Buffalo Theater: Show runs through Sept. 27

By Nathan Andrew Miller

If you were hoping to start your chffalo theater season with a musical that has ascended to “American classic” status, you’re in luck.

MusicalFare opens its season with the rock musical Hair, Lancaster Opera House honors the founding principles of America with 1776, and O’Connell and Company opens its season with Guys and Dolls, the musicalization of Damon Runyon’s short stories that has long been considered one of the greatest Broadway musicals of all time. The Frank Loesser, Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows-constructed masterpiece was adapted into a film with Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra and Jean Simmons, with Vivien Blaine reprising her role as Adelaide. It also enjoyed two Broadway revivals and is one of the most produced titles in the musical theater catalog.

I attended opening night of the energetic production of Guys and Dolls, and couldn’t help but be thrilled to be back in a theater again. After enjoying last season’s Curtains, I was very much looking forward to this production. Guys and Dolls is a favorite of mine, and Dewayne Barrett did excellent work on O’Connell’s A Chorus Line a few years back.

Here again directing and choreographing, Barrett starts us off with the “Runyonland” sequence. A series of quick vignettes establishing the relationships we’re going to see are set over the show’s overture, leading into the memorable “Fugue for Tinhorns.”

Tyler J. Mecklenburg, Adam Beam, and Bryan Sharry put us into the world of these stylized gamblers, singing about the horse picks they’re going to make and the inside information they’ve received.

It’s a great number, and ends with tight harmony, well executed by these three. The only problem — unlike with Curtains, this opening night performance featured a lot of balance issues with the “canned” orchestra and overhead mics. Blends and harmonies that may have been tighter or correct sounded thin or incorrect. It became a thorn in this production’s side throughout.

We meet lovable gambler Nathan Detroit, played by O’Connell and Company Managing Director Joey Bucheker. He’s just trying to keep the “crap game” going for the gamblers who count on him, made more difficult by the efforts of Lt. Brannigan (Steve Vaughan) to stop the game at all costs.This role is perfect for Bucheker, and though he’s known for his sometimes eccentric and energetic performances, he’s found the honesty in his characterization.

Paired up with Maria Kreutinger as Miss Adelaide, Nathan’s long-time fiancee, Bucheker makes the most of their relationship, coming to an excellent conclusion with “Sue Me” in Act Two. 

Speaking of roles they’re born to play, Ashleigh Chrisena Ricci is once again effervescent in her role as Sgt. Sarah Brown of the Save-a-Soul Mission. In order to finance the craps game, Nathan bets handsome heartthrob Sky Masterson, known for enjoying eccentric bets, that Sky will not be able to take the girl of Nathan’s choosing to Havana.

The buttoned-up Sarah becomes the mark, and though she insists that the man she loves will not be a gambler, it’s clear sparks are flying anyway. Taking on the mantle of Sky Masterson is David Wysocki, who certainly exudes confidence in his portrayal. What I enjoyed in chemistry from Bucheker and Kreutinger I sometimes missed between Ricci and Wysocki, though.

Ultimately, I felt like opening night jitters affected the entire production’s energy, and while Wysocki found the tough side of Sky, he struggled to find the charm that would normally attract Sarah to him. No doubt it will be found as runs continue to happen, as I have normally found Wysocki extremely adept in these types of roles. 

Overall, the production’s strengths lie in Barrett’s choreography and direction. Large choreographic numbers, like “Crapshooters’ Dance” and “Havana,” are skillfully choreographed, and highlight talented dancers within the ensemble. With a few more runs under their belt, the fine-tuning of these numbers and the crispness that is normally associated with these dancers will settle in. 

In a standout smaller role, Phil Salemi Jr. is terrific as Arvide Abernathy, another missionary who sings the touching “More I Cannot Wish You” to Ricci’s Sarah, giving her the confidence to love who she loves. It’s the perfect moment to allow Ricci to blossom into Act Two Sarah. Mecklenburg’s “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat” is another highlight vocally. And the brawl in the Havana club scene is well choreographed by Vaughan and well executed by all.

Unfortunately, despite expertly rendered characterizations by Kreutinger and Ricci, there were enough bumps both technically and performatively to make one wish there had been just a little more time for the production to find itself. The aforementioned mixing problems made some dialogue over music inaudible, the tracks were less effective than previous tracked shows and often sounded thin orchestrally, and a clear unfamiliarity with lines, choreography and harmony deadened the impact of what could have been an excellent show. No doubt that it will improve with time, but I felt slightly underwhelmed at this opening night performance, given the talent involved.

Guys and Dolls runs at the Canterbury Woods Performing Arts Center through Sept. 27.