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
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
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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.
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| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
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Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
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Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
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Lead |
Female |
Alto |
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Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
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Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
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Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
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Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
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|
Featured |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
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Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Featured |
Male |
Baritone |
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Featured |
Male |
Baritone |
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|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor |
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|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
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|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
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Songs
Act I
Act II
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
A cappella refers to vocal music performed without instrumental accompaniment. Singers rely on harmony, rhythm, and tone to create a full sound. It is often used in choirs, vocal ensembles, and musical theatre moments requiring intimacy or vocal precision.
A ballad is a song style that tells a story through simple, lyrical verses and a steady rhythm. In theatre, ballads are often slow and emotional, allowing characters to reveal deep feelings or reflect on personal journeys. They can be used to highlight romance, longing, or moments of dramatic intensity.
A musical with a well-structured narrative that integrates songs, dialogue, and dance to advance plot and character development.
A “Conditional Love Song” is a duet where two characters sing about love in a hypothetical or playful way, often before they admit their true feelings. Commonly using phrases like “if we were in love,” this song type allows romance to blossom while maintaining dramatic tension. It has become a staple of musical theatre storytelling, blending charm, humor, and foreshadowing.
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.
The “Golden Age Musical” refers to Broadway shows written roughly between the 1940s and 1960s, a period known for integrating songs, story, and character development. These musicals often balanced romance, comedy, and social themes with memorable melodies and large ensembles. Classics from this era continue to shape the foundation of modern musical theatre.
In music, harmony occurs when two or more notes are sung or played at the same time, creating chords that enrich the sound. In musical theatre, harmony is often used in duets, trios, or ensemble numbers to heighten emotion and texture. It can reinforce unity, tension, or contrast between characters.
An “I Want Song” is a number, usually placed early in a musical, where a main character expresses their deepest desire or ambition. This song sets the character’s journey in motion and gives the audience a clear emotional stake in the story. It has become one of the most recognizable and enduring conventions of musical theatre structur
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 revival is a new production of a play or musical after its original run has ended, often reimagined for a new generation of audiences. Revivals may stay faithful to the original staging or update elements like design, casting, or interpretation. They are a cornerstone of theatre tradition, keeping classic works alive and relevant.
“Runyonesque” refers to a colorful, exaggerated style of dialogue and character inspired by writer Damon Runyon, known for his short stories about New York gamblers, hustlers, and showgirls. Characters often speak in a formal yet slang-filled manner that is humorous, rhythmic, and larger-than-life. This style has become shorthand for a heightened comic world of quirky underworld figures with a surprising sense of honor.
Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
Themes
Love and Transformation At its core,
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*“The oldest established permanent floating crap game
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