Put Lyric Stage and the Turtle Creek Chorale together and what do you get? An evening of well known music as you’ve never heard it. Add in the Stockton Helbing Jazz Initiative and choreography by Kelly McCain and you have a production of Guys & Dolls as it’s never been seen before in Dallas.
Lyric Stage is the master of restoring classic musicals. Often, as a Broadway musical ages, the production limps on with a smaller orchestra and fewer actors on stage in the ensemble. And when the tour hits Dallas, it’s been redesigned to travel easily.
Lyric restores the music to the way its composers meant the show to be presented. And the chorale is the perfect partner to add the richness of the score.
I saw the final dress rehearsal on Thursday night and loved what I saw. But without a printed program, I don’t have actors matched with numbers so excuse the awkward plaudits.
The structure of the show builds to a big finale and the chorale is a big part of the wonderful staging of “Luck Be A Lady Tonight” and “Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat.” The actor who leads the latter got a standing ovation from the audience attending the rehearsal. (Ed. note: The actor is Dylan Markey)
The quartet of lead actors – BJ Cleveland as Nathan Detroit, Catherine Carpenter as Adelaide, Michael Leadbetter as Sky Masterson and Abigail Benson as Sarah Brown – are excellent. The two women belt out their songs fully balancing the powerful voices of the chorale.
Kudos (and shameless plug) to Danny Vanegas, who plays one of the gangsters, and plays the lead in the Dallas Voice’s online production of The Gayborhood.
Guys & Dolls plays this weekend only at Moody Performance Hall in the Arts District. Tickets are available at TurtleCreekChorale.com.
This is Guys & Dolls as you’ve never seen it before and are unlikely to see it again.
– David Taffet