Guys and Dolls as Presented by Portlaoise Musical Society
Adjudication Date:
Monday 18th November 2024
‘Guys and Dolls’ is making a bit of a resurgence this year. And why wouldn’t it? With its timeless, hilarious script and a sumptuous Frank Loesser score, it is always an enjoyable evening’s entertainment. Portlaoise Musical Society ensured that its audience didn’t leave disappointed, as they produced a very entertaining show against a very cleverly designed set which gave an incredibly professional polish to the entire production.
I was delighted with the warm welcome received front of house. The Salvation Army was even in attendance, clearly identifying the sinners in the foyer and providing me with the necessary literature. It was all part of the fun and set a lovely, relaxed tone for the evening.
Art McGauran’s direction was pacy for the most part. At times, the comedy didn’t get a chance to land and breathe though. Care needed to be taken not to lose lines under laughter. When the comedy was good, it was really good and the cast relished the audience reaction when the gags landed. Positioning of performers in larger ensemble scenes and subsequent sightline issues needed attention at times. Sarah’s opening monologue, as she addressed the multitude of sinners, had her upstaging herself as most of the cast was positioned behind her. There was really great work in sewer scene, which can be a real challenge to keep flowing and pacy. It flew along and the guys did very well indeed during this sequence.
Musical director, Mary Rose McNally, brought Loesser’s exquisite score to life with her excellent eleven-piece orchestra. Based backstage, the orchestra sounded a bit muffled to begin with and it was hard to distinguish those glorious melody lines in the beautiful overture. The bass, in particular, was a bit too high in the mix and sounded quite muddy. However, once things settled, the orchestral sound improved greatly. Chorally, things were very strong. The Hot Box girls’ numbers sounded great and were performed tongue in cheek. ‘Luck Be a Lady’ sounded superb with the male ensemble singing up a storm. ‘Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat’ was fun, vibrant, and huge from a very committed ensemble, with excellent harmonies noted. Principal singing was generally strong and the big orchestral sequences, such as the Crapshooters’ Ballet, were a joy.
Stephanie Browne’s choreography was dynamic, fresh, and full of energy. Routines were well rehearsed and very slick. The Crapshooters’ Ballet was excellent in its creativity and high performance levels, with the gentlemen doing their level best to steal the show. It was energetic, athletic, and quite exhilarating in its execution. ‘Take Back Your Mink’ was very impressive from the Hotbox ladies, a fun, excellently performed number, full of knowing flirtatiousness. ‘Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat’ was another superb routine, marrying the technical brilliance of the set and projections with the choreography to create one of the standout moments of the show.
Cormac Malone was very charismatic and likeable as Sky Masterson. Stage presence was very strong and Mr. Malone’s delivery of dialogue was thoughtful and considered at all times. He was a very clever actor and we could see the thought process behind every word. Comedic timing was very good too. His crocodile tears, as he knowingly poured his heart out to Sarah about his wayward past, were very funny. Mr. Malone’s full, melodic, baritone voice was a joy to listen to. ‘My Time of Day’ was one of many musical highlights in the show.
The very talented Andrew Docherty played the iconic role of long-term bachelor Nathan Detroit. Mr. Docherty had excellent stage presence, drove the pace very well and had a keen eye for the comic possibilities of the role, right through the show. His very comical facial expressions were a howl as he employed one avoidance tactic after another to get off the marital hook with Adelaide. Mr. Docherty sang very well too. ‘Sue Me’ was a masterclass in delivering a comic number, full of character and energy in what was a real highlight of the show. A superb characterisation from Mr. Docherty.
As the strait-laced ‘mission doll,’ Sarah Brown, this was Ciara Finlay’s first leading role with the society. And what a role to start with! Ms. Finlay will, no doubt, have learned a lot from the experience. She delivered a strong acting performance. Ms. Finlay was suitably conservative in her opening scenes, before letting loose in Havana. She was at her very best post-Havana when her drunkenness was very funny indeed. ‘If I Were a Bell’ was loose and wonderfully inebriated, full of character. A fine performance and, I have no doubt, the first of many leading roles with the society.
Aishling Rohan was a very funny Miss Adelaide, the eternal fiancée, frustrated with Nathan’s commitment issues. Miss Rohan had excellent comic timing and was delightfully ditzy in the role. But it wasn’t all about the silliness. The poignancy and vulnerability of Adelaide’s situation were allowed to shine through too, thus avoiding the trap of becoming a one-dimensional figure of fun. Ms. Rohan worked very well with Mr. Docherty and their scenes were clearly well rehearsed as they rattled along with great pace and confidence. She was a superb singer too. I loved her lament, which demonstrated a wonderfully rich voice to complement her great comic timing.
Paul Browne really impressed as a very likeable Nicely Nicely Johnson. Mr. Browne lit up the stage in every scene with his wonderful presence and animated performance. ‘Sit Down Your Rockin’ the Boat’ was brilliantly performed and Mr. Browne wrung every last, little bit out of the song with his fine tenor voice and his sharp comic timing.
Claire Kelly was an imposing General Cartwright, commanding everyone’s attention when she arrived at the mission to announce its impending closure. Ms. Kelly did well in the role, with good diction and thoughtful expression. She was weakened somewhat by poor positioning in the Prayer Meeting scene but this was not her fault. She threw herself into the high energy ‘Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat’ with great enthusiasm, clearly enjoying the mayhem.
Gearóid Herraghty had a fine presence as Harry the Horse, making the most of his every moment on stage. His delivery was strong and his comic timing sharp.
There was a lovely warmth about Paul Spencer’s portrayal of Arvide Abernathy. Mr. Spencer brought great character to the role that was both charming and funny in equal measure. His accent left a range of possibilities open in terms of where Arvide had spent his formative years but, such was the endearing portrayal, this did not take away from his performance. ‘More I Cannot Wish You’ is a most heartfelt, sentimental song, as Arvide urges Sarah to follow her heart. I felt that the heart of this song was lost, through no fault of Mr. Spencer’s. The tempo appeared faster than usual and the phrasing was more rigid, which hampered a more thoughtful, nuanced performance of the song. The staging was also an obstacle, with little scope for genuine connection.
Colm Hogan was a very menacing and aggressive Big Jule, which gave great clarity as to why the other gentlemen were less than willing to question his dubious interpretation of the rules of shooting craps. Mr. Hogan had a towering presence befitting of his moniker, although someone should have taken his tailor back in East Cicero aside to have words about his ill-fitting suit. He also, quite obviously, did not have a gun inside his jacket when Nathan patted him down, making the business around Nathan’s ‘realisation’ of him carrying a gun quite jarring.
Alex Cathcart was an impressive Benny Southstreet, the perfect sidekick for Nicely Nicely. He had excellent comic timing and a strong sense of stagecraft. Vocally, he had a strong sense of harmony and this was well showcased in ‘Fugue for Tinhorns’.
Rory Chadwick brought a wealth of experience to his portrayal of Lieutenant Brannigan,
perpetually exasperated at being just that little bit late to make a bust. Mr. Chadwick was suitably authoritative but had a keen comic edge too, making him a very likeable adversary for Nathan and company.
I really enjoyed Derek McGinn’s performance as MC. There was great life and expression to his delivery and he had lovely interactions with the Hotbox girls as he moved upstage to bring Adelaide into the routine. It was really nice to meet Mr. McGinn briefly, backstage and I hope he continues to explore his love of musical theatre with Portlaoise MS.
Cian McKeon impressed as that little known Guys and Dolls character, Nicos. Mr. McKeon was a standout performer in the Crapshooters’ Ballet and ‘Luck Be a Lady.’ Bravo sir!
Laoise O’Connell proved the old cliché about small parts, making her few lines as Mimi most memorable. She was feisty and ditzy as Mimi and also shone as Sky’s dance partner in
Havana.
Jamie O’Callaghan did very well as Liver Lips Louis, demonstrating exceptional presence and movement in the Crapshooters’ Ballet and ‘Luck Be a Lady.’ He also shone during his unexpected appearance in Biltmore’s Garage.
Having been cast as Joey Biltmore, former member Paul Kenna sadly passed away earlier this year. The society paid him a beautifully subtle and thoughtful tribute during the show which I’m sure meant a lot to his friends and family. I have no doubt that Paul watched on with pride.
Zion Powell as Angie the Ox, Liam McNulty Nolan as Society Max and Olive Maher as Agatha, were all very strong in their respective roles.
The ensemble was very involved, always acting and reacting appropriately. Group singing was very strong, as was the larger group dance routines. ‘Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat’ was a fantastic number, with everyone on stage working so hard to perform the lively routine with exhilarating passion and, above all, fun. The gentlemen’s ensemble was exceptionally good, impressing greatly in the sewer scene. The Hotbox ladies also worked superbly well as a group, with great vocals and precise movement.
Stage management was in the very safe hands of Anthony Kirby. Mr. Kirby ran the show with military precision, seamlessly segueing from scene to scene in the blink of an eye. His crew operated the very clever set with a deft precision that was actually a joy to watch. Top notch work from all involved.
Set design for this show was exceptionally good. I would go as far as to say that it was the best Guys and Dolls set that I have ever seen on the amateur stage. The neon signs, the advertising billboards, the interior and exterior mission trucks, the stunning upstage archway all had such detail and attention to detail. The rear projection incorporated into the set design was so cleverly integrated and the images/animations so well created.
I attended the show on its third night and one would assume that most technical issues would have been addressed by then. I really hate saying this but the lighting on the night that I attended was poor in its design and in its execution. Cues were consistently too late or too early. Key lighting was non-existent in some areas, with patchy coverage in spots. Moving lights, intended to track soloists, were unable to keep up with the performer. This requires a significant amount of tech rehearsal. Throughout the show there were multiple cues that jarred, changing very suddenly and abruptly when slower fades would have been more appropriate. The bizarre positioning of low sidelights downstage left and right, meant that, at times, lights were shining directly into performer’s faces, only a foot or two away, casting colour onto their faces. Havana was devoid of atmosphere in what should have been a lighting designer’s dream – a huge scene with stops and starts in music, crying out for multiple lighting states, colour, and warmth. Haze was badly needed, in my opinion, to create some sort of atmosphere. Without it, most scenes were extremely flat. Thankfully, the use of smoke and some cooler washes in the sewer scene, helped to create atmosphere and mood, and meant that there was some redemption in the lighting plot.
Sound was generally very solid with tight cueing of radio mics, nice warm dialogue settings and a handful of well-chosen sound effects, including some atmospheric dripping in the sewer scene. After some initial concerns about the orchestra sound, things settled greatly. There was a very good balance between orchestra and vocals right through the show. Adelaide’s mic pack was on show for ‘A Bushel and a Peck’ and I thought that this could have been tidied up. A very small point in what was a great job overall.
For the most part, props looked really well and were authentic to the era. The Salvation Army drum, with its ‘Save-A-Soul’ skin, looked very impressive. The mission was appropriately dressed and hand props, in general were well chosen. The most glaring prop issue was the choice of furniture for the Prayer Meeting scene. I’m guessing that a certain Scandinavian furniture outlet did not have a futuristic line in stools available in a downtown Manhattan location during the 1950s. Wherever they were sourced, the stools were far too contemporary.
Costumes were generally very good. The gangster suits and hats looked very authentic. Big Jule’s suit needed attention as it was too short in the arm and leg department. The Salvation Army uniforms were just perfect. The Hotbox ladies looked very well and their ‘Take Back Your Mink’ costumes were particularly good, allowing for ease of disrobement and reveal of their very elegant black numbers.
Make-up was appropriate across the board and principals’ hair was generally well looked after. The Hotbox ladies’ hair was excellent. Some of the ensemble ladies could have had more of a 1950s look for authenticity.
This production of Guys and Dolls was most enjoyable, thanks largely to a wonderful cast, super choreography, and a visually stunning set. Many thanks for a great evening’s entertainment.
Pat McElwain
Gilbert Adjudicator 2024/2025
Photos by Terry Conroy
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