Guys and Dolls to close on 14 Jun
The Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls has posted early closing notices, and will play its final performance at the Nederlander Theatre on 14 Jun 2009. When the show closes it will have played 28 previews and 113 regular performances. A national tour of the production will launch in the 2010-2011 season.
Guys and Dolls opened at the Nederlander Theatre on 1 Mar 2009, following previews from 5 Feb and had been selling tickets through to 27 Sep 2009.
The musical opened to mosty poor to luke-warm reviews: "underwhelmed,"; (newyorktheatreguide.com); "uninspired" (New York Times); "flatfooted" (New York Daily News); "How can something so zippy be so tedious?" (New York Post); "uneven, charm-challenged production" (Bloomberg); "tarted-up and dumbed-down" (Newsay); "appalling revival" (Back Stage); "a joyless perversion" (The Record); "leaden and uninspired" (NY1); " the production sucks the personality out of an American musical-theater classic." (Variety)
"Every moment we've spent working with the company of Guys and Dolls has been an absolute joy," producer Howard Panter said. "The announcement of the final Broadway performance saddens us however we are thrilled to announce the national tour. We're excited that audiences across the country will have the opportunity to see the greatest American musical comedy."
Guys and Dolls stars Oliver Platt as 'Nathan Detroit', Lauren Graham as 'Miss Adelaide', Craig Bierko as 'Sky Masterson' and Kate Jennings Grant as 'Sarah Brown'.
The cast also features Titus Burgess as 'Nicely Nicely Johnson', Glenn Fleshler as 'Big Jule', Adam Lefevre as 'Lt. Brannigan', Jim Ortlieb as 'Arvide', Steve Rosen as 'Benny Southstreet' and Mary Testa as 'General Cartwright.'
Guys and Dolls brings to life the Broadway of the 1940's, inhabited by gamblers, nightclub performers and members of the Salvation Army, in search of sinners to cure. The score includes the songs 'Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat', 'Luck Be A Lady Tonight' and 'Take Back Your Mink'.
The musical is based on 'The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown' and 'Blood Pressure,' two short stories by Damon Runyon. It also borrows characters and plot elements from other Runyon stories, most notably 'Pick the Winner'.
With music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, the musical marks the first joint Broadway project by two-time Tony Award winning director Des McAnuff ('Jersey Boys,' 'Urinetown') and choreographer Sergio Trujillo since their collaboration on the Tony Award winning musical 'Jersey Boys'.
Scenic design is by Robert Brill, costume design is by Paul Tazewell, lighting design is by Tony Award winner Howell Binkley (Jersey Boys) and sound design is by Steve Canyon Kennedy.
Guys and Dolls is produced on Broadway by Howard Panter for Ambassador Theatre Group, Tulchin/Bartner/Jenkins, Bill Kenwright, Northwater Entertainment, Darren Bagert, and Tom Gregory.
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