Old school gangsters bet on horse races and love in Music Circus’ latest show.

By Patti Roberts

Guys and Dolls, a classic Tony-award-winning American musical, is fun, frivolous and farcical. The current production at Broadway at Music Circus is all that and more, with impressive dance numbers, familiar show tunes, a multi-talented cast, imaginative sets, great leads and a live orchestra.

There are some guys—mostly two-bit gamblers, a couple of gangstas, one who’s pretty dapper. Then there are some dolls—a couple of good-time gals, and one pretty cute missionary miss.

This is a 1950s-era musical set in the 1940s, so it’s expected that the dapper dan is going to meet up with the sweet missionary, sparks will ignite, wooing will begin, obstacles will be put in their way and (spoiler alert) they just might end up together at the end.

The score includes “Luck Be a Lady,” “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat” and “A Bushel and a Peck,” while the dance numbers range from tap to ballet to Cuban salsa—and this cast can really cut a rug under the direction of choreographer Michael Lichtefeld.

Added to the fun are 1940s swell styles, jump and jivin’ tunes, and humdinger lingo such as “dames,” “dolls,” “dough”, “craps,” “tinhorn,” “marker,” “mug” and “jug.”

Director Charles Repole takes on the daunting task of staging a musical on Music Circus’ theater-in-the-round stage, which means all props must be dropped down or hauled on stage, and all actors must play to a surrounding audience while entering and exiting down the theater aisles.

Killer-diller performances include Ali Ewoldt as Sarah Brown, Edward Watts as Sky Masterson, a spot-on ditzy Lesli Margherita as Miss Adelaide, and Jeff Skowron as Nathan Detroit.

This Guys and Dolls ain’t for fuddy-duddys—more for eager beaver musical theatre lovers.

Showtimes: Wed 7:30pm, Thu 7:30pm, Fri 7:30pm, Sat 2pm & 7:30pm, Sun 3pm; Through 7/28; $45-$91; The Wells Fargo Pavilion, 1419 H Street, (916) 557-1999, broadwaysacramento.com.