(3) Les Miserables vs (8) Avenue Q
September 10, 2009(1) Assassins vs (8) You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown
September 9, 2009Elite 8 Analysis: American Classics
September 8, 2009Guys and Dolls vs. Chicago
By Jared Peterson
Okay, listen. These are both great shows with worthy histories and solid places in the canon. But can our American Classic—THE American Classic—be so dark and spot-lit? Chicago has sass, sure. Fosse’s choreography, with its sharp edges and slow burns, is always a wonder. And the dark humor is delectable. But it’s a little tiring, being in on a tart little joke for that long. Guys and Dolls is simpler and sweeter. Not automatically a good thing, but it opens the show up to the masses. Chicago’s tunes are much more tied to character—which makes them great numbers, but maybe not such good songs. Guys and Dolls—numbers are looser, more elemental. Side by side, the experiences of the shows are opposed. One loosens and unfolds, the other winds tighter and tighter. That’s Chicago, but it’s not America. Guys and Dolls by a length.
