Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"...At the Drury Lane Theatre, director/choreographer Dan Knechtges pushes the show to the outermost boundaries of broad comedy. This bumptious, goofy production is firmly rooted in camp. That style is well-suited for a show based on short stories by Damon Runyon. What Runyon’s playing-card thin characters lack in substance of subtlety, they make up for in silliness."
Daily Herald - Highly Recommended
"...I hadn't realized how much I missed this show (which I last saw 13 years ago) until I experienced Drury Lane Theatre's sparkling revival under director Dan Knechtges, whose spry, swinging, balletic-athletic choreography is ideally executed by a lively ensemble led by Jackson Evans, Alanna Lovely, Pepe Nufrio and Glen Ellyn native Erica Stephan."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...Every facet of this production—casting, costumes (Leon Dobkowski), choreography (Dan Knechtges), set (Angela Weber Miller), pace, music direction (Roberta Duchak and Chris Sargent)—shines. It is tempting to just lay the show’s success at the feet of director Knechtges. And he must deserve some praise for how well various elements of the show mesh together, from Frank Loesser’s terrific songs to the energetic, graceful dances to the spot-on comic material (penned by one of the top comic writers of the radio era, Abe Burrows, who cowrote the book with Jo Swerling)."
Talkin Broadway - Highly Recommended
"...The cast is bursting with talent, charm and charisma. Alanna Lovely offers a brilliant Miss Adelaide. Her voice is both powerful and sweet. In her physicality, she captures the idea that Adelaide is starting to feel her age (and, of course, has been suffering a twelve-year cold) but has not lost a step in terms of turning heads. Lovely is not in the least afraid to play up the role's daffy quality, yet her Adelaide is warm and intelligent, too, which shines through in some unexpectedly affecting moments with both Sky (Pepe Nufrio) and Sarah (Erica Stephan)."
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews - Recommended
"...Drury Lane's Guys and Dolls was enjoyable and well-executed. However, certain scenes needed more energy, particularly the Sit Down; You're Rockin' The Boat performance. I've seen other musicals smash the number, getting the audiences more engaged. While the song was well-sung by Nkrumah Gatling (Nicely-Nicely Jones) and choreographed was great, the execution could have captured the exuberance and enthusiasm that the number is known for. Gene Weygandt's (Arvide Abernathy) singing More I Cannot Wish You, was exceptional and provided the warmth connected with this amazing song, and even in a limited role, Heidi Kettering had a standout performance as General Matilda B. Cartwright."
Around The Town Chicago - Recommended
"...As I said, this is a show that is starting to show its age, but in spite of that, this production is one that you will enjoy from star to finish and will see musical theater as it was back in my day. This is a show that I have been a part of many times. The first production was summer of 1960 at Music Theater in Highland Park. Later, several other productions playing many different roles until I did play Nathan. This is a play that shows us what musical theater is all about and Drury Lane’s production is one worth seeing."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...The entire company absolutely gives their all to make this polished, professional production perfectly priceless. So Follow the Fold to the Drury Lane Oakbrook Theatre for this Musical Fable of Broadway, where the 1950’s looks and sounds brand new again."
PicksInSix - Highly Recommended
"...Looking for the oldest established permanent floating crap game in New York with tough guys packing heat and cracking wise while a couple of old-time love stories unwind in locales as exotic as Havanna and the Hot Box Club? If so, then, the rock’em sock’em revival of the 1950 Tony Award winning “Guys and Dolls” now playing at Drury Lane Oakbrook is the show for you."
Chicago Culture Authority - Somewhat Recommended
"...The show’s biggest problem lies in the casting of Jackson Evans in the lead role of Nathan Detroit, organizer of the oldest established permanent floating crap game in New York. Evans gives us a Nathan in full-on nebbish mode, which, though amusing at times, just doesn’t suit a character famously played by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Nathan Lane and Oliver Platt. There’s a certain wry and knowing quality the character must possess even as he plunges into ridiculous predicaments. Evans is talented, but he doesn’t seem zoot-suited for the assignment."
City Pleasures - Highly Recommended
"...Few musicals can claim as convoluted a backstory as Guys and Dolls. It’s songs were created before its story. Its plot grew out of a chance suggestion. And the person who ended up scripting its storyline had never written for Broadway before. Despite that, the acclaim the musical received in 1950 when it debuted on Broadway was both universal and fervent. And in the 74 years since it premiered, it’s popularity has only become more entrenched. Drury Lane Theatre’s current production of the classic shows how all of the things that make Guys and Dolls different also make it an irresistible draw."
WDCB - Highly Recommended
"...Not only does Drury Lane not fail, but they more-than-amply succeed in just about every department, mostly thanks to director/choreographer Dan Knechtges & a strong cast. Knechtges invigorates this familiar material with a lot of fresh physical business & staging, & fresh-feeling movement."
Splash Magazine - Recommended
"...The phenomenally talented cast of Guys and Dolls includes Jackson Evans (Nathan Detroit), a 1950s schemer gangster/gambler running illegal floating crap games on Broadway. He is in a constant struggle to find a location for his gambling den. His performance is stellar. He and his charming, witty, sassy, spirited, frustrated fiancee Alanna Lovely (Miss Adelaide), lead star dancer at the Hot Box nightclub, establish a fabulous comedic rapport with their forever ongoing fourteen-year engagement. Their relationship’s quick quips, banter, dancing, and singing prowess are entertainment gold. Lovely’s singing, “Adelaides Lament,” with the ensemble is beautifully haunting."
BroadwayWorld - Highly Recommended
"...It is not often produced. Drury Lane’s production was well worth the wait! Under the superb direction of Tony nominated Dan Knechtages, Damon Runyon’s fabled world becomes a dazzling reality. A side note: Runyon passed away before the original 1950 production with Robert Alda and Isabel Bigley opened on Broadway."
NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...All of the ensemble characters are credibly portrayed, but the best element of this production is the dancing, wonderfully choreographed by Knechtges. We really feel fully transported to Cuba through dance, and the big production numbers have magnificent momentum."
