Original 1950 Broadway production ,
Sam Levene and
Isabel Bigley in 1950 Broadway production
Guys and Dolls at
46th Street Theatre The show had its pre-Broadway try-out at the
Shubert Theater in
Philadelphia, opening Saturday, October 14, 1950. The musical premiered on
Broadway at the 46th Street Theatre (now
Richard Rodgers Theatre) on November 24, 1950. It was directed by
George S. Kaufman, with dances and musical numbers by
Michael Kidd, scenic and lighting design by
Jo Mielziner, costumes by
Alvin Colt, and orchestrations by
George Bassman and
Ted Royal, with vocal arrangements by
Herbert Greene. It starred
Robert Alda (Sky Masterson),
Sam Levene (Nathan Detroit),
Isabel Bigley (Sarah) and Vivian Blaine (Miss Adelaide).
Iva Withers was a replacement as Miss Adelaide. The musical ran for 1,200 performances, winning five 1951 Tony Awards, including the award for Best Musical.
Decca Records issued the original cast recording on 78 rpm records, which was later expanded and re-issued on LP, and then transferred to CD in the 1980s.
1953: First UK production and
Sam Levene meet
Queen Elizabeth after a Royal Command Variety Performance of
Guys and Dolls on November 2, 1953 The premiere
West End production of
Guys and Dolls opened at the
London Coliseum on May 28, 1953, a few days before the 1953 Coronation and ran for 555 performances, including a Royal Command Variety Performance for
Queen Elizabeth on November 2, 1953. Credited with above-the-title-billing the London cast co-starred Vivian Blaine as Miss Adelaide and Sam Levene as Nathan Detroit, each reprising their original Broadway performances; Jerry Wayne performed the role of Sky Masterson since Robert Alda did not reprise his Broadway role in the first UK production which co-starred
Lizbeth Webb as Sarah Brown. Before opening at the Coliseum,
Guys and Dolls had an eight performance run at the
Bristol Hippodrome, where the show opened on May 19, 1953, and closed on May 25, 1953. Lizbeth Webb was the only major principal who was British and was chosen to play the part of Sarah Brown by Frank Loesser. The show has had numerous revivals and tours and has become a popular choice for school and community theatre productions.
1955 First Las Vegas production , performed twice daily starring
Vivian Blaine,
Robert Alda and
Sam Levene, each reprising their original Broadway performances
Vivian Blaine as Miss Adelaide,
Sam Levene as Nathan Detroit and
Robert Alda as Sky Masterson recreated their original Broadway performances twice daily in a slightly reduced version of
Guys and Dolls when the first Las Vegas production opened a six-month run at the
Royal Nevada, September 7, 1955, the first time a Broadway musical was performed on the
Las Vegas Strip.
1965 Fifteenth Anniversary production In 1965 Vivian Blaine and Sam Levene reprised their original Broadway roles as Miss Adelaide and Nathan Detroit in a 15th anniversary revival of
Guys and Dolls at the Mineola Theatre, Mineola, New York and Paramus Playhouse, New Jersey. Blaine and Levene performed the fifteenth anniversary production of
Guys and Dolls for a limited run of 24 performances at each theatre.
NYC Center 1955, 1965-66 revivals New York City Center mounted short runs of the musical in 1955, 1965 and 1966. A production starring
Walter Matthau as Nathan Detroit,
Helen Gallagher as Adelaide, Ray Shaw as Sky and Leila Martin as Sarah had 31 performances, running from April 20 to May 1, and May 31 to June 12, 1955. Another presentation at City Center, with
Alan King as Nathan Detroit,
Sheila MacRae as Adelaide,
Jerry Orbach as Sky and
Anita Gillette as Sarah, ran for 15 performances from April 28 to May 9, 1965. A 1966 production, starring
Jan Murray as Nathan Detroit, Vivian Blaine reprising her role as Adelaide,
Hugh O'Brian as Sky, and Barbara Meister as Sarah, ran for 23 performances, from June 8 to June 26, 1966.
1976 Broadway revival An all-black cast staged the first Broadway revival of
Guys and Dolls opened on July 10, 1976, in previews, officially on July 21, at
The Broadway Theatre. It starred
Robert Guillaume as Nathan Detroit,
Norma Donaldson as Miss Adelaide,
Jimmy Randolph as Sky,
Ernestine Jackson as Sarah Brown, and
Ken Page as Nicely-Nicely Johnson. Guillaume and Jackson were nominated for Tony and Drama Desk Awards, and Page won a
Theatre World Award. This production featured
Motown-style musical arrangements by Danny Holgate and Horace Ott, and it was directed and choreographed by Billy Wilson. The entire production was under the supervision of
Abe Burrows, and musical direction and choral arrangements were by
Howard Roberts. The show closed on February 13, 1977, after 12 previews and 239 performances. A cast recording was released subsequent to the show's opening.
1982 London; 1984 West End revival Laurence Olivier wanted to play Nathan Detroit, and began rehearsals for a planned 1971 London revival of
Guys and Dolls for the
National Theatre Company then based at the
Old Vic. However, due to poor health he had to stop, and his revival never happened. In 1982,
Richard Eyre directed a major revival at London's National Theatre. Eyre called it a "re-thinking" of the musical, and his production featured a neon-lit set design inspired by Rudi Stern's 1979 book
Let There Be Neon, and brassier orchestrations with vintage yet innovative harmonies. The show's choreography by
David Toguri included a large-scale tap dance in the finale, performed by the principals and entire cast. The revival opened March 9, 1982, and was an overnight sensation, running for nearly four years and breaking box office records. The original cast featured
Bob Hoskins as Nathan Detroit,
Julia McKenzie as Adelaide,
Ian Charleson as Sky and
Julie Covington as Sarah. The production won five
Olivier Awards, including Best Musical. Replacements in the cast included
Trevor Peacock as Nathan,
Paul Jones as Sky,
Belinda Sinclair and
Fiona Hendley as Sarah, and
Imelda Staunton as Adelaide. The production closed in late 1983. Eyre's production returned to the National from April through September 1984, this time starring
Lulu,
Norman Rossington,
Clarke Peters and
Betsy Brantley. After a nationwide tour, the production transferred to the West End at the
Prince of Wales Theatre, where it ran from June 1985 to April 1986. Following Ian Charleson's death from
AIDS in 1990 two reunion performances of
Guys and Dolls, with almost all of the original 1982 cast and musicians, were given at the National Theatre as a tribute to him. The tickets sold out immediately, and the dress rehearsal was also packed. The proceeds were donated to the Ian Charleson Day Centre HIV clinic at the
Royal Free Hospital, and to scholarships in Charleson's name at
LAMDA.
1992 Broadway revival ,
Guys and Dolls: Off the Record, starring
Peter Gallagher,
Josie de Guzman,
Nathan Lane, and
Faith Prince The 1992 Broadway revival was the most successful American remounting of the show since the original Broadway production which ran for 1,200 performances. Directed by
Jerry Zaks, it starred
Nathan Lane as Nathan Detroit (from whom Lane had taken his stage name),
Peter Gallagher as Sky,
Faith Prince as Adelaide and
Josie de Guzman as Sarah. This production played at the
Martin Beck Theatre from April 14, 1992, to January 8, 1995, with 1,143 performances. The production received a rave review from
Frank Rich in
The New York Times, stating "It's hard to know which genius, and I do mean genius, to celebrate first while cheering the entertainment at the Martin Beck." It received eight
Tony Award nominations, and won four, including Best Revival, and the show also won the
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival. This revival featured various revisions to the show's score, including brand new music for the "Runyonland", "A Bushel and a Peck", "Take Back Your Mink" and "Havana". The orchestrations were redesigned by
Michael Starobin, and there were new dance arrangements added to "A Bushel and a Peck" and "Take Back Your Mink". A one-hour documentary film captured the recording sessions of the production's original cast album. Titled
Guys and Dolls: Off the Record, the film aired on
PBS's
Great Performances series in December 1992, and was released on DVD in 2007. Complete takes of most of the show's songs are featured, as well as coaching from director Zaks, and commentary sessions by stars Gallagher, de Guzman, Lane and Prince on the production and their characters.
Lorna Luft auditioned for the role of Adelaide in this production. Faith Prince ultimately played the role, and Luft later played the role in the 1992 National Tour.
1996 London revival Richard Eyre repeated his 1982 success with another National Theatre revival of the show, this time in a limited run. It starred
Henry Goodman as Nathan Detroit,
Imelda Staunton returning as Adelaide,
Clarke Peters returning as Sky and
Joanna Riding as Sarah.
Clive Rowe played Nicely-Nicely Johnson, and David Toguri returned as choreographer. The production ran from December 17, 1996, through March 29, 1997 and from July 2, 1997, to November 22, 1997. It received three
Olivier Award nominations, winning one: Best Supporting Performance in a Musical went to Clive Rowe. Richard Eyre won the
Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Director, and the production won Best Musical.
2005 West End revival The 2005
West End revival opened at London's
Piccadilly Theatre in June 2005 and closed in April 2007. This revival, directed by
Michael Grandage, starred
Ewan McGregor as Sky,
Jenna Russell as Sarah,
Jane Krakowski as Adelaide, and
Douglas Hodge as Nathan Detroit. During the run,
Nigel Harman,
Adam Cooper, Norman Bowman and
Ben Richards took over as Sky;
Kelly Price,
Amy Nuttall and
Lisa Stokke took over as Sarah;
Sarah Lancashire,
Sally Ann Triplett,
Claire Sweeney, Lynsey Britton and
Samantha Janus took over as Adelaide; and
Nigel Lindsay,
Neil Morrissey,
Patrick Swayze,
Alex Ferns and
Don Johnson took over as Nathan Detroit. This production added the song "Adelaide" that Frank Loesser wrote for the 1955 film adaptation. According to a September 2007 article in
Playbill, this West End production was scheduled to begin previews for a transfer to
Broadway in February 2008, but this plan was dropped.
2009 Broadway revival A Broadway revival of the show opened on March 1, 2009, at the
Nederlander Theatre. The cast included
Oliver Platt as Nathan Detroit,
Lauren Graham, in her Broadway debut, as Adelaide,
Craig Bierko as Sky and
Kate Jennings Grant as Sarah.
Des McAnuff was the director, and the choreographer was
Sergio Trujillo. This version of the show moved the setting from the 1950s to the 1940s and added Damon Runyon himself as a non-speaking character. The show opened to generally negative reviews.
The New York Times called it "static" and "uninspired", the
New York Post said, "How can something so zippy be so tedious?" and
Time Out New York wrote, "Few things are more enervating than watching good material deflate." However, the show received a highly favorable review from
The New Yorker, and the producers decided to keep the show open in hopes of positive audience response. The
New York Post reported on March 4 that producer
Howard Panter "[said] he'll give
Guys and Dolls at least seven weeks to find an audience". The revival closed on June 14, 2009, after 28 previews and 113 performances.
2015 London revival A new production directed by
Gordon Greenberg was originally presented at
Chichester Festival Theatre in Summer 2014 before moving the
Savoy Theatre on December 10, 2015, for previews with a full opening on January 6, 2016, running until March 12, 2016 (following preview runs at the
Palace Theatre, Manchester and
Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham in November 2015). The production starred
David Haig as Nathan,
Sophie Thompson as Adelaide,
Jamie Parker as Sky, Siubhan Harrison as Sarah and Gavin Spokes as Nicely. The production then transferred to the
Phoenix Theatre, with
Oliver Tompsett as Sky,
Samantha Spiro as Adelaide,
Billy Boyle as Arvide, and
Richard Kind as Nathan. On June 28, 2016, the role of Miss Adelaide was taken over by
Rebel Wilson, and Nathan Detroit was played by
Simon Lipkin. The production also toured around UK cities and Dublin starring
Maxwell Caulfield as Nathan,
Louise Dearman as Miss Adelaide,
Richard Fleeshman as Sky and
Anna O'Byrne as Sarah.
2017 UK all-black production Talawa Theatre Company and Manchester's
Royal Exchange Theatre produced the UK's first all-black
Guys and Dolls in 2017. The production opened on December 2, 2017, and following an extension ran to February 27, 2018, at the Royal Exchange in Manchester. The cast included
Ray Fearon as Nathan Detroit, Ashley Zhangazha as Sky Masterson, Abiona Omonua as Sarah Brown, and Lucy Vandi as Miss Adelaide. In this production, the musical was relocated to
Harlem, 1939, with the music referencing jazz, and gospel. Director
Michael Buffong said, "Pre-war Harlem was all about the hustle. The creativity of that era was born from a unique collision of talent and circumstance as people escaped the agricultural and oppressive south via the 'underground railroad' into the highly urbanised and industrialised north. Much of our popular culture, from dance to music, has its roots in that period. Our
Guys and Dolls brings all of this to the fore." Reviews particularly praised the music, relocation to Harlem, and sense of spectacle.
Lyn Gardner in
The Guardian wrote that "the gamblers ... are a bunch of sharp-suited peacocks clad in rainbow hues."
Ann Treneman in
The Times commented, "Whoever had the idea of moving this classic musical from one part of New York to another bit, just up the road, needs to be congratulated. This version of Frank Loesser's musical, which swirls around the lives of the petty gangsters and their 'dolls' who inhabit New York's underbelly, moves the action to Harlem at its prewar height in 1939. It is a Talawa production with an all-black cast and it is terrific from the get-go." Clare Brennan in
The Observer stated, "Relocated to Harlem, this fine new production of Frank Loesser's classic musical retains a threat of violence under a cartoon-bright exterior."
2023 London revival A new revival directed by
Nicholas Hytner, choreographed by
Arlene Phillips and James Cousins and designed by
Bunny Christie began previews at the
Bridge Theatre in
London on March 3, 2023, with an opening night on March 14. Similar to Hytner's productions of
Julius Caesar and ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream'' at the Bridge, the production has an immersive
in-the-round staging where audience members in the pit stand and the stage platforms rise around them involving audience participation. The cast included
Daniel Mays as Nathan Detroit,
Celinde Schoenmaker as Sarah Brown,
Marisha Wallace as Miss Adelaide, Andrew Richardson as Sky Masterson and
Cedric Neal as Nicely Nicely Johnson. A new cast recording was released digitally on September 29, 2023, and was physically released on October 27, 2023, by
Broadway Records. This album features several bonus tracks including a pop remix of "Luck Be A Lady", sung by
Marisha Wallace, which is played after the curtain call and the Hi-Hi Boys' (
Cedric Neal with Simon Anthony, Jordan Castle, Ryan Pidgen) versions of "I'll Know", "I've Never Been in Love Before" and "If I Were A Bell" which is performed during the interval.
Owain Arthur took over from Mays as Nathan Detroit from July 17 to October 14 while Mays undertook filming commitments before returning to the role on October 16 with George Ioannides replacing Richardson as Sky Masterson. From February 28, 2024, a new cast took over including Arthur returning as Nathan Detroit, Timmika Ramsay as Miss Adelaide, Jonathan Andrew Hume as Nicely Nicely Johnson with Schoenmaker and Ioannides remaining as Sarah Brown and Sky Masterson.
Gina Beck took over from Schoenmaker as Sarah Brown from 2 September 2024. Following numerous extensions due to popular demand, the production closed at the Bridge Theatre on January 4, 2025.
Other productions • In 1984, the first Japanese production by all-female theatre troupe
Takarazuka Revue opened in December 9 and ran to March 31 in both
Tokyo and
Takarazuka Grand Theater; it featured Moon Troupe's Mao Daichi and Hitomi Kuroki. It was performed again in 2002 (featuring Moon Troupe's Jun Shibuki and Kurara Emi) and in 2015 (featuring Star Troupe's Kairi Hokushou and Fuu Hinami). • In 1985, an Australian production was staged, starring
Anthony Warlow as Sky,
Peter Adams as Nathan, and Angela Ayers as Sarah. • In 1985, a production at the
Seattle Repertory Theatre was staged, starring
Davis Gaines as Sky Masterson,
Faith Prince as Miss Adelaide,
J. K. Simmons as Lieutenant Brannigan, and
Chad Henry as Rusty Charlie. • In 1995, a Las Vegas production, performed without intermission, starred
Jack Jones,
Maureen McGovern and
Frank Gorshin. • On December 30, 1999, a Washington's
Arena Stage production was staged under the
Charles Randolph-Wright direction, starring
Maurice Hines (Nathan Detroit) and Alexandra Foucard (Adelaide), opening on December 30. The production received six
Helen Hayes Award nominations. With support from
Jo Sullivan Loesser, the production began a national tour in August 2001. The cast recording from this production, released in November 2001, was nominated for the Grammy Award for
Best Musical Show Album. • On April 5, 2008, an Australian remount of the Michael Grandage West End production of
Guys and Dolls opened in
Melbourne. The show starred
Lisa McCune,
Marina Prior,
Garry McDonald,
Ian Stenlake,
Shane Jacobson,
Wayne Scott Kermond, and
Magda Szubanski, and ran at the
Princess Theatre. The Melbourne season closed in August 2008 and transferred to
Sydney from March 13, 2009, to May 31, 2009, at the
Capitol Theatre, retaining the Melbourne cast. • In October 2008, a concert version was performed at the
Hilbert Circle Theatre. It starred
Gary Beach as Nathan,
Hugh Panaro as Sky,
Ashley Brown as Sarah,
Hal Linden as Arvide,
Megan Lawrence as Adelaide, and Joe Cassidy as Nicely. • In August 2009, a concert version ran at
The Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, California, starring
Scott Bakula (Nathan Detroit),
Brian Stokes Mitchell (Sky Masterson),
Ellen Greene (Miss Adelaide),
Ken Page (Nicely-Nicely Johnson),
Jessica Biel (Sarah Brown) and Ruth Williamson (Matilda Cartwright). • In February 2011, a co-production between , the
New Wolsey Theatre and the
Salisbury Playhouse opened at . Directed by Peter Rowe and with music direction by Greg Palmer and choreography by
Francesca Jaynes, the show was performed by a cast of 22 actor-musicians, with all music played live on stage by the cast. The show also toured
Cardiff,
Swansea, and other Welsh cities as well as some English cities, receiving a positive review in
The Guardian. • In August 22–25, 2012 a concert performance ran at London's
Cadogan Hall, featuring
Dennis Waterman,
Ruthie Henshall,
Anna-Jane Casey, and
Lance Ellington (
Strictly Come Dancing), with musical director Richard Balcombe and the
Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and Choir. • In April 2014, a one-night-only performance took place at
Carnegie Hall, starring
Nathan Lane as Detroit (reprising the role that made him a star),
Megan Mullally as Adelaide,
Patrick Wilson as Sky,
Sierra Boggess as Sarah,
Len Cariou as Arvide,
Judy Kaye as Cartwright,
Christopher Fitzgerald as Benny,
John Treacy Egan as Nicely,
Lee Wilkof as Harry,
Steve Schirripa as Jule,
John Bolton as Angie the Ox and
Colman Domingo as Rusty. It was directed by Jack O'Brien and featured the
Orchestra of St. Luke's playing the original orchestrations. • In October 19 – 20, 2018 a semi-staged concert production at the
Royal Albert Hall, London played three performances. Directed and choreographed by
Stephen Mear, the cast included
Stephen Mangan (narrator),
Adrian Lester (Sky Masterson),
Lara Pulver (Sarah Brown),
Jason Manford (Nathan Detroit), Meow Meow (Miss Adelaide),
Clive Rowe (reprising his
Olivier Award-winning role as Nicely Nicely Johnson),
Sharon D. Clarke (General Cartwright),
Joe Stilgoe (Benny Southstreet),
Cory English (Rusty Charlie), and
Paul Nicholas (Arvide Abernathy). Musical Director James McKeon conducted the
Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. In
Broadway World, Debbie Gilpin described the production as "one of the standout theatrical events of the year". • In October 2022, the
Kennedy Center in
Washington, D.C. produced an all-star version of the production using Starobin's orchestrations from the 1992 revival. Among those in the cast included married couple
Steven Pasquale as Sky and
Phillipa Soo as Sarah Brown,
James Monroe Iglehart as Nathan, and
Jessie Mueller as Miss Adelaide. Also in the cast were
Kevin Chamberlin as Nicely Nicely,
Saturday Night Live stalwart
Rachel Dratch crosscast as Big Jule,
Fred Applegate as Arvide Abernathy, and an uncredited
Harvey Fierstein doing the prerecorded voice of Joey Biltmore. The production was directed by Marc BrunI and choreographed by Denis Jones with musical direction by Kevin Stites. ==Reception==