
the opening number, “Fugue for Tinhorns,” through his quirky “Sit Down, You’re
Rockin’ the Boat,” his powerful and lovely tenor voice shapes many of the
show’s best numbers.
Guys and Dolls requires
a solid male vocal ensemble, and Hurley’s cast lives up to the challenge.
Justin Canfield does double duty on this score; as vocal director he has fine-tuned
the chorus, and as Benny Southstreet he lends his strong voice to several
challenging numbers.
We are puzzled by the decision to put the orchestra in the
pit, rather than on stage as if often done at TITG. The audience is deprived of
the opportunity to watch a fine group of musicians, whose presence would have
added an extra spark to the Hot Box and Havana scenes. In addition, the show’s
dance numbers are somewhat constrained by the need to work around two large
holes in the stage, and we found ourselves occasionally distracted by the fear
that a cast member might (as in the vernacular of the show) “take a dive.” In addition, choreography for the “Luck Be A
Lady” ensemble and the talented and nimble Hot Box Dancers could have been more
fluid had they been working on a solid stage.
Zachary Centers’ set design is simple but attractive, and
cleverly engineered to allow for frequent and rapid scene changes. The sound was flawless – no opening night
audio glitches – as was the lighting.
TITG is fortunate to have brought director Hurley back into
the fold; the technical and artistic quality of his recent productions have
been well-received by Washington County theater-goers, who are lucky to have
had a community theater like TITG in their midst for over 40 years.
Guys and Dolls is
playing at Theatre in the Grove, 2028 Pacific Avenue, Forest Grove through May
11, with performances Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
