American Classic
OCP’s production of ‘Guys and Dolls’ is charming and playful
By Jessica Clem
Omaha was bright with color on Sunday afternoon. The roses and tulips were in full bloom in Midtown, the lilacs were bustling along Dodge Street, and the stage at the Omaha Community Playhouse was a neon garden of blue and pink. “Guys and Dolls” brought the brightness of spring to a packed house. Set in the greasy yet vivacious 1950 state of New York, the play was a moral and romantic story about what happens when gamblers who love to bet and gals who try to change them for the better fall in love.
Beginning with a wager, Nathan Detroit (Jonathan Hickerson) bets a well-known gambler Sky Masterson (Seth Shirley) that he can’t get ice-cold missionary volunteer Sara Brown (Angela Hickerson) to accompany him on a spontaneous trip to Cuba. With his cool suits and croons, Sky attempts to woo Sara while Nathan meanwhile attempts to escape marrying his 14-year fiancée, Miss Adelaide (Kirsten Kluver). In a wonderful ride of schemes, dice and God, “Guys and Dolls” is a reminder of both the joy of classic theater and Omaha’s acting talent.
Directed by Susan Baer Collins, the scenes were charming and playful despite the two-and-a-half-hour-long performance, and reminded me what a pleasure a musical can be to top off a long weekend. Adelaide was by far my favorite of the day, with a thigh-slapping performance as a scantily clad dancer at the local dance club, “The Hot Box.” These scenes were a show by themselves, with a number of beautiful burlesque gals grinning and dancing onstage. I felt as though I should be ordering a drink from a waiter in a cummerbund while the gals chirped and shimmied.
Never one to skimp on details, the Omaha Community Playhouse had an amazing set for this play, with costumes to match. The gamblers were dressed in brightly stripped suits in green, grey, blue and yellow. The men had more dancing scenes than the women, and it was a pleasure to watch with their eye-catching moves and coat tails. In case some viewers were not familiar with the time period, the opening scene in the city had a movie board with Grace Kelly and Frank Sinatra in the background, as well as a billboard for Camel cigarettes. The set work was beautifully done and served as a wonderful backdrop for the duration of the show.
Hickerson was a stunner with his rendition of the slightly dimwitted yet charming Nathan Detroit, making him the troublemaker the audience was rooting for. While he was trying to find a place to hold an illegal craps game, the police were always hot on his path, as was Adelaide with her pleas and sneezes for a ring. The dynamic between the two was hilarious to watch and made them seem a perfect fit.
Sara and Sky also had a dynamic relationship in the show. Their kisses and intimate moments seemed genuine, and I found myself rooting for him to trade his dice for diamonds. With Sara as a moral supporter, it was fun to watch her begin to struggle with her own stipulations for how a “doll” should conduct herself, and the scenes only got more heart-warming as the show continued.
Hailed as one of the greatest musical productions in American theater, “Guys and Dolls” is worth the evening that the show will take. The cast, music, set and atmosphere is a bargain for the price. There is always room for a little romance, a little laughter, and a little color in all our lives. Grab your guy or doll and make your reservations today!