What a Guy wouldn’t do for some doll.

A sky high bet, a saintly woman, and a group of gamblers are all on the line in a musical comedy custom made in New York City.  Guys and Dolls is lighthearted and bustling with some of the most popular songs of Musical’s Golden Age such as Luck Be a Lady, Fugue for Tinhorns, I’ve Never Been in Love Before, Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat and its beloved title track.

Directed and choreographed by Ceit Zweil, Greater Boston Stage Company continues Frank Loesser’s musical comedy classic Guys and Dolls live and in person at Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, Massachusetts through June 30.  This slick production is approximately two hours and 30 minutes with one 15 minute intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

Set on Broadway between Times Square and Columbus Circle, Greater Boston Stage Company reveals a little cozy but snazzy set by John Savage including vintage 1950s illustrated signs lit by marquis lights and an illuminated moving cityscape back drop.  With lively music direction and conducted by Dan Rodriguez, this glitzy version of Guys and Dolls has a bit of a concert vibe with the orchestra performing center stage amidst all the action.

The show is as zippy as these fast talking gamblers ready for the next crap game.  In stylish hat and a pinstriped suit, Arthur Gomez as lovable but scheming Nathan Detroit is always cooking up a plan and usually one step ahead, but now he is short on money to hold his next floating crap game.  Enter Jared Troilo as smooth talking and high stakes gambler Sky Masterson and suddenly, Nathan has a new and seeming surefire plan to win big and finally marry his long suffering girlfriend, Miss Adelaide.  However, Sky discovers he is in for much more than he ever bargained for.

Guys and Dolls is a classic for a reason.  Not only did the 50s film adaptation star Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra, but it’s an upbeat musical full of charm about love, the Big City vibe, taking risks and saving souls not necessarily in that order.  The characters are all likable in spite of their shady ways because most of them can humorously talk their way out of just about anything. 

In glasses and a bowler hat, Stephen Markarian captures the cheery and good natured charm of Nicely-Nicely Johnson from the slick and catchy harmonies in Fugue for Tinhorns with Mark Linehan as Benny and Christian David as Rusty Charlie.  Their goofy chemistry and antics set the stage well along with the title track and bookended by Stephen Markarian’s exuberant and exciting classic number Sit down You’re Rocking the Boat which is not to be missed.

Sara Coombs as Miss Adalaide could easily have entered over the top caricature territory, but Coombs sticks with dramatic yet a bit more realistic subtlety for Adelaide’s Lament.  Hailing from Rhode Island, Miss Adelaide is not to be underestimated and knows exactly what she wants playing a long game of her own as Nathan’s girlfriend.  She shares some endearing chemistry albeit with some understandable bickering with Nathan as they perform a quick paced and intense rendition of Sue Me.  Alongside Hot Box dancers Hannah Shihdanian, Allison Russell and Abigail Martin, Coombs delivers some flirtatious and humorous scenarios decked out in Dierdre Gerrard’s timely, sparkling and playful costumes kicking off with a country coy Bushel and a Peck.  Russell and Shihdanian both perform triple roles with Russell notably as the infamous big time, tough talking gambler Big Jule.

In a blue pinstripe suit and gleaming white shoes, Troilo depicts Sky Masterson with smooth talking swagger and shares some great scenes with Lisa Kate Joyce’s straight-arrowed and head of the Save-a-Soul Mission band, Sarah Brown.  Joyce’s angelic and silvery soprano vocals nail the delightful If I were a Bell and I’ve Never Been in Love Before alongside Troilo in a lovely duet.  Joyce also has a brief but memorable scene with Chip Phillips as lovable Arvide for the tenderhearted number, More I Cannot Wish You.

Jared  Troilo shines in My Time of Day, but nothing beats Troilo’s determined earnestness teetering toward desperation with the rest of the cast for Luck Be a Lady embellished by Ceit Zweil’s tight choreography and Corey Whittemore’s vivid and flashy lighting which just about brings down the house.   

Directed and choreographed by Ceit Zweil, Greater Boston Stage Company continues Frank Loesser’s musical comedy classic Guys and Dolls live and in person at Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, Massachusetts through June 30.  This slick production is approximately two hours and 30 minutes with one 15 minute intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.