Shane Cortese - pictured with Anthea Hill and Sophia Hawthorne - holds attention as Nathan Detroit.
Shane Cortese - pictured with Anthea Hill and Sophia Hawthorne - holds attention as Nathan Detroit.
Catchy songs and wise-cracks are begging for a bit more snap.
One looks for snap, bubble and froth in this classic wise-crackin' musical comedy about gamblers and nightclub dancers. But this production, like a couple of other traditional-style Auckland Theatre Company shows this year, falls rather flat - and it's not just the off-key singing.
The 1950s show delivers a cheekyswag of ridiculous gender stereotypes ("marry the man today and change his ways tomorrow") that beg to be delivered tongue-in-cheek.
But director Raymond Hawthorne has eschewed customary interpretations and not even the flirtations are particularly sparky here.
The usually twinkly, self-mocking I've Never Been In Love Before is sung as mournfully as a dirge, as if high-roller Sky Masterson really is worried his life is over, now that he wants to see a broad more than once.
The whole thing is in need of some pep - more dancing perhaps? While it's true most scenes are set at night, the gloomy lighting and maroon-and-black decor don't help the low energy.
The band is hidden away, and the set is dominated by a gigantic sign that reads "Guys and Dolls". In case we mistake the show for something else?
Still, there are some good moments: the excited intensity of the male chorus in Lady Luck, the leg-flicking exuberance of the Hot Box girls' A Bushel and a Peck.
Shane Cortese holds attention as Nathan Detroit, while David Aston and Stephen Lovatt shine in their moments. In the chorus, Olivia Tennet matches charm and fun with excellent footwork.
