Damon Runyon classic brings craps to Norris Theater
(Editor’s note: There are few contractions included in this article. The writer is attempting to mimic the style of Damon Runyon. He would also like to mimic the Pulitzer, thank you nicely.)
A sportswriter and character during prohibition times inNew York City, author Damon Runyon enjoyed boxing, babes, baseball and Broadway – in no particular order. When not covering the Yankees in the 1930s, he snuggled into his Manhattan flat, with a bottle of single malt under one arm and a Smith-Corona (the typewriter, not the beer) sandwiched at the other elbow, and wrote short stories, several of which were published in the various newspapers to which he contributed.
Portions of two of these stories evolved into an award-winning musical, which soon thereafter was transformed into an award-winning feature film. “The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown” and “Blood Pressure” were stories combined by playwrights Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling to become “Guys and Dolls,” the 1950 Tony Award-winning production with words and music by Frank Loesser. Loesser snuggled into his flat with his Steinway; the single malt element has not been annotated.
This fun, musically challenging musical is being presented as the first show of this year’s theater season at the Norris Theatre in Rolling Hills Estates.
Apparently, the gangsters with whom Runyon associated during his creative days (there were a notable few) did not use contractions when they spoke. It most certainly wasn’t an affectation when Runyon penned the stories, as the rhythm of the dialogue is as musical as, well, the music.
And, who will be brave enough to challenge the speech patterns of characters named Harry the Horse, Nathan Detroit, Skye Masterson, Nicely-Nicely, The Greek, Benny Southstreet, Big Julie and the Kit Kat Girls, of which Miss Adelaide was the star? Beware the pussies’ well-shaped tails that they flaunt to taunt and tease. Purrrrfect.
When attending the show, spats, pinstripes, wide lapels and red carnations above the jacket pocket are appropriate – and encouraged. Ladies can flapper in their own special ways. What’s a “doll” anyway? Perhaps it is socially incorrect, but I refer to my 26-year-old daughter as a “doll.” She seems not to be offended and she could story in Runyonesque fashion, even with her Master’s Degree in Mathematics. (Don’t dancers simply have to count to eight?)
The story’s pretty simple. Two love tales – Skye and Miss Sarah, and Nathan and Adelaide – keep the action moving between crap games, horse racing, and bets, based upon which is most popular at Mindy’s Restaurant. Strudel and cheesecake are the contenders, even though Danish is the favorite of Nathan.
This is all about “A Woman in Love” with all the males confessing that “The Guy’s Only Doing it for Some Doll.” But “Adelaide” and “Nathan Detroit” fight over Nathan’s “Oldest Established Permanent Floating Crap Game inNew York.” Not to worry about the money, though, because Nicely-Nicely has the “Horse Right Here.” It was either “Paul Revere” or “Valentine,” though the odds were never discussed.
The original play and the 1955 movie (Brando, Sinatra, Jean Simmons) were both cartoonish in the sets’ vibrancy and color. Norris’s Nathan Detroit is an experiencedRedondo Beachactor who has performed the show many times. Jeff Asch said the atmosphere at the theater will be equally as colorful as previous productions he has seen and performed in.
“I am doing the part ofDetroitand I am looking forward to it,” said Asch, with no contractions.
Rehearsals? “I have personally been in rehearsals about 10 days (as of Sept.16)… but the whole rehearsal process takes about two to three weeks.
He said he has watched the movie one time, so the Frank Sinatra influence is not ingrained. Asch noted that the characters in the stories by Runyon and the play is based primarily on the ‘Idyll of Sarah Brown….”’
It is funny the way the characters talk – they do not use contractions.
He said that director James Gruessing wants to keep the dialogue as close to the original script as possible, so contractions will be sparse. It assumes that 1940s gangsters did not pay much attention to fifth grade English, provided they lasted that long in school. Big Julie must have enjoyed the cuisine at the Big House.
“Nathan does, however, use contractions. I think, because of the comic timing, he wrote the contractions in on purpose,” said Asch. “Nathan uses them more than the rest of the characters, in my opinion.” Apostrophes were apparently inappropriate in ‘40s gangsterland.
Is this production still a period piece?
“Most definitely,” said Asch.
Will younger members of the audience understand the jargon of those days past?
“Oh, sure they will,” Ache replied. He’s originally fromScranton,Penn., but has been anL.A.resident for the past 20 years. “The ‘Guys and Dolls’ story is very accessible. The jargon is not that hard to understand; there is some stuff that some may not get, but not enough that they will not like it.
“I’ve done this show so many times, and each time I do it, I love it more; I find something new. One would think you’d get tired of performing it so many times, but not me.”
This is Ache’s debut at the Norris, but he is hoping for more, especially given the proximity to his residence.
In the director’s chair
James Gruessing is the man in charge of the guys and dolls for this three-week run. He is by no means a stranger to the Norris stage, having served the past few years as artistic director.
As for authenticity to the original production, Gruessing insists that, for reasons above and beyond artistic, the company is contractually committed to present the original script – again, with few contractions.
“We haven’t produced any Damon Runyon here, though I’ve performed various roles of the show at different stages (inSouthern California),” said Gruessing. “It’s my number two favorite show – ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum’ is probably my first.”
As per Damon Runyon, Gruessing said, “He had a fabulous career before writing the stories that eventually became ‘Guys and Dolls.’ He was a sportswriter and he covered the FDR campaigns for theNew Yorknewspapers.”
For this production at Norris, the director said it is still going to be a period piece, set in 1949, “which is one year before the original opened on Broadway.” Thus explains the abundance of Studebakers and Nash-Ramblers that were all too present in the 1955 movie version. Not a Packard in sight, so these must have been low-life gamblers. After all, they were shooting craps in a sewer.
Are you fearful some young audience members will not understand the jargon? “I think the references are very period specific, but they make sense. There are simple gambling terms that don’t make sense to a lot of people. And, please, but I think we’ve been diligent in how to handle and phrase those comments,” said Guessing. “Even if you don’t get the specific term, you get the meaning.” How many hard 8s are there? Two, to you novices. None to the experienced player on your left, who is wearing a red carnation and has a name that ends in a city.
“What I always like to do before I jump into any show is that I pick out all the words and phrases that may come into question with my cast, said Guessing. “My pet peeve is, number one; I want you to know what you’re talking about. So often I go to see shows, and so often they’re delivering lines but have no idea what the reference is…. It’s our job as storytellers to make sure you, the audience, know what we’re talking about. For the first rehearsals, I give everybody what I call an encyclopedia, which is basically a five or six page document that includes all the terms that people may or may not know… If you’re saying it, you’d better know what it means.”
The cast numbers 24 and there’s a full orchestra of 13 in the pit. Asch, as mentioned, plays Nathan Detroit, Chris Gilbert is Skye Masterson, and Rebecca Morris is cast as Sister Sarah Brown. That’s “sister” as in Salvation Army, so weekend confessionals need not be visited by audience members.
So, to add to Gruessing’s encyclopedia, always split aces and 8s in blackjack, buy only three numbers on the craps table, and take an ax to the slot machines. A friend of mine whose name ended with a vowel once managed the Dunes (it ain’t there no more but it made a splashy implosion about 20 years ago), and he said, “If everyone got off the plane in Vegas and bet their entire wad on just one bet, the casinos would become hotdog stands. It’s the return visits that kill you.” Thanks, Freddie. He is resting in the desert, someplace.
Guys and Dolls opens tomorrow at the Norris Theatre, 27570 Norris Center Drive, Rolling Hills Estates. Performances, Sept. 23-25 and 30; Oct. 1-2 and 7-9. Friday and Saturday shows at 8 p.m., Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets, $42 adults; $25 youth. (310) 544-0403 or go to norriscenter.com. ER
