South Bay Offers Entertaining ‘Guys and Dolls’

The Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities has its hands full. The company recently dumped its artistic director, and it just announced an upcoming series of shows at Hermosa Civic Theatre, besides its ongoing series of musicals in the much larger Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center.

Still, the group found the time and resources to put on a very entertaining “Guys and Dolls” at the Redondo Beach venue. Although some initial problems with microphone feedback at the Sunday matinee were distracting, the show eventually caught fire.

The four leads are superb. John Ganun’s handsome Sky Masterson and Stephanie J. Block’s Sarah Brown create the “chemistry” that Sky seeks with no problem. Indeed, Block’s adorable dissipation scene in Havana and their subsequent declaration of love back in New York were genuinely stirring in a way that wasn’t felt in the touring company of the last Broadway revival.

Ira Denmark’s Nathan Detroit and Cynthia Ferrer’s Adelaide deliver the snappy street talk from the Jo Swerling-Abe Burrows book as if they were born to it, and they pull off composer Frank Loesser’s classic comedy numbers with equal flair. Another highlight is when Ferrer and Block bond in the women’s duet “Marry the Man Today.”

Richard Andy Blake’s Nicely- Nicely does full justice to the tradition of the late Stubby Kaye. Angelo Collado’s nimble Benny Southstreet provides the right counterpoint to Blake’s girth. Robert Malcheski snarls convincingly as Lt. Brannigan.

Nothing in Sha Newman’s staging and choreography looks especially innovative, despite her declarations in an interview that she tries to start from scratch when assembling a revival. Still, her staging keeps the show alive and well. The set was rented from Santa Barbara Civic Light Opera.

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* “Guys and Dolls,” Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, 1935 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Tuesdays-Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 7 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 2 p.m. Ends Sunday. $30-$45. (310) 372-4477. Running time: 2 hours, 45 minutes.