Sydney Harbour, Sydney.
21 March 2025.
Guys & Dolls opened with literal bang, complete with fireworks over the picturesque backdrop of Sydney Harbour. With the huge stage, oversized set, a star-studded cast for such an iconic Broadway musical, there really isn’t much not to like. These productions have a way of taking the shows to the next level, so if you have not yet experienced a Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour show, you are in for a treat! A mix of love, laughs, Saints and sinners, the audience will follow the story of two gamblers Nathan Detroit and Sky Masterson. We see where their addiction to placing a bet gets them, from chasing underground craps games and the women that they’re in love with.
Many Sydneysiders are now familiar with the annual Handa Opera productions at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair that are produced with partner Opera Australia. In the past, the repertoire has been very true to an opera repertoire, and those that have been musicals have vocally been still reliant on casting operatic singers. Guys & Dolls is a little bit of a divergence from opera being the truest Broadway musical in the Handa Opera repertoire thus far. It is exciting for theatre goers, as maybe this means there will be more musicals in the future? The only role in this production that really required an operatic skillset was that of Sarah Brown played by Annie Aitken. She shone in this role, and her vocal range gifted us with fullness of those beautiful operatic high notes as well as the gutsy musical theatre vocals needed.
The other leading artists have deep ties to the musical theatre industry, creating a strong lineup; the only casting surprise is Cody Simpson who makes his Australian theatre debut in this production. Bobby Fox with Angelina Thomson were cast as lovers, Nathan Detroit and Miss Adelaide. Their problematic yet true love for each other gave us both drama and comedy fuelled by their personality traits. The relationship could be summed up as ‘it’s complicated.’ Nathan not wanting to commit and Adelaide waiting and pining to be married. Both artists nailed the delivery of their story and entertained us along the way, especially when it came to comedic moments.
The other love story is between Sarah Brown and Sky Masterson. Brown is wooed by Masterson, who literally was swayed with a bet with Nathan Detroit that he wouldn’t be a be able to make Sarah Brown fall in for him. Of course, they both fall in love with each other! Cody Simpson was fully his committed to his character of Sky Masterson. He must have drawn on his previous endeavours from both competitive swimming and singing career to push himself to this level and be able to stand tall with the other leading cast members. Some may have preconceptions about Simpson’s abilities, but he quickly wins you over with a convincing portrayal of Masterson. His switch to musical theatre performer has been solidified, so time will tell how versatile his abilities in different roles. This is an exciting chapter for Simpson.
“Sit Down Your Rocking the Boat” was the absolute highlight of the show! Led by Jason Arrow in the role of Nicely-Nicely Johnson and supported by the entire cast, full of fun and energy, Arrow nailed it! Took us to church and made you want to get up to have a dance. Arrow is fresh off leading the cast in Hamilton; he’s earned his stripes as a principal and proved it again in this number.
The story itself is heavily under pinned by the entire cast, creatives and production to create the spectacle that this production of Guys & Dolls really is. The combination of design team – set by Brian Thomson, costumes by Jennifer Irwin and lighting by Bruno Poet – made the magnitude of the sheer size of the stage to look just right to create a little bit of New York City on Sydney Harbour. The simplicity and intelligence of the set’s moving parts quickly transported us to wherever we needed to be within the story, all outworked the direction of Shaun Rennie.
The other star of this show is the choreography. Kelley Abbey’s genius brings the story to life with such precision. The choreography is exactly what it needed to be at every moment, both filling the stage’s entirety when the ensemble flooded the stage but also so simple in other moments. She pushed the ensemble’s technical and physical capabilities, who were solid from beginning to end. Recognition for Abbey’s work on Guys & Dolls cannot be passed over; her work deserves an award! When are the next round of awards for our industry happening?
The show has so many moving parts but is everything it should be and more. Maybe audiences can hope for more musicals in the future? Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour and Opera Australia took a gamble on this one, and it has paid off. Guys & Dolls is such a delight, so don’t gamble missing out on tickets on this one. It is a limited season – just book your tickets!
By Dolce Fisher of Dance Informa.
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