Guys and Dolls (Musical)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Guys and Dolls is a musical in two acts with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser . The book is by Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling based on motifs from the short story The Idyll Of Miss Sarah Brown by Damon Runyon , further plot elements and characters were borrowed from other stories of Runyon, especially from Pick the Winner .
It premiered on November 24, 1950 at the 46th Street Theater in New York . With 1200 performances, the musical was a huge success. The piece was produced by Cy Feuer and Ernest Martin, George S. Kaufman directed, Michael Kidd developed the choreography.

The opening in London's West End was on May 28, 1953 at the Coliseum Theater ; the musical was performed 555 times there. The German-language premiere took place on May 26, 1969 in the Bremen Theater in a translation by Janne Furch .

content

first act

Nathan Detroit runs illegal gambling. Because the state authority in the form of Lieutenant Brannigan always has a watchful eye on the gaming community, the venue has to be constantly changed. Only Joey Biltmore is ready to rent Nathan his garage for the next round of the oldest mobile dice game. For this, however, he wants $ 1,000 from Nathan, and that in advance. Nathan has to come up with something.

Well-known player Sky Masterson is now in New York. Nathan intends to rip him off to get the money he needs. The two make a bet: Sky says he can persuade any girl Nathan calls him to fly to Havana with him. Nathan is happy and determines the Salvation Army Sergeant Sarah Brown as the victim . Thereupon Sky appears in the mission, miming the repentant sinner and promises to find twelve genuine sinners if Sarah only accompanies him to Havana. His first attempt fails: his written promise ends up in the trash and his kiss is returned with a slap. Sky doesn't give up and tracks down Sarah, waiting for the right opportunity. When General Cartwright unexpectedly visits the mission and confronts Sarah with the closure, Sarah accepts Sky's offer and accompanies him to Havana.

Meanwhile, Nathan is in dire straits with the lady of his heart, hot boxing star Adelaide. Adelaide has been waiting to marry Nathan for 14 years and is now getting more intrusive with her wish. Unlike her, Nathan is in no hurry and wants to enjoy his freedom. When Lieutenant Brannigan meets Nathan Detroit, surrounded by a group of rich men who are on their way to the next round of the game, they use as an alibi that the gathering is a hen party and that the completely unsuspecting Adelaide inaugurate them believes the truth of the story.

When Sarah and Sky return from Havana, they are surprised by the raid, which is taking place in the mission station of all places. There Nathan held his dice games. Sarah feels betrayed by Sky and breaks off contact with him.


Second act

Adelaide only realizes the fraud when her future husband does not show up on the agreed wedding date. Because he indulges in gambling during the day. Sky joins this group of players. He pretends to have lost the bet and offers the gamblers a new game. These lose - and now all have to follow him to the mission and confess their sins.

The two women have long since realized that “the man himself” can only be civilized through the woman. And so Adelaide married Nathan and Sarah Sky.

prehistory

The road to a successful musical was bumpy and required a lot of patience.

The first challenge was to raise money for a show that didn't have a director. Therefore, Frank Loesser and his wife spent a whole summer introducing the music to potential financiers. Surprisingly for Frank Loesser himself, Georg Kaufmann of all people, a versatile theater giant, turned into a "delightful, enthusiastic audience" who agreed to a production. The key to success was Max Gordon, who had around 75 Broadway hits and was a friend of Georg Kaufmann. On his telegram with the words: "Heard the music of 'Guys and Dolls'. The best in years. Loesser wants to know immediately how you feel about it. I strongly recommend that you do it.", Whereupon Kaufmann left his residence in France and hurried to New York. With Kaufmann as a director, money came in for the show.

Frank Loesser was involved in the distribution of roles and his auditions were described as a bit strange. He made the singers first sing Blue Skies and then Happy Birthday over and over again, higher and higher, louder and louder, they were supposed to look like bums and speak like criminals. He even had the singers call for "help".

Vivian Blaine played Miss Adelaide, Sam Levene played dice player Nathan Detroit, Isabel Bigley Sarah Brown, and Robert Alda played the competitive Sky Masterson.

Nobody expected the result to be achieved. A parquet seat was charged at $ 9.60.

Well-known music numbers

  • A bushel and a peck
  • If I were a Bell
  • Luck Be a Lady
  • I've never been in love before
  • My time of day
  • A woman in love
  • I'll know
  • Sit down, you're rockin 'the boat
  • Sue me

filming

The musical was in 1955, also under the title Guys and Dolls (dt. Stealing Harvard - and Dolls ), by Joseph L. Mankiewicz u. a. Filmed with Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando .

Awards

The musical received Tony Awards in 1951 in the categories: Best Musical, Best Theater Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Choreography.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Susan Loesser: From Broadway to the movie screen . Ed .: Opernhaus Graz GmbH. Graz 2020, p. 28 .