By Eva Trieger
SOLANA BEACH, Californi — Picking up where Guys and Dolls left off, writer Mark Saltzman and director Larry Sousa collaborated to bring us more of Damon Runyon’s loveable gangsters, their Judys, and a few unlikely types who were swayed to the shady side for love or money in the world premiere of Another Roll of the Dice.
A talented cast of mostly equity actors accompanied by four accomplished musicians (Cris O’Byron, Jeff Dalrymple, Jodie Hill, and Gerard Nolan) relate four discrete tales of how these individuals’ escapades are intertwined around cheesecake, strudel, dames and baseball in New York City’s Mindy’s Deli during the 1930s and 1940s.
Set in the delicatessen, many of the stories were narrated by Zelma the waitress (Sarah Errington) whose stellar voice and palpable physical presence paved the way for her costars. Amid her gum-chewing, off-handed comments and sidebars, the North Coast Rep audience met other characters including Jabez Thursday (Lance Carter), Tobias “The Terrible Tweeney” (Elliot Lazar), Haystack Duggler (Jason Maddy), Snooksy (Allison Spratt Pearce) and Ledge Dugan (Darrick Penny). I must note here that these are only six of the thirty characters portrayed by these gifted actors.
Each vignette focused on the interaction between the dangerous derelicts, their molls and the sometimes innocents who alternately admired, feared or wanted to emulate them. The Runyonesque speech was fun to follow, and the New York accents were adorably exaggerated.
Interestingly, the music was not written for the show but woven in where most fitting. The musical numbers included pop songs penned by Frank Loesser, others written by Hoagy Carmichael, and a few by Frederick Hollander. Some of the more familiar ones included “Heart and Soul, “ Two Sleepy People,” “The Boys in the Backroom,” and “I Wish I Didn’t Love You So.” Jack Lipson is responsible for the arrangements and musical orchestration.
Set design by Marty Burnett never fails to impress, and kudos to Elisa Benzoni on culling great period costumes, especially for the dames!
This show is the perfect antidote to the dog days of summer and runs through August 11. There will be a special talkback on July 19th. Tickets may be purchased online at northcoastrep.org or by calling 858.481.1055
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Trieger is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts. She may be contacted via eva.trieger@sdjewishworld.com