The Syracuse University Department of Drama begins the 2023/24 season with “Guys and Dolls,” directed by Banji Aborisade, reviving the classic musical–with a twist. Performances will be held Oct. 6-15 in the Storch Theatre at the Syracuse Stage/SU Drama Complex, 820 East Genesee St. Tickets are available through the Syracuse Stage Box Office or by phone at 315.443.3275.
“Is it wrong to gamble, or only to lose?” asks librettist, composer, and lyricist Frank Loesser through the charming yet impulsive Sky Masterson. The scene is 1950s New York City: Gangsters run loose, showgirls perform at nightclubs and missionaries work to convert the city’s lost souls. Nathan Detroit, purveyor of a high-stakes craps game, makes a devious bet with Sky Masterson, and it’s not just money that’s on the line. If Nathan wins, he’s $1,000 richer and Sky must convince the innocent Sarah Brown to run off with him to Havana, Cuba. And the stakes are even higher for Nathan’s unwitting fiancé, Adelaide; it’s hard to plan a trip to the altar when the man of your dreams is constantly gambling away your wedding funds.
Director Banji Aborisade adds a new layer to the timeless musical with the addition of a Reader. “I thought, what better way to do it than to bring in the lens of someone from today because it only adds to the material and doesn’t take away from it,” says Aborisade. “I think it is super exciting, which makes me double down on the fact that I think the show is timeless—every generation can bring a different understanding to it. And we can deepen, and honor, what the writers originally wrote with today’s knowledge and push it forward.”
For Aborisade and his team, “Guys and Dolls” is both a celebration of how the world has progressed since the 1950s and the people who may not have been recognized in that time but directly affected and inspired the world we live in today. It is also an opportunity to explore how some things have not progressed at all. “The show is so deeply about relationships, and about change,” he said. Can relationships old and new sustain the trials and tribulations that come with differing morals and lifestyles? Can Nathan run the illegal craps game without getting caught by the police or his fiancée? Can Sky and Sarah have a genuine relationship when their romance is based on a bet?
‘Guys and Dolls’
Cast
Swings
Understudies
Additional Credits
