This year’s Handa Opera on the Harbour is GUYS AND DOLLS.N
With music by Frank Loesser and book by Joe Swerling and Abe Burrows, Guys & Dolls is regarded as one of the finest musicals ever written and has enjoyed huge success since its premiere on Broadway in 1950, winning five Tony Awards including Best Musical, the adaptation to a Hollywood film in 1955 starring Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando, to its most recent smash-hit revival on the West End.
Directed by award-winner Shaun Rennie, this is a show full of fun, fabulous singing and a host of show-stopping dance numbers all set on a larger than life slice of New York City designed by two great veteran Australian designers, Brian Thomson, costumes by Jennifer Irwin, and choreography by Kelley Abbey.
The show is filled with very recognisable and catchy tunes that were exubrently performed including great versions of Luck Be A Lady and the super catchy Sit down, You’re Rockin the Boat performed brillianty by Jason Arrow’s character Nicely-Nicely Johnsnon.
The leads were great; Cody Simpson as the super smooth Sky Masterton, ever reliable veteran Bobby Foz as Nathan Detroit, Annie Aitken gives a lovely performance as Mission worker, Sarah Brown, and Angelic Thomson gives a very touching performance as Miss Adelaide, trying to get Nathan to cease his gambling ways and finally marry her after being Nathan’s fiance for so many years. Four performer make their musical theatre debut; Michelle Leung, Maddie Owen, Julian Seguna and Billy Wilson.
The large ensemble included performers Rachel Breeze, Scarlet Lindsay, Sienna Embrey
Olivia Carniato, Sophie Holloway, Maddie Owen, Emma Feliciano, Isabella Roberts,
Sarah Bourke, Sophie Zidar, Matthew Hearne, Paul Whiteley, Matt Douglass, Lachlan Dearing, Bronson Pfeiler, Zac de Gersigny, Rania Potaka-Osborne, Billy Wilson, Nic Collins, and Julian Seguna
With Australia’s largest outdoor stage, sitting sitting over the water in Sydney’s Farm Cove, and with the glorious views of the Sydney Opera House and city skyline in the background, and with Opera Australia choosing from the canon of great Broadway musicals, Opera on Sydney Harbour is always a mesmeric, highly entertaining night.
GUYS AND DOLLS is playing Fleet Steps, Mrs Macquaries Point until the 20th April every evening at 7.30pm, excluding Mondays and Good Friday on 18 April
Opera Australia Box Office
+61 2 9318 8200
