During the past decade, St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in southwest Orlando has made itself the go-to spot for big — really big — musicals.
With its distinctive blend of professional actors, choruses of congregants and other amateurs, not to mention a complement of live musicians, a Theater at St. Luke’s production can easily feature dozens of performers — with director Steve MacKinnon somehow wrangling everyone into a cohesive whole.
So after a COVID-19 hiatus, the return of Theater at St. Luke’s with a smashing production of the classic “Guys and Dolls” feels like a joyful reunion, emphasis on joy. I caught my breath and felt tears in my eyes as an honest-to-goodness old-fashioned overture started, Joe. C. Klug’s scenic design exploded in light and the opening curtain revealed an orchestra looking like they just stepped off a 1930s bandstand.
That’s creatively appropriate because “Guys and Dolls” is set in the New York City of that era. Most will know the story: Inveterate gambler and marriage-averse Nathan Detroit bets fellow gambler Sky Masterson he can’t woo prim missionary Sarah Brown into a trip to Havana. Meanwhile, adenoidal Miss Adelaide tries to convince Nathan to take the next step after their 14-year engagement.
But back to that feeling of joy: It suffuses every aspect of this production — from the details in the colorful period costumes by C.J. Sikorski and Mindi French to the gorgeous sound from the 15-piece orchestra, led by music director John R. Mason III.
The corny lines, the stagy delivery, the Broadway tropes — they are all there, and they are glorious to behold.
That doesn’t mean everything is perfect. The energy flags in the second act, partly because of the way the show is written with an endless gambling scene in New York’s sewers, but the overall pace could be shifted into higher gear. Choreographer Myles Thoroughgood has fun with the PG burlesque numbers and generally makes good use of the large chorus, but “Luck Be a Lady” disappoints. Despite Jim Ohrberg’s stylish money-green lighting, the stage feels too crowded, the movement too mushy.
As Sky, Nathan Krug’s delivery on “Luck Be a Lady” is a vocal highlight, though his singing throughout outshines his acting. He has the musical-theater task of falling in love with Sarah in one song, and that doesn’t come through clearly.
Lillie Eliza Thomas refreshingly gives Sarah more moxie than usual; her tipsy “If I Were a Bell” is a delight — though Mason may share some of the credit. He has put new life into some of the old songs with appealing variations in tempo and rhythm.
David Lowe and Barbara Hartwig are well-matched as Nathan and Adelaide; Lowe finds the right mix of shiftiness and comic panic. With a voice like Edith Bunker and exquisite comic timing — matching her expressive eye movements to the music — Hartwig gets deservedly big laughs.
In the supporting cast, Jim Morrison shines as sinister Big Jule, Michael Morman adds heart as Sarah’s grandfather, and Pat Clark and Kit Cleto make an especially memorable double act as two weaselly gamblers. Cleto may be very funny but his singing is serious business as he leads “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat” — which is rip-roaring in every way.
Welcome back, Theater at St. Luke’s. You’ve been missed.
‘Guys and Dolls’
Length: 2:55, including intermission
COVID-19 precautions: Masks required for audience; distanced seating; actors wear clear acrylic masks
Where: St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 4851 S. Apopka-Vineland Road in Orlando
When: Through Oct. 3
Cost: $15-$35
Info: st.lukes.org/guysanddolls
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