Show guide
Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls is a classic Broadway comedy about gamblers, showgirls, and mismatched romance on the streets of 1940s New York.
- Broadway premiere
- 1950
- Music by
- Frank Loesser
- Genre
- Golden Age
- Setting
- 1940s
Guys and Dolls: quick answers
What is Guys and Dolls about?
- Guys and Dolls follows gambler Nathan Detroit, who needs cash for his floating crap game and bets high roller Sky Masterson he cannot win over mission worker Sarah Brown, while Nathan's long-suffering fiancée, nightclub performer Miss Adelaide, waits for a wedding.
When did Guys and Dolls open on Broadway?
- Guys and Dolls opened on Broadway on November 24, 1950, at the 46th Street Theatre and ran 1,200 performances, winning the Tony Award for Best Musical. The 1992 revival starring Nathan Lane and Faith Prince was the most successful American remounting since the original.
Is Guys and Dolls a Golden Age musical?
- Yes. It opened in 1950, at the height of the Golden Age, and is considered one of the greatest Broadway musicals: a musical comedy with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, based on Damon Runyon's stories of New York gamblers.
Where and when is Guys and Dolls set?
- Guys and Dolls is set among the gamblers and nightclub performers of mid-20th-century New York City, with a side trip to a Havana nightclub.
Has Guys and Dolls played in London's West End?
- Guys and Dolls first played London at the London Coliseum, opening on May 28, 1953. Richard Eyre's 1982 National Theatre revival won five Olivier Awards, including Best Musical, and Nicholas Hytner's immersive revival opened at the Bridge Theatre in 2023.
Is there a Guys and Dolls movie?
- The 1955 film starred Marlon Brando as Sky, Frank Sinatra as Nathan, Jean Simmons as Sarah, and Vivian Blaine reprising her Broadway role as Miss Adelaide.
The story of Guys and Dolls
Set among the colorful gamblers and nightclub performers of 1940s Manhattan, Guys and Dolls follows a high-stakes bet between smooth-talking Sky Masterson and fellow gambler Nathan Detroit, who needs cash to keep his floating crap game running. The wager sends Sky chasing after prim mission worker Sarah Brown, while Nathan juggles his own long-suffering fiancee, nightclub performer Miss Adelaide, who has been waiting years for a wedding that never quite happens.
The show delights in the collision between the underworld's colorful characters and the straitlaced world of the mission, finding warmth and comedy in unlikely romances and characters who are more good-hearted than their rough exteriors suggest.
The music and the makers
The score was written by Frank Loesser, drawing on the rhythms of 1940s New York and infusing them with wit, swagger, and genuine romance. It is widely regarded as one of the finest scores of the Golden Age, blending comic patter songs with soaring ballads and big ensemble numbers.
Loesser's lyrics are famous for capturing the distinctive slang and cadence of Damon Runyon's fictional gamblers, giving each character a musical voice that is both theatrical and true to a very specific New York vernacular.
Guys and Dolls on Broadway
Guys and Dolls opened in 1950, right in the heart of Broadway's Golden Age, and quickly became a defining example of the era's polished, character-driven musical comedy. Its blend of sharp dialogue, memorable songs, and colorful staging set a standard that many later shows tried to match.
Its enduring popularity comes from the sheer craftsmanship of the writing, a show where every song and scene serves the story, paired with roles that remain enormously fun for actors to play and audiences to watch.
Guys and Dolls: frequently asked questions
When did Guys and Dolls open on Broadway?
Guys and Dolls opened on Broadway in 1950.
Who composed Guys and Dolls?
Frank Loesser wrote the music and lyrics.
What is Guys and Dolls based on?
It is based on short stories by Damon Runyon about New York gamblers and hustlers.
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