Photo by Jon Lewis.
On-stage chemistry can be an elusive element in musicals, and especially in student productions. Happily, both the guys and the dolls have it in abundance in the Shasta College production of “Guys and Dolls.”
There is a lot to enjoy on the stage, from the colorful backdrops by set designer David Fraser and the equally colorful costumes by Hillary Fahey, to the bright and shiny actors, singers and dancers.
There’s also plenty to enjoy in front of the stage, where Dr. Elizabeth Waterbury conducts 25 musicians in the orchestra pit. The hard-charging band offered a professional-sounding zing to the proceedings as it set a jaunty tempo.
Ken Hill, Shasta College’s now full-time theater instructor, said earlier in the week that he chose “Guys and Dolls” in large part because Waterbury, the musical director, was (justifiably) proud of her orchestra and she wanted to see how they’d fare with the music from one of her favorite shows.
Hill, too, is a fan of the musical and once the decision to stage it was final, he said he decided to “approach the show the way it’s written. I told Fraser I want to pull out all the stops … I want stuff flying in and flying out.”
That mentality carried over into the production. The scene changes are fast, furious and effective as the action alternates between a bustling New York City streetscape, the Save-a-Soul mission, a Havana nightclub and a sewer.
The stars of the show, though, are the young cast members who inject the Broadway chestnut with a healthy dose of energy.
Blake Fisher, 19, provided a great turn as the dashing Sky Masterson and was an excellent counterpart to 17-year-old Halie Benfer as Sister Sarah Brown, the beautiful and pious foot soldier in the Salvation Army.
Sky Masterson (Blake Fisher) and Sister Sarah Brown (Halie Benfer). Photo by Peter Griggs.
Their rapport was evident early in the show with their performance of “I’ll Know” in the second scene as they offer contrasting versions of how they’ll find their soul mates.
Dash Waterbury, one of the elder voices at age 28, was a joy as Nathan Detroit, the frazzled proprietor of a floating craps game. He, too, was well matched with Cassie Wise, the young woman who had landed the choice role of the showgirl Miss Adelaide, Nathan’s long-suffering fiancée.
Miss Adelaide (Cassie Wise) and Nathan Detroit (Dash Waterbury). Photo by Peter Griggs.
Also helping to bring life to New York’s underbelly of gangsters and gamblers were Adam Gilbert, 22, as Nicely-Nicely Johnson and Andrew Kessler as Benny Southstreet. Travis Micheal, who has been active at Shasta College, the Cascade Theatre and Riverfront Playhouse, continues to impress. In “Guys and Dolls” he collects a fair share of laughs as Big Jule, a notorious gambler visiting from Chicago.
Youth did not steal the whole show, however. It was fun to see Robert Waterbury, head of the Shasta College Opera Workshop and a private voice teacher, taking on the role of Sarah Brown’s grandfather. (In real life, he is Liz Waterbury’s husband and Dash Waterbury’s father.) He also got to show off his pipes with “More I Cannot Wish You” in a tender scene with Halie Benfer.
A tip of the hat as well to Roni Grandell, whose choreography kept the musical numbers fun and lively.
“Guys and Dolls” continues at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday through July 25 with 2 p.m. matinees on Sunday and July 19. Tickets are $12, general admission; $10, students and seniors. Available at the door or by visiting www.shastacollege.edu.
