Customer Reviews
A classic updated 
2007-07-03
I saw the show on Broadway with Nathan Lane, so this album functions as a memory. The music is American Standard Broadway classic and should be in the collection of anyone who loves musical theater.
Guy and Dolls Revival 1992 2007-06-09
This is an excellent CD with the music from the 1992 Revival of Guys and Dolls. All of the performers do an excellent job, particularly Josie de Guzman, who plays Sarah Brown. Her voice is exceptional.
If you loved the Movie -- YOU WON'T GET ADELAIDE 
2006-10-11
Sorry, I didn't get to see the Broadway show. I really loved the movie --Frank Sinatra & Stubby Kaye are spectacular. Brando can't sing, but tries to sing and dance. One of my favorite songs NOT AVAILABLE ON THE BROADWAY ALBUM is "Adelaide" ... is taking a chance on me. That was disappointing.
Love Nathan Lane generally, but he just brought a new and satirical twist, Gallagher is OK - sounds very voice trained Broadway singers.
When you start with the movie -- the music from Broadway is disappointing.
Sure you get "Marry the Man Today", but "Adelaide" will be missed.
Great Recording 2006-07-23
Great recording of one of the greats. The original is now difficult to listen to due to the tinny sound and mono recording. this revival was wonderful, with a great cast and now a definitive, excellent recording. Skip the movie soundtrack.
Damon Runyon was Smilling on Broadway... 2005-09-21
Drats ! I can't believe I let myself miss this revival... If the stage production was as good as the cast recording I can only say that I really hope that the chaps in Great Britain who are currently rehearsing up the latest revival are on up on their jippers (or whatever they call them) on this one... (Actually the New York dialect doesn't seem so authentic on this one... strange... guess Gulliani really did clean up Time Square...)
The orchestration on this is swinging... And it better be... IF I WERE A BELL, LUCK BE A LADY and I'VE NEVER BEEN IN LOVE have been major entries in the GREAT AMERICAN JAZZ SONG BOOK since the musical came out... in fact, as many versions of IF I WERE A BELL that I've had to sit and play through, I have to say that the big band swinging Entr'Act version is really boppin' ... and the decision to take the REPRISE of GUYS AND DOLLS uptempo makes the CD even more must have.
As for performances, while I think in many ways the score out-tops the cast, its still fun to listen to, overall its good enough to warrent listen after listen after listen from this BROADWAY and JAZZ FANATIC, and SIT DOWN YOU'RE ROCKIN THE BOAT is still the unforgettable showstopper it was the first time I experienced this music.
Now - - I know this comment might be off the wall, but I wonder if some of the other great writings of Damon Runyon will ever hit the stage hencefoith ? And is it just me, but despite some great new musicals on Broadway this season, there is still a greater need for more revivals.
What can you do me? 2005-09-16
This 1992 revival cast rewrote the standard for
Guys and Dolls, with costumes and sets decked out in splashy colors, a crack pit band conducted by Edward Strauss, and a perfect cast. In the classic setting of Damon Runyon's tales of the New York underworld, Peter Gallagher and Josie de Guzman excel in their respective roles as the suave Sky Masterson and the innocent but hopeful Sarah Brown, but Nathan Lane and Faith Prince are even better as the hopeless couple Nathan Detroit and Miss Adelaide. Walter Bobbie brings the house down with the grand showstopper, "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat," and the other ensemble numbers, including "The Oldest Established," are also thrilling. Frank Loesser's score, of course, is one of Broadway's greatest ever, with "Luck Be a Lady," "Fugue for Tinhorns," "I've Never Been in Love Before," "A Bushel and a Peck," "More I Cannot Wish You," and "Marry the Man Today." The list goes on, as does
Guys and Dolls, in this definitive recording.
--David Horiuchi
Lifeless 
2005-06-30
My only real frame of reference is the movie with Sinatra and Brando. Maybe not the best to campare with, even so I have to say that, with the exception of Nathan Lane and Faith Prince, the performances on the CD lacked the life I would have expected. Maybe it's the effect he was going for as the suave, worldly gambler, but Peter Gallagher's Sky Masterson just came across as bored. His voice was also not the quality I would have expected from a Broadway-caliber performer. I almost hate to admit it, but I even prefer Brando's rendition of "Luck be a Lady" over the one on this CD. The movie version of "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" was also far superior. Some of "Sky's" songs (complete songs, not snippets/samples) can also be found at Peter Gallagher's web site.
I found the CD at my local library, so I avoided having to pay for the disappointment. I would recommend you try to borrow a copy before deciding whether it's actually worth buying.
Excellent recording, but a boring soprano 
2005-06-06
I love the "Guys and Dolls" music, and this is a great recording. Faith Prince is a divinely perfect Adelaide; Peter Gallagher comes as close as humanly possible to perfect as Sky. Nathan Lane, unfortunately, has been ruined for me by being the voice of "Timon" in "The Lion King," but he's an excellent Nathan Detroit. The entire cast is very good, although I was a little disappointed with "More I Cannot Wish You," except for Josie de Guzman. She's a great singer, and she hits all the high notes, but she doesn't bring out the warmth in Sarah's character. Every spoken line she delivers sounds harsh, and her "I'll Know" sounds more like a checklist than a daydreaming girl. Her worst offense, though, is "If I Were a Bell," a truly great, comical song sung by Sarah when she's drunk in Havana. Instead of sounding lusty, drunk, and spontaneous, she sings it sweetly and note-perfectly; there's no character. "I've Never Been in Love Before," though, and "Marry the Man Today" are both fine, and "Sue Me" is just terrific. I really like the two Sky songs--"My Time of Day" and "Luck Be a Lady"--because Peter Gallagher is a fantastic tenor, and they're just beautiful. Overall, a really fun soundtrack, but I still think that Sarah was miscast.
One of the Greatest 2005-01-11
This recording is definitely the best I have seen done for this musical. I know from personal experience portraying the role of Sarah Brown that this musical is a hit with audiences due to the up-tempo nature of the musical. The speed of some of the songs kept everything flowing and preventing a lag in an otherwise long musical. This recording is what my director used to base our tone and speed on, and I applaude her for it. The voices and performances on this recording are spectacular! Bravo!
GREAT Revival Recording! 2004-11-19
Hi, I am currently doing a production of Guys and Dolls, playing Nicely-Nicely, and I decided to do some research on the various recordings of this show. This 1992 Revival Recording is fantastic, and a fun recording to listen to. The tempos of all of the songs are bright, fun, colorful and really breathe some life into the songs. The overall performances given on this disc are excellent as well...Nathan Lane makes a funny, and charming Nathan Detroit - one can see why Adelaide would put up with his nonsense for 14 years.....Faith Prince keeping with the tradition of nasal Adelaides with the Brooklyn accent does an excellent job here of portraying Adelaide with impeccable comic timing, and belt that can reach the back of any large Broadway house. Her "Adelaide's Lament" was a treat. Peter Gallagher and Josie De Guzman do a wonderful job here, although they are not the best Sky and Sarah I have heard, or seen. Walter Bobbie's characterization of Nicely-Nicely is just adorable and warm, and he does an incredible job on whatever number Nicely has to sing. J.K. Simmons was hilarious as well, with great comic timing.
I only give this recording 4 stars instead of 5 because I feel that sometimes some of the tempos were TOO rushed, to the extent that some of the clever lyrics might be overlooked and compromised, and a lot of the score has been drastically changed, when they didn't need any changes at all - "Runyonland", and "Sit Down You're Rockin' The Boat" are a couple that come to mind immediately. I think Frank Loesser's score was good enough with out the changes and embellishings that were added to the score for this production.
I would recommend this recording just for the fun of it, but if I were doing a production of this, and wanted to hear an accurate representation of the score, or if I were doing research on this musical, I would either go with the Original Broadway Cast, or the 1995 Complete Recording with Kim Criswell, Don Stephenson and Emily Loesser. Both, especially the latter, give an excellent representation of how the score was initially conceptualized and represented. And how perfect it was, and still is.
