There are many shows worth a gamble on local stages this holiday season, but "Guys and Dolls" at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre is a sure bet.
The quintessential Golden Age musical (music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, based on a story by and characters of Damon Runyon) gets a glorious staging from director/choreographer (and Hendrix College alum) Gustavo Zajac and a diverse cast of nearly two dozen, with talented locals actually outnumbering the out-of-towners (that list includes a few Broadway veterans).
Set in Runyon's New York demimonde of gangsters, gamblers and molls, the show focuses on the long-standing engagement of Nathan Detroit (Carlos Lopez), who runs the "oldest established permanent floating crap game in New York," and nightclub chanteuse Miss Adelaide (Stephanie Gibson in a comic tour-de-force), and the only-in-a-musical relationship between uber-gambler Sky Masterson (Christian McQueen) and straitlaced missionary Sgt. Sarah Brown (Kim Onah).
The performances are highly stylized in keeping with Runyon's stylized dialogue; superior over-the-top turns also come from supporting players P. Jay Clark and Ben Grimes as Detroit's sidekicks Nicely-Nicely Johnson and Benny Southstreet, respectively; David Weatherly as Big Jule; Frederick Webb Jr. as Harry the Horse; Kathryn A. Pryor as General Cartwright; and Glen J. Gilbert as Arvide Abernathy.
The show's success also rests with Michael Riha's obtuse-angular set; on the six-piece band whose stand is on its upper level; and particularly on Stacey Herrison's costumes -- particularly those for the "Take Back Your Mink" outfits; however, the Save-a-Soul missionaries look like they're from a long-lost house at Hogwarts.
The cast, the band, the set and the costumes are all onstage, 7 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday through Dec. 31 at the Rep, 601 Main St. Ticket information is available by calling (501) 378-0405 or at TheRep.org.