Guys and Dolls
Original Cast Recording
Music Frank Loesser
Lyrics Frank Loesser
Book Jo Swerling
Abe Burrows
Basis “The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown” and “Blood Pressure” by Damon Runyon
Guys and Dolls is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on “The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown” and “Blood Pressure” – two short stories by Damon Runyon – and also borrows characters and plot elements from other Runyon stories – most notably “Pick the Winner”.
The premiere on Broadway was in 1950. It ran for 1200 performances and won the Tony Award for Best Musical. The musical has had several Broadway and London revivals, as well as a 1955 film adaptation starring Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra and Vivian Blaine.
Guys and Dolls was selected as the winner of the 1951 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. However, because of writer Abe Burrows’ troubles with the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), the Trustees of Columbia University vetoed the selection, and no Pulitzer for Drama was awarded that year.
Musical numbers
Act I
“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” – Adelaide, Hot Box Girls
“Adelaide’s Lament” – Adelaide
“Guys and Dolls” – Nicely, Benny
“Havana” – Orchestra
“If I Were a Bell” – Sarah
“My Time of Day/I’ve Never Been in Love Before” – Sky, Sarah
Act II
“Take Back Your Mink” – Adelaide, Hot Box Girls
“Adelaide’s Second Lament” – Adelaide
“More I Cannot Wish You” – Arvide
“Crapshooters Ballet” – Orchestra
“Luck Be a Lady” – Sky, Guys
“Sue Me” – Adelaide, Nathan
“Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat” – Nicely, Company
“Marry the Man Today” – Adelaide, Sarah
“Guys and Dolls (Reprise)” – Company
Original productions
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), Sam Levene (Nathan), Isabel Bigley (Sarah), and Vivian Blaine (Adelaide). Iva Withers was a replacement as 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.
The West End premiere opened at the London Coliseum on May 28, 1953 and ran for 555 performances. The cast starred Vivian Blaine, Sam Levene, Lizbeth Webb and Jerry Wayne.[12][13] 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.
Film adaptations
Main article: Guys and Dolls (film)
On November 3, 1955 the film version of the musical was released, starring Marlon Brando as Sky, Frank Sinatra as Nathan Detroit, and Jean Simmons as Sarah, with Vivian Blaine reprising her role as Adelaide. The film was directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and produced by Samuel Goldwyn.
Three new songs, written by Frank Loesser, were added to the film: “Pet Me Poppa”; “A Woman in Love”; and “Adelaide”, which was written specifically for Sinatra. Five songs from the stage musical were omitted from the movie: “A Bushel and a Peck”, “My Time of Day”, “I’ve Never Been In Love Before”, “More I Cannot Wish You”, and “Marry the Man Today”.
20th Century Fox acquired the film rights to the musical in early 2013, and plan to cast Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in a remake of Guys and Dolls.
Casts of major productions
The following table shows the principal casts of the major productions of Guys and Dolls:
Casts of major productions
The following table shows the principal casts of the major productions of Guys and Dolls:
Casts of major productions
Original Broadway Production Original London Production 1955 Film 1976 Broadway Revival 1982 London Revival 1992 Broadway Revival 2005 London Revival 2008 Melbourne Production 2009 Broadway Revival
Sky Masterson Robert Alda Jerry Wayne Marlon Brando James Randolph Ian Charleson Peter Gallagher Ewan McGregor Ian Stenlake Craig Bierko
Sister Sarah Brown Isabel Bigley Lizbeth Webb Jean Simmons Ernestine Jackson Julie Covington Josie de Guzman Jenna Russell Lisa McCune Kate Jennings Grant
Nathan Detroit Sam Levene Frank Sinatra Robert Guillaume Bob Hoskins Nathan Lane Douglas Hodge Garry McDonald Oliver Platt
Miss Adelaide Vivian Blaine Norma Donaldson Julia McKenzie Faith Prince Jane Krakowski Marina Prior Lauren Graham
Nicely-Nicely Johnson Stubby Kaye Ken Page David Healy Walter Bobbie Martyn Ellis Shane Jacobson Tituss Burgess
Arvide Abernathy Pat Rooney Ernest Butcher Regis Toomey Emett “Babe” Wallace John Normington John Carpenter Niall Buggy Russell Newman Jim Ortlieb
Big Jule B.S. Pully Lew Herbert B.S. Pully Walter White Jim Carter Herschel Sparber Sevan Stephan Magda Szubanski Glenn Fleshler
Harry the Horse Tom Pedi Sheldon Leonard John Russell Bill Paterson Ernie Sabella Norman Bowman Adam Murphy Jim Walton
Benny Southstreet Johnny Silver Christophe Pierre Barrie Rutter J.K. Simmons Cory English Wayne Scott Kermond Steve Rosen
Above: DVD cover of the 1992 cast-album recording documentary, Guys and Dolls: Off the Record, starring Peter Gallagher, Josie de Guzman, Nathan Lane, and Faith Prince
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