Tour Dates Start December 26
Guys and Dolls is one of the most fondly-remembered Broadway musical comedies of all time. Over 60 years after it debuted, the musical lives on in a North American traveling production that will be making five stops in Florida.
The touring company will first play to crowds at Artis-Naples (5833 Pelican Bay Boulevard, Naples) for three nights, from Friday, December 26 to Sunday, December 28. Then there will be three stops in three cities over the next three nights. The first of those three stops is the Lakeland Center (701 W. Lime Street, Lakeland) on Monday, December 29; followed by the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall (777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota) on Tuesday, December 30; and finally the Kravis Center (701 Okeechobee Boulevard, West Palm Beach) on Wednesday, December 31. The finale will be on Sunday, January 4 at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater.
With music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, Guys and Dolls has won eight Tony Awards. It premiered on Broadway in 1950 and ran for over 1,200 performances, winning five Tonys in its original incarnation. Afterwards, it was made into a feature film starring Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra. The 1955 Broadway revival was also an award-winner.
Guys and Dolls is based on a set of stories by Damon Runyon, set in his version of New York City of the 1920s and 1930s. While the Mob and gangbusters were around during that time, they were featured much more prominently in Runyon’s stories. Guys and Dolls focuses on the stories of many unforgettable characters, such as the gambler Sky Masterson; the Salvation Army worker Sister Sarah; and Nathan Detroit and his lady, Miss Adelaide. Frank Loesser’s songbook has introduced millions of fans to such standards as “I’ve Never Been in Love Before,” “Luck Be a Lady,” and “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat.”
Tickets are available now for all tour dates. Prices start at $60 (Naples), $45 (Lakeland), $45 (Sarasota), $35 (West Palm Beach), and $35 (Clearwater). You can purchase your tickets online by going to artisnaples.org, thelakelandcenter.com, vanwezel.org or kravis.org, or by visiting the venues’ box offices up until the night of the performance.
For more information on the touring production, visit guysanddollsontour.com.
