Photograph by Olivia Leung-Brown
The main focus of Guys and Dolls is, unsurprisingly, on the dynamics between men and women! There are men desperately trying to avoid marriage, trying to win women over, or just trying to make their way in this dang rat race. Women seem to have all the opposite motives, which leads to some pretty wild misadventures. It’s a story that’s been told time and time again, but the Youth Musical Theater Company (YMTC) gives it a breath of fresh air. With meticulous choreography, a live orchestra, and stunning performances — you better believe it was a feast for the senses. YMTC is widely recognized as the gold standard for youth theater in the East Bay, and for good reason.
The curtain draws to reveal the hustle and bustle of New York in the 1930s. The opening scene is wordless but the energy is palpable nonetheless. This is due entirely to the impeccable choreography. Almost all of the dances in Guys and Dolls revolve around the idea of chaos but maintain a method to the madness so precise it’s practically geometric. Musical numbers such as “Havana” which begins as a lively couples’ dance that slowly devolves into madness truly showcase the unparalleled capabilities of YMTC. Perhaps the most impassioned piece is “The Crapshooters’ Dance” which embodies the internal stress and the riveting excitement of gambling. The choreography in YMTC legitimizes them as a high quality theater company.
YMTC’s over the top portrayal of New York was undeniably charming. The musical itself is practically a testament to New York stereotypes, so much so that it has been described as a “cartoon” version of New York. Guys and Dolls is simply not being performed if it is not being hammed up to the highest possible degree and luckily YMTC has no fear of doing so. Actors such as Shayla Lawler (Miss Adelaide) and Christiano Delgado (Nathan Detroit) do a particularly superb job embracing the exaggerated stereotypes of a 1930s New Yorker. The energy is apparent throughout the show — every song and dance seems to be bursting with the vitality associated with New York. The aspirational quality of the “big apple” strikes a chord with many teens involved in theater — which might attribute to the rhapsodical performance they put on.
Despite the obvious merits of YMTC, they do have a curious habit of performing rather outdated shows which, as we all know, tend to lack the politically correct quality we strive for in the Bay Area. Women have essentially two roles in Guys and Dolls — sex objects or roadblocks to prove that a man has settled down. The sex objects are the Hot Box Dolls, who don’t really speak, they just dance. The other role is more compelling, mainly because they have lines. The women that settle men down are Miss Adelaide, who happens to be the lead Hot Box Doll, and Sarah Brown, a missionary. The one dimensionality of the Hot Box Girls is not hidden by any regard. They have a whole song together called “Marry The Man Today” in which they literally sing “Marry the man today/Rather than sigh in sorrow/Marry the man today/Change his ways tomorrow.” These lyrics imply that they would be so deeply unhappy if unmarried that they would rather marry a bad person and see if they could change. While all art has cultural value, there are some things we can leave in the past. As we look forward into the future, hopefully YMTC can act out musicals with a more modern message
Over the years, YMTC has proved itself to be a truly outstanding theater company and a great resource for Bay Area youth to build their skills and theater repertoire. Musicals performed prior to Guys and Dolls such as The Most Happy Fella and Spring Awakening made it clear to audiences that YMTC performances are not ones to ignore. They consistently produce not only delightful musicals, but also well-rounded actors with serious talent and work ethic. Guys and Dolls was yet another display of theatrical grandeur in a great and long lineage of YMTC shows.