- Performances: 1,200.
- Open / Close: November 24, 1950 – November 28, 1953
- Theater: The 46th Street Theatre (now the Richard Rodgers Theatre).
- Tony Awards: Won in all 5 categories in which it was nominated. The Sky Masterson / Sarah Brown actors both won (Robert Alda & Isabel Bigley), Michael Kidd won for choreography and George Kaufman won for direction. It’s telling that the Sky / Sarah couple were the highlight in the original but, over time, the Nathan / Adelaide roles would become the roles that earned actors attention and awards.
- Fun Fact: “Guys and Dolls” seemed to be a shoe-in to win the Pulitzer Prize except that book writer Abe Burrows – who is said to have been the mastermind behind the fabulously ornate and wonderful dialogue of the show – was mentioned in a Communist flyer around the time of the show’s eligibility. That was enough for the committee to blackball “Guys and Dolls” from consideration.
Podcast
Is there a more iconic musical than “Guys and Dolls?” Probably not. That doesn’t mean it’s easy to do well and my guests for this episode are a testament to how to make a classic musical really sing.
This is a show that can be dominated by its many engaging male characters, so I wanted to push aside the Guys for just a bit and talk to the Dolls. “Guys and Dolls” is never supposed to be realistic but there’s a danger in making it too broad for an audience to care about the characters. Adelaide has the potential to be portrayed as a caricature of female ditziness and Sarah Brown can come off as a one-note prude. But in a 2008 production of “Guys and Dolls” that enthralled Richmond audiences, Rachel Abrams and Rita Neidich gave those two character heart, soul and sass.
Rachel and Rita offer their remembrances about that particular production but also dig into some of the psychology of “Guys and Dolls” and how that translates to today. What’s it like being a woman in a male-dominated show? Their answers may surprise you.