author: Amanda N. Gunther
Call it hell, call it heaven, it’s a probable 12-ta-7 that HCST is doing— Guys & Dolls! That iconic, classic musical where the dice and the prayers are rolling all over New York City has landed (once again after being Howard County Summer Theatre’s inaugural production in 1975 and was produced again in 2008) at Marriotts Ridge High School for a two-week engagement and this ain’t no fly-by-night-Broadway-romance! It’s a cute little comedy— okay, okay there’s some romance too— and it’s got some great talent, impressive performances, and an overall feel-good-feel about it that’ll make you want to grab your dice…or your Gideon bible…and get out on out to HCST this June! Directed by Tom Sankey with Vocal Direction by Miriam Kook and Choreography by Kassi Serafini, this good-time show is perfect for the family this summer.
Luck was indeed a lady for HCST on opening night, ‘cause wouldn’t you know, one of their stars— Miss Marloe Lippert, who performed the first act of the production in the role of Miss Adelaide admirably and with such effort and gusto— took ill at the intermission and had to be replaced on the fly by Hot Box Dancer, Victoria Farnsworth. (Ms. Lippert, who is expected to make a full recovery from her laryngitis, was so full of vim and vigor that the audience at large thought she was just really acting through “Adelaide’s Lament”, the number wherein the character is exhibiting cold-symptoms all throughout the song!) Taking over for Lippert immediately following the intermission, Ms. Farnsworth radiantly carried the banner of “the show must go on” with such grace that she won herself several well-deserved ovations by curtain-call. Both Lippert and Farnsworth had mastered that ‘New York Doll’ sound and both had impressive dance moves in their respective numbers, with Lippert getting to fling her legs around during the Act I Hot Box number, “Bushel and a Peck” and Farnsworth getting to strut her stuff during “Take Back Your Mink”, the opening to the second act. It was a true ‘seven-on-the-dice’ for these leading ladies with Farnsworth (despite book in hand) really getting the vocal affectation and intonation of some of those zippier quips when it came time to peck at Nathan Detroit.
The production as a whole had a couple of hiccups and missteps, ironically enough none of which had to do with the emergency cast replacement, but for the most part was thoroughly enjoyable. Kassi Serafini does a sensational job choreographing the “Crapshooter’s Ballet”— featuring Brian Doctrow, Mitch Fishbein, Michael Gbadamoshi, Ian Luk, Charlie McGill, Timmy Moon, Jonathan Olson, Luke Pinsky, and Jacob VanderVat— the enthusiastic and acrobatic nature of the routine and its overall execution was simply stunning. You won’t be able to take your eyes off of these nine sensations as they fling, fly, tumble, and spin themselves silly through this ballet that precedes “Luck Be a Lady.” Serafini’s choreography for “Havana” (which features an unlisted and somewhat innumerable amount of ‘Havana Dancers’, several of whom I’m fairly certain are hotbox dolls and crapshooter guys) is also engaging and fits the style of the music. What’s disappointing, after watching both of those numbers, are the routines that Serafini uses for both of the Hot Box numbers, “Bushel and a Peck” and “Take Back Your Mink.” They felt lackluster, out of sync, and somewhat cobbled together; it just seems like an odd juxtaposition considering how impressive the choreography for “Havana” and “Crapshooter’s Ballet” was. And Serafini missed an opportunity for choreography in “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat” because the entire company, minus Adelaide and Sky, were crammed into the mission for that number, leaving no room for really bouncing up and down on the benches, let alone dancing.
Director Tom Sankey had almost perfected the balance of this extraordinarily sized cast, with the exception of “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat.” Cramming every inch of stage (and that’s saying something considering the size of the auditorium’s stage) with wall-to-wall people, somewhat detracts from the massive breakout number starring Nicely Nicely Johnson (the sensational James Toler) and makes it a little awkward for the lengthy-file-in of people as Sky attempts to say he’s delivered on his promise of one-dozen genuine sinners. But this moment aside, Sankey finds the balance of when to pack the stage and when not, and his overall pacing for the show is solid. There were a few scenic transitions which lagged just a little (some which had vamp-covers from the orchestra, one or two which did not) but ultimately the show is enjoyable; the scene and character work impressive and the overall vocality coming from the ensemble strong and well-toned. Vocal director Miriam Kook deserves a shoutout for those intricately insane harmonies featured during “Fugue for Tinhorns” and Orchestra Director Kevin George deserves several nods for his hard work throughout the performance, particularly on opening night as he kept that orchestra perfectly passed with the last-minute-switch of Miss Adelaide.
You got a sweet but strong sound from the parade of Mission Dolls (Heidi Bertaux, Amelia Bonistalli, Isabella Bonistalli, BreeAnne Chadwick, Laural Clark, Sandy Cromwell, Cheryl Faber, Stephanie Gertler, Ashley Hartman, Sara Josephson, Faye M. Liberatore, Terry Muldoon, Elizabeth Porter, Amy Rubin, Leslie Stroud, Debbie Watts,) every time they trudge through the streets singing “Follow the Fold.” They all have band instruments and some of those with percussion pieces are even playing theirs. Shoutout to the militant General Cartwright, Dana Bonistalli, whose singing voice you get to hear for a second during “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat.” Her overall presence as the general, though not seen until halfway through the second act, is a commanding one. And extra praises to Cris Wilhelm as Arvide Abernathy, the avuncular fella keeping an eye on Sgt. Sarah. With dulcet tones perfect for singing “More I Could Not Wish You” and a firm balance on how to politely threaten Sky Masterson, Wilhelm is well-suited for this cameo role.
Them gamblin’ guys is everywheres, I tells ya! Big Jule (J.R. Hontz), in league with Harry the Horse (Jeff Adams) are causing all the trouble for poor Nathan Detroit once the crap game gets going. Hontz plays Big Jule as a hot-shot with a temper and isn’t afraid to let anyone know it. Adams has an impeccable sense of delivery and a masterful handle on his New York City gangster-style vocal affectation. And while he’s credited as the Hot Box Emcee, you can also catch Michael Gbadamoshi flipping and spinning his way through the “Crapshooter’s Ballet” as one of the gambling dancers.
When it comes to slick-talking gangsters, you’ve got a trio of perfection in Benny Southstreet (Justin Moe), Rusty Charlie (a split role between Sam Bishop and Kevin Nolan; at this performance Sam Bishop) and Nicely Nicely Johnson (James Toler.) The trio can be seen together for numbers like “Fugue for Tinhorns”, which is arguably the most complex number, from a musical standpoint, in the show, and later capturing the essence of the titular number, “Guys & Dolls.” Moe, as the mustachioed mouthpiece of the group has an excellent handle on his accent— all three of them do— and Bishop takes the ‘baby-faced-bookie’ approach to his character; all excellent choices when it comes to character work with these notorious gangster, gambling guys.
James Toler all but steals the show as Nicely Nicely Johnson. From the moment you hear him pop open his mouth in “Fugue for Tinhorns” you’ll be bouncing in your seat waiting for the big finale-style number he gets in act two, and let me tell you— Toler does not disappoint! Full of gusto, exuberant, lively energy, and a powerhouse voice that could blow every manhole cover straight off the concrete of Broadway, Toler is showboating his way through “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat!” (He’s so good you almost forget Tom Sankey has flooded the mission with 400+ sinners!) Everything from the way Toler struts through “Guys & Dolls” to that perpetually surprised and slightly confuse facial expression he presents whenever another character addresses him is wild and thoroughly enjoyable. Toler delivers this character of Nicely Nicely Johnson with such effervescence and sincerity that you honestly feel transported back to the good ol’ gamblin’-gangster days of New York City. Where Toler has been hiding these last several years is anyone’s guess but after this sensational, show-stopping, scene-stealing performance with those powerhouse vocals, one can only hope that he continues to turn up on stages all across the area as often as possible.
Really leaning into the flamboyant chaos and delightful comedy of Nathan Detroit, Todd Hochkeppel is doing his own thing with the character and living every moment of it in frenetic, frantic, energetic bliss. When you’ve got a hammy stage icon like Nathan Lane to model the character on, it’s an incredibly easy (and lazy) trap to do, but Hochkeppel ignores that temptation completely and does his own thing, making the character hilarious but still balanced enough that you don’t feel like he’s some zany caricature with no real footing on the pavement. You get lots of gusto from his vocal capabilities as well, particularly when you hear him singing “Oldest Established” in the first act and then “Sue Me” opposite Adelaide (at that point in the performance, Miss Victoria Farnsworth) in the second act. What’s truly remarkable is the way he listens and reacts to everyone and everything in the spoken scenes, particularly those with Big Jule…or that moment when he receives some shocking news and faints and has to be dragged off; Hochkeppel is full of surprises in this role, all of which work extremely well for the character. And his accent is spot on!
With a speedy start, Sky Masterson (Danny Bertaux) rolls onto the stage like that slick-talking, charismatic charmer that he is. Bertaux brings a beautiful, albeit slightly higher-ranged tenor-tone, sound to the character and you can feel all of his emotions at the forefront of his character portrayal, particularly when he sings “My Time of Day” and his half of “I’ve Never Been in Love Before.” What’s so very endearing about Bertaux’ portrayal of Sky Masterson is the way he shows care and concern for Sarah. Even when he’s trying to chat her up initially inside the mission, all on account of that no-good, lousy-good-old-reliable-Nathan making a bet with him…you get the sense that he’s more than just some hot-shot, womanizing gambler man. You see this most aptly during the lead-up to “If I Were a Bell” and all throughout that number. While that number does belong to Sarah, he’s cautious and kind with her, rather than pushy and attempting to take advantage of her drunken state. Bertaux balances his gambling character just so— stern at the mission as he departs before “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat!” but also thoroughly intense as he rolls into that iconic number “Luck Be a Lady.” With gusto and a whole bunch of panache, you get a glorious sound from him in that beloved song, easily winning the crowd over to his favor.
As the somewhat frigid but deeply doubtful Sgt. Sarah Brown, Heather Moe is a delight. Her operatic soprano sound is perfect for numbers like “I’ll Know”, another duet with Bertaux’ Sky, and “I’ve Never Been in Love Before.” You get those soaring high notes glistening out of her mouth like a syrupy songbird and yet you never get the sense that she’s just ‘park-and-bark’ singing. There’s a depth to her sound, flooded with emotions that grounds the character in reality. Moe finds an extraordinary balance to her rendition of “If I Were a Bell”, it’s both brassy and drunk but perfectly articulate so that you get the sense she’s imbibed much too much without her character choice compromising the lyrics or the intent of the song. And when she first gets frosty with Sky, it’s a hoot! Of course when she plots and plans with Miss Adelaide (again at this point in the performance, Victoria Farnsworth) during “Marry the Man Today” it’s simply thrilling to watch her cheeky and slightly conniving side emerge.
If you want to take a bet on a good, family-fun-filled show, roll the dice and get your tickets to Guys & Dolls at Howard County Summer Theatre this June!
Running Time: 2 hours and 50 minutes with one intermission
Guys & Dolls plays through June 29th 2024 with Howard County Summer Theatre in the auditorium of Marriotts Ridge High School— 12100 Woodford Drive in Marriottsville, MD. Tickets can be purchased at the door (cash or check only) or in advance online.
To read the interview featuring Sky Masterson, Sgt. Sarah Brown, Miss Adelaide, and good old reliable Nathan Detroit, click here.
