Group brings diversity, harmony to Guys and Dolls

Arts Collective Theatre's tighter take on oddball rom-com plays through weekend

Enough with all the drama, at least for now.

Windsor's Arts Collective Theatre (ACT) is taking a break from the weightier productions it has a reputation for in favour of the lighthearted Broadway hit Guys and Dolls.

“It's such a fun show, it's a comedy,” said Moya Mcalister, ACT'S vice-president and marketing director. “ACT is known for doing more drama-based theatre. We did West Side Story last year. It was a great show but it was kind of dark. We wanted to flip the switch this year and do something bright, fun. Make sure to leave the audience smiling and happy and toe tapping.”

Guys and Dolls, which runs until Sunday at the Capitol Theatre in downtown Windsor, is part of ACT Community. The annual program aims to “illuminate diversity” by providing training and performance opportunities to multi-ethnic artists of all ages.

“You will see a very good representation of the Windsor-essex residents on stage,” said Mcalister. “We like to work with new people regularly. We're constantly going out into the community and looking for singers, new performers.”

ACT stayed mostly true to the original Tony Award-winning Guys and Dolls, an oddball romantic comedy sent in New York City about a couple of gamblers and the women who love them.

But there are also some updates. “We've added some soul and gospel moments, especially in Act 2, that the crowd seems to love,” said Mcalister. “We've just kept things moving. Sometimes with these older shows, they tend to be very long. So we tried to shorten it down a little bit and keep it moving. And the music really does that.”

Mcalister said the cast will also be much more diverse than the original, something ACT strives for with all of its productions.

“It just shows, especially for anyone new to Windsor, new to Canada, that theatre is inclusive to everybody,” she said.

“Their talents should be viewed and highlighted in the city. We are flourishing with so many different ethnicities here. So we really want to reach out to those communities. It's a good way for them to be involved in the community, meet some awesome people, and be part of something big and exciting.”

ACT'S Guys and Dolls run at the Capitol Theatre continues with shows at 8 p.m. tonight and Saturday, and a 2 p.m. show on Sunday. Tickets, which range from $20 to $35, are available at actwindsor.ca or in-person at the Capitol Theatre box office.