Guys and Dolls:Off the Record

Well, points against my queue planning, for today I repeat a show in my Year for the first time--a show I just discussed a week ago-- a show that featured Nathan Lane (who I also discussed this week)--and a documentary surrounding the recording of a cast album, a format I also discussed earlier this week. In my favor, it's a good cast and a great show and an interesting recording process.

Guys and Dolls: Off the Record followed the 1992 recording of the cast ablum for the Broadway revival production that featured Nathan Lane and Faith Prince. I'm certain in 1992 I had never heard of either of these performers and when I bought this cast album (which I still have) and saw this documentary (which may have been on PBS) I was taken with both of them. I still am.

If there is a better show for which to be a member of the men's chorus, please tell me what it is. "Oldest, Established, Permanent, Floating Crap Game in the World" must be fun to sing. Backing up Sky in "Luck Be a Lady Tonight", ditto. Backing up Nicely-Nicely in "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat, double ditto. Nicely is nicely sung here by Walter Bobbie, who has had a nice career as performer and now director for musicals, just as Jerry Zaks has had before him. Mr. Zaks directed this revival of Guys and Dolls and we see of lot of him reassuring performers during the recording process.

I must find a way for Faith Prince to reappear in my Year. I know she did a revival of Bells are Ringing, but what else?

Guys and Dolls: Off the Record
Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser
Revival Broadway Cast album recorded in 1992
Documentary taping of recording also in 1992
Production directed by Jerry Zaks
Cast: Nathan Lane, Faith Prince, Josie de Guzman, Peter Gallagher, Walter Bobbie, JK Simmons

Guys & Dolls 1995 studio cast recording

The liner notes for this studio recording make a big deal that it captures all of the music from the original stage version of Guys & Dolls. I don't know how important a point that is, especially since, beyond the dance music, I had heard the whole score before. But this is a relatively good cast and I enjoyed most of the two-disc set.

The first sung track on the disc is the "Fugue for Tinhorns" and I doubt there are many much better openings for a show. Somehow this song captures the whole of Damon Runyon's New York--action and accent both.

Miss Adelaide is sung by Kim Criswell and she does well with my ears' memory of the cupie dolls voices of Vivian Blaine and Faith Prince. "Adelaide's Laments" are well-done, and the Hot Box Dancers' number are well presented, too, although I got tired listening to all the dance music that surround them.

Don Stephenson does well living up to the memory of Stubby Kaye as Nicely-Nicely, although "Sit Down, You're Rocking The Boat" feels a little slow in tempo to me.

The legit singers for this recording are Emily Loesser (the composer's daughter) as Sarah Brown and Gregg Edelman as Sky Masterson. Ms. Loesser has a pretty soprano voice, which I suspect is very similar to her mother's voice (Jo Sullivan Loesser). Sometimes in its upper-most register, her voice takes on a bit of a heavy, covered sound. But that only happens in the final notes of songs. Mr. Edelman has a light baritone voice that lacks some of the richness that I wanted to hear in Sky's songs. His lower register is particularly under-powered, but is not called for often with this score.

Four bonus tracks on this disc offer rarely or never heard songs--three written for the film version, and a duet for Sky and Nathan that was written for the original stage version, but was cut out of town. This duet "Travelling Light" is particularly delightful and I'm glad to discover it.

Guys & Dolls
Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser
Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows
Based on the stories and characters of Damon Runyon
Studio recording with the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by John Owen Edwards
Released in 1995
Cast: Don Stephenson, Emily Loesser, Tim Flavin, Gregg Edelman