Fedora Fever

America’s fondness for the 1950s is a strange thing. Beehive hairdos and TV dinners are relics of a consumer-driven past that should have died out with Old Blue Eyes himself. But alas, some poor little girl in a poodle skirt and argyle socks, living out her great grandparents good-old days, will undoubtedly ring my doorbell this very October looking for candy.

There’s a familiarity in the ’50s that brings comfort to those seeking or remembering the Sears and Roebuck’s white-picket-fence life, and then there’s Guys and Dolls, a lavish, singing and dancing red fedora that refuses to take itself too seriously.

The Shedd’s production of Frank Loesser’s legendary musical Guys and Dolls is both familiar and absurd in all the right ways. Checkered pea-soup green and Grimace purple suits, punchy jokes, energetic dance numbers and a musical score that dares you to sing along are the meat and potatoes of director Peg Major’s truly sensory experience.

Somewhere in Brooklyn, my uncle Sonny is cringing at some of the accents attempted by mostly Pacific Northwesterners but, for the most part, the immersion into New York’s loud-talking underbelly is packed with talented actors and an ever-changing inner city backdrop (set design by Connie Huston and Jim Ralph).

The story follows two hapless gamblers, Nathan Detroit (Ron Daum) and Skye Masterson (Cloud Penble), and their unlikely dolls, Miss Adelaide of the Hot Box nightclub (Lynnea Barry) and missionary sister Sarah Brown (Shirley Andress). The result is a Benny Hill-esque montage of romantic escapades.

While Andress gently commands the stage as the singing soul-saving sister, it is Daum and Barry’s comedic chemistry that wins the audience’s attention. Barry, who sniffs and squeaks her way through an acute love sickness, is particularly infectious as the blonde and towering fiancé of 14 years.

The remaining band of idyllic missionaries and not-so-merry gamblers are also quite talented. Highly energetic and harmonious numbers backed by musical director and conductor Robert Ashens, such as “Crapshooters Dance” and “Sit Down You’re Rocking The Boat,” invigorate the senses post-intermission.

Scantily clad dancers kick and twirl their way through the smoky depravity, and the bold, hip-swishing blues and yellows of Havana are a sinner’s paradise.

However, a momentary lapse into the sweetly sung “More I Cannot Wish You” (Claude Offenbacher) is just enough to make the “jungle of sin” that is Guys and Dolls seem wholly genuine.

The talent and energy in Guys and Dolls makes for a classic comedic show rooted in 1950’s fedora infamy.

Guys and Dolls runs through July 29 at The Shedd Institute; tickets are $18-$38 at theshedd.org.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!