African-American cast and director bring a favorite Broadway musical classic a touch of more typically Harlem inspiration. Result: at Westcoast Black Theater Troupe’s Sarasota digs, the beat is definitely on! So are romantic jibes between two main couples: Sky Masterson, big gambler, with Salvation Army Sister Sarah are one. Professional gambling-game arranger Nathan Detroit with and musical star Miss Adelaide are the other.
The action starts with Warren G. Nolan, Jr.’s frantic Nathan Detroit trying to arrange a night of craps, for which he needs $1000 to rent a place. His fiancé of many yers, Miss Adelaide, pleads for Nathan to quit gambling and marry her, to substantiate her story to her mother that they’re hitched, even have a family. (Marta McKinnon is especially pathetic with her “Adelaide’s Lament” over her perpetual head cold caused by staying single.)
Nathan needs at least one more game and tricks Brian L. Boyd’s usually invincible gambler Sky into losing a bet that he can seduce anyone. Nathan seems to win when he names Sister Sarah of the Salvation Army Mission, to be seduced by game time. Kirstin Angelina Henry’s Sarah is obviously an innocent, staunchly proper missionary, whose experience is with spiritual and humane love of others rather than sex. Sky, however, feels he must try a seduction rather than lose his bet. So will the couples each truly wed?
Further, will the presence of Big Gambler Julie from Chicago (Carvas Pickens) and gang lead to Nathan’s loss of everything? Will Sarah be able to win approval of Phyllis Banks’s conservative but caring General Cartwright to continue the struggling Mission by producing attendees at a Mission meeting of sinners? How will Michael Mejia-Mendez’s determined Lt. Brannigan fare in catching illicit gamblers?
It’s a treat to hear and see dancing by Adelaide and her Hot Box girls to numbers like “Bushel and a Peck” and their intermittent stripping to “Take Back Your Mink”. With great gusto, Leon S. Pitts as Tinhorn Nicely-Nicely praises “The Oldest Established” crap game of Nathan but later repents of his ways by obeying the command to “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat.” His counterpart in wishing baritone blessings on Sarah is her Mission’s Arvide Abernathy, both fatherly to her and genial to all in Jacob Smith’s performance.
Among the outstanding songs are Henry’s lovely soprano “I’ll Know” shared with Boyd as Sarah and Sky as well as the title melody done jauntily by Pitts’ Nicely and Bussie’s Benny. There’s a lot of decent dancing but with limits because of the configuration of WBTT’s flat stage, so that even the nicely choreographed “Havana” seems a bit crowded.
The set consists mainly of a large back screen of movable panels with paintings and projections to denote changes of place. Furnishings and suitable props come on and off via actors entering and exiting. Lights are especially important to show different times of day and night, even along with climate. Director Jim Weaver has handled well the difficulties presented by the theater stage and the fact that the entire set-up is essentially three-quarter-round. Band music is fitting, though I agree with others who miss seeing the musicians who are now above and behind the visible stage. Weaver’s interpretation of the text, however, is both professional and pleasing.
