All Bets Are On with the Kingston Meistersingers’ ‘Guys and Dolls’
Set in the bustling heart of New York City’s Times Square, Guys and Dolls opens with rumours of an underground crap game that Nathan Detroit (Jason McDonald) is desperately trying to organize. With the authorities trying to shut down the illegal gambling and no money to secure a venue, Nathan makes a bet he’s guaranteed to win with the always-lucky gambler Sky Masterson (Donald Mitchell). If Sky can convince the devoted missionary Sarah Brown (Jessica Duchaine) to accompany him on a date to Havana, Cuba, Sky will win big. If he can’t, Nathan will secure the funds to rent his venue, and please his clientele. While some characters are involved in the illegal gambling world, others are firmly against it. More specifically, Nathan’s frustrated fiancée of fourteen years, Miss Adelaide (Shannon Donnelly), and missionary Sarah running the Save-a-Soul campaign to save sinners. Yet even those who refuse to gamble their money find themselves making emotional bets of their own. Kingston Meistersingers’ production of Guys and Dolls, directed by Rachael McDonald and based on the book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, is a story of romance, community, and the unknowing bets people make for love.
The live band, directed by Kelli Caravan, really brings the show together, seamlessly blending with the actors’ singing and enhancing the environment by commanding the mood. With music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, Guys and Dolls features many fantastic musical numbers, and the performers are phenomenal. One of the introductory songs, “Fugue for Tinhorns,” where we first learn about the city’s love of gambling, is sung in a beautiful polyphony, and the ending harmony by Matthew Creates, Dan Bart, and Tim Ryan is breathtaking.
Donnelly’s voice is powerful, and her New York accent was a highlight of the show for many, while Duchaine’s vibrato adds an air of elegance to her performance. Though they have significantly different timbres, their voices blend well in their duet, “Marry the Man Today.”
The set design by Adair Redish is classic and gorgeous. Throughout the show, actors wheel in large wooden set pieces labelled ‘Times Square,’ ‘Save-a-Soul Mission,’ and ‘Hot Box,’ with a painted New York skyline stretching across the back wall, giving the stage a pop of colour. These elements make the stage feel lively while helping the audience keep track of each location.
Duchaine and Mitchell’s chemistry feels natural and fun, as Sky’s confidence wins over Sarah, making her question her identity. Their scenes together are warm and funny as they slowly and reluctantly begin opening up to each other. On the other hand, Donnelly and McDonald have consistent, impeccable comedic timing. Watching Miss Adelaide desperately try to make Nathan better, and seeing him dodge all responsibility creates a hilarious push-and-pull, like when it’s revealed that Miss Adelaide’s letters to her mother are a fictional version of her life in which she and Nathan are happily married with five children and a dog.
The comedy is always there, and not exclusively within the two main couples. The Save-a-Soul-Mission’s band delivers a weaker and significantly squeakier version of the professional band’s music. The newsstand vendor (Cindy Chappell) and the shoeshine man (Joshua Lopes), who have no spoken lines, are constantly eavesdropping on the private conversations happening around them, reacting with faces and mimicking gestures while running their businesses or sneaking in bites of food during their lunch breaks.
On top of the lively acting, colourful set pieces, and powerful vocals, the choreography by Kristi Siltanen adds an extra spark of joy to the production. The HotBox dancers fill the stage with playful energy, while the Crapshooters’ cartwheels and spins feel like a dice game itself. Even the walk into the theatre is incredible, thanks to the art gallery of character sketches lining the walls. All together, the Kingston Meistersingers’ Guys and Dolls is a vibrant, feel-good musical full of comedy and community, and serves as a reminder that some of the biggest things in life are a gamble.
‘Guys and Dolls’ runs at Théâtre Le Sésame from November 20-30, 2025. More information can be found here.
