Overview
Synopsis
Guys and Dolls is a musical romantic comedy involving the unlikeliest of Manhattan pairings: a high-rolling gambler and a puritanical missionary, and a showgirl dreaming of the straight-and-narrow and a crap game manager who is anything but. Set in the Manhattan of Damon Runyon’s short stories, Guys and Dolls tells of con-man Nathan Detroit’s efforts to find new life for his illegal, but notorious, crap game. When their trusty venue is found out by the police, Nathan has to find a new home for his crap game quickly - but he doesn’t have the dough to secure the one location he finds. Enter Sky Masterson, a high-rolling gambler willing to take on any honest bet with a high enough reward attached. Nathan bets Sky that he can’t take the “doll” of Nathan’s choosing to Havana, Cuba, with him on a date. When Sky agrees to the bet, Nathan chooses uptight Evangelist Sergeant Sarah Brown, head of Broadway’s Save-a-Soul Mission. Sky thinks he’s been duped, but he’s in for even more of a surprise when his efforts to woo Sarah are so successful that he falls in love with her himself!
Guys and Dolls takes us from the bustle of Times Square, to the dance clubs of Havana, to the sewers of New York City as it demonstrates the great lengths to which a guy will go when he truly falls in love with a “doll.” Guys and Dolls features some of Frank Loesser’s most memorable tunes, including the hilarious “Adelaide’s Lament”, the romantic “I’ve Never Been in Love Before”, the exuberant “If I Were a Bell”, and the classic “Luck Be a Lady”.
Show Information
- Book
- Jo Swerling , Abe Burrows
- Music
- Frank Loesser
- Lyrics
- Frank Loesser
- Category
- Musical
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1950
- Genres
- Comedy, Romance
- Settings
- Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- new york, havana, cuba
- Cast Size
- medium
- Orchestra Size
- Large
- Dancing
- Some Dance
- Licensor
- Music Theatre International
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, Diverse Cast, High School, Large Cast, Middle School, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Star Vehicle Female, Star Vehicle Male, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Mature Adult, Elderly, Young Adult Characters, Medium Cast
Context
Guys and Dolls is subtitled, “A Musical Fable of Broadway.” Set in Damon Runyon’s mythical New York, Guys and Dolls creates an idealized version of New York in which the diverse population of this vast city, including hardened criminals and puritanical evangelists, are magically able to come together, get along, and even fall in love. Runyon was mostly a short story writer, and it was producers Cy Feuer and Ernest Martin who first had the idea to string together Runyon’s shorter tales
to read the context for Guys and Dolls and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act One
The scene opens in the hustle and bustle of Times Square, New York City, where people of all walks of life – from elderly street vendors, to young teenage bobby-soxers, to a blind beggar, to a cameraman, to Texan tourists, to hookers - cross paths, showing the diversity of the place New Yorkers call home (“Runyonland”). Amongst them are three good-for-nothing gamblers: Benny Southstreet, Nicely-Nicely Johnson, and Rusty Charlie, who are all placing bets on the daily horse races.
to read the plot for Guys and Dolls and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
|
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
|
Songs
Act One
- Overture – Orchestra
- Runyonland – Orchestra
- Fugue for Tinhorns – Nicely, Benny, Rusty
- Follow the Fold – Sarah, Mission Band
- The Oldest Established – Nathan, Nicely, Benny, Guys
- I'll Know – Sarah, Sky
- A Bushel and a Peck – Miss Adelaide, Hot Box Girls
- Adelaide's Lament – Miss Adelaide
- Guys and Dolls – Nicely, Benny
- Havana – Orchestra, *Cuban Dancers
- If I Were a Bell – Sarah
- My Time of Day/I've Never Been in Love Before – Sky, Sarah
Act Two
- Take Back Your Mink – Miss Adelaide, Hot Box Girls
- Adelaide's Second Lament – Miss Adelaide
- More I Cannot Wish You – Arvide
- Crapshooters Ballet – Orchestra, *Gamblers
- Luck Be a Lady – Sky, Gamblers
- Sue Me – Miss Adelaide, Nathan
- Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat – Nicely, Company
- Marry the Man Today – Miss Adelaide, Sarah
- Guys and Dolls (Reprise) – Company
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
Vocal performance without instrumental accompaniment, used in choral theatre pieces or stylistic musical moments.
A narrative song or poem often used in musical theatre and opera to convey story and emotion through melody.
A musical theatre number expressing love that depends on specific circumstances, often humorous or ironic in tone.
A period of artistic flourishing, often referring to 1940s-60s Broadway or English Renaissance theatre. This term plays a vital role in understanding theatrical structure and is commonly encountered in stagecraft or performance settings.
Broadway musicals from the 1940s–60s, known for integrating plot and song, such as *Oklahoma!* and *The Sound of Music*.
The combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce a pleasing effect, essential in vocal and orchestral performance.
A staple of musical theatre where the protagonist expresses a deep personal desire, setting the emotional tone for the narrative.
The complete text of an opera, musical, or other extended vocal work, including all spoken dialogue and lyrics. The libretto provides the dramatic structure and narrative arc, serving as a guide for both performers and directors to align story and music.
A new production of a previously performed play or musical, often reinterpreting its themes or updating its design.
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