Subtitled “A musical fable of Broadway,” it hails from 1950, when composer-lyricist Frank Loesser and book writers Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows adapted a couple of comic Damon Runyon tales of Times Square underworld characters. The show’s journey to Broadway was anything but smooth, yet the quality of the results are undeniable.
No wonder it has been revived frequently on Broadway, and that the Maltz Jupiter Theatre has chosen it to be the first show it has produced twice.
Guys and Dolls is a popular musical with audiences of all ages, but getting its many standout elements right and its two romantic couples in balance can be challenging. The current show at the Maltz succeeds on the strength of the material — much of it is foolproof, after all. Nevertheless, the production feels uneven, always competent, yet frequently uninspired. Quite entertaining, but not always up to the Maltz’s usual high standards…