Pictured (Luck be a Lady): Sky Masterson (played by Tyler McKenna – in the center) and all his gambling guys sing “Luck be a Lady” in the 2010 Mountain Play Production “Guys and Dolls.” Photo: Muriel Kaplan
Guys and Dolls brought prohibition Broadway and Brooklyn to Mount Tamalpais, premiering Sunday afternoon as the sun almost trumped Broadway’s bright lights. However the costumes, sets and casting appeared as colorful as the Tony award winning songs, meaning The Mountain Play lives up to the reputation as community theater with professional standards. The opera length production included one winner after another with Luck Be a Lady, Guys & Dolls, I’ll Know, Adelaide’s Lament, If I Were a Bell, My Time of Day, I’ve Never Been in Love Before, More I Cannot Wish for You, Sue Me, Sit Down You’re Rockin the Boat, Marry the Man Today.
Cushing Amphitheater seats 4000 under the sun with a panoramic backdrop. Photo: Cindy Warner
So I’m putting my money on James Dunn, who directed this American and over-the-top romantic comedy. The play addresses the question of how to increase the odds of getting married and staying so happily, when the odds seem to be against you. Sometimes it takes an epiphany to realize love will save your soul and your neck at the same time. Sometimes it means swallowing your pride.
Frank Loesser wrote the music and lyrics but the story first appeard in 1932. Guys & Dolls is by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, based on books by Damon Runyon, a journalist who wrote about Broadway during the prohibition. The film starred Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando, theatrical productions have starred Nathan Lane. Ewan McGregor too (Sky).
For more Mountain Play cast photos, click here: More Guys & Dolls
A Mt. Tam local describes the Mountain Play as a mega picnic. For more info: Mountain Play.
Moreover, there was no place to hide a picnic nevermind the adult beverages as the prohibition performers could see all clear as day. The Mountain Play allows, nay welcomes, all beverages even if the missionaries of Guys & Dolls were out to reform. Indeed one of the turning points of Guys & Dolls involves a wonderful local sweetener in the Cuban scene, it’s called Bacardi. Pictured below (Sky & Sarah): Sky Masterson (played by Tyler McKenna) and Save-A-Soul Missionary Sister, Sarah Brown (played by Susan Zelinsky). Photo: Muriel Kaplan
The Havana scene involves some fisticuffs amid the fancy footwork. Moreover Choreographer Rick Wallace gives Beach Blanket Babylon a run for it’s money particularly with his Hot Box burlesque numbers A Bushel and a Peck and Take Back Your Mink (Miss Adelaide and Hot Box Girls). Are those costumes or are those props?
Pictured below ( Adelaide ): Adelaide (played by Kimberly Jensen) sings “Take Back Your Mink” in the 2010 Mountain Play Production “Guys and Dolls.”
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Costume Designer Patricia Polen, who also works with the San Francisco Opera, created the most wonderful campy cartoon crayon-bright suits and dresses which must have been a riot to wear even for ladies who are not one of those goyles. What that woman can do with big bird bright yellow feathers.
Cheers to Susan Zelinsky as Sister Sarah of Save A Soul Mission; Tyler McKenna as Sky Masterson, the rogue destined to save Sister Sarah from herself; Kimberly Jensen as Miss Adelaide with her laments part one and two about how being engaged for fourteen years gives her a cough and a cold. Kimberly brought a note of Beach Blanket Babylon’s high-pitched cartoon-voiced Snow White to Guys & Dolls; Randy Nazarian as Nathan Detroit.
Randy’s acting resume goes back to 1977 in Las Vegas at the original Tropicana Hotel; Joshua Castro as Nicely-Nicely who performed so, a man with a dream; Michael Cassidy as Benny Southstreet who performs the title song with Joshua; Bob Wilson as the honey voiced Irish tenor and benevolent grandfather, Arvide Abernathy.
Bob performed in the only other presentation of Guys & Dolls as a mountain play. My companion said his rendition of More I Cannot Wish for You was beautiful. It could have been my imagination but I felt a reverence from the audience during that heartfelt, touching solo from a pious grandfather to his innocent and modest granddaughter.
Live orchestra behind the set conducted by Debra Chambliss
Who remained hidden from the audience would be the spirited Mountain Play Orchestra. Conductor/pianist Debra Chambliss performed with her fourteen piece orchestra behind the set although she did emerge with her baton as the last person to take a bow.
The orchestra for this Tony Award winning musical included drums, bass, guitar, trumpets one and two, trombone, reeds one through five (oboe/English Horn, flute/piccolo, clarinet, clarinet/bassoon), violins one and two and a cello.
Moreover, more than a couple thousand happy visitors of all ages, under sunhats and behind sunglasses, in t-shirts, shorts and jeans provided just as festive an environment for the performers as the Mountain Play did for patrons. The 4,000 boulder seats provided ample room as about 2/3 of the space filled. Patrons spread homemade picnics with libations or purchased the ice-cream bars, grilled hotdogs and such on site. A foot-long hotdog cost a reasonable $4, a diet coke cost $1, while a cold bottled beer cost $5.
Some brought umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun. The theater erected a cabana-style roof over a portion, while the section under a shady tree felt cool enough for a sweater even with no wind. The cushioned or preferred seats under the shelter started at $56, fan club seats start at $45 while general admission costs $36 via the web, less for seniors and juniors (4-21). The only Saturday performance will cost four dollars less (June 12). Tickets are only available on the web or by phone. One of the representatives mentioned her relief over the beautiful weather. She explained how Mountain Play only provides one raincheck during the run.
Volunteers in red t-shirts stood everywhere (pictured left, photo: Cindy Warner) and the play had medics on hand who did attend to one man near the end of Act I. A ranger gave a safety and fire evacuation talk before the show. Sara Pearson, the executive director, was on hand and mingling.
The Mountain Play posted a couple of lovely senior women at the trailhead for Mountain Home, 1.4 scenic forest hike. I felt they provided an enthusiastic and welcoming presence as they explained how the trail leads to a rustic cabin. The trail continues and leads 2 ½ hours down the mountain to Mill Valley. If patrons choose to hike down the mountain after the play, Mountain Play will shuttle patrons’ picnic baskets down the mountain. The shuttles whether one way or round trip are free.
Ecologically-conscious: free shuttles and bicycle parking
One young man in full biking regalia hung his speed bike on what he must have thought was a mountain bike rack. The theater offers supervised bicycle parking.
Patrons may ride the free shuttle buses to the play as well and parking remains very limited at the site. Many of the yellow school buses used for the free shuttle from Park and Ride or a high school in Mill Valley lined the Panoramic Highway ready for the return trip down the mountain after the show. Driving from the Cushing Theater’s parking lot, I was back in Noe Valley in San Francisco by five o’clock. I encountered some traffic near the bottom of the mountain but the drive went smoothly.
Speaking of which, the production includes a real yellow taxi that speeds down Broadway (the dirt between the stage and the first row) in the opening of Act One, delighting the audience.
Another nice touch in this American play was the Nathan’s hot dog cart on stage. Hot dogs,the all-American food and my favorite food in any season, indoors or out. So, come on everybody, sing you sinners.
Pictured below (Sinners): in the front - Hot Box girl (played by Denise Elia) and Harry the Horse (Played by David Yen) sings "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" in the 2010 Mountain Play Production “Guys and Dolls.” Photo: Muriel Kaplan
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DATES: Performances Sunday May 23, 30, June 6, June 12 (Saturday), June 13, and June 20.
TIMES: All Shows begin at 1 pm. Pre-show begins at 11 am. Please arrive at least one hour prior to show. Live performances by local talent will entertain between stage time.
COST: Tickets range from $21-$36 General Admission. Children 3 and under are FREE . Information for Group discounts and Online Specials available at the Mountain Play website.
For more information: www.MountainPlay.org
Other musical and theatrical productions in national parks include Yosemite's Bracebridge Christmas dinner and the Grand Teton festival started by SF Opera's Donald Runnicles. Links below.
Beach Blanket Babylon skewers the deserving from Tiger Woods to presidents
Cirque du Soleil's new Viva ELVIS at new ARIA resort and casino in Las Vegas, via Virgin America (part two)
Cirque du Soleil's new Viva ELVIS (part one)
Ovo's microcosmic world backstageg with Spiderwoman and LadyBug
Ovo promises world of ladybug love and biodiversity.
Ovo evokes color, sound, audaciousness of Brazil Icons on stage, tributes to satires
London's "Peter Pan" debuts at ferry park in SF with state of the art theater in the round
"The Tosca Project" world premiere at ACT-SF a Valentine with Molat and Feijoo
Round and Round the Garden, British farce opened at ACT
Beauty and the Beast Broadway musical comes to SF summer 2010
Young Frankenstein new monster musical coming to SF June and July
Wicked's Glinda the Good Kendra Kassebaum a ball of bubbly laughs and everlasting popularity
Wicked the hit musical to play final SF performance on September 5, 2010
For more articles by this writer, check out the San Francisco opera column: http://www.examiner.com/x-2366-SF-Opera-Examiner
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