When Frank Loesser wrote the music and lyrics for Guys and Dolls - a Musical Fable of Broadway he may not have envisioned an outdoor production at an iconic venue nestled in the Hollywood Hills, but the all-star cast of Guys and Dolls in Concert at the Hollywood Bowl will sing and dance beneath those "stars in the sky" in an original, fully-staged production especially adapted for the Hollywood Bowl stage.
Guys and Dolls in Concert at the Hollywood Bowl is a one-of-a-kind production by the same creative team behind last summer's Les Misérables in Concert, led by director Richard Jay-Alexander, with choreography by Tony award-winner Donna McKechnie and musical direction by Kevin Stites, conducting the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.
We reached out to director Richard Jay-Alexander, the "captain" of last summer's successful and sold out Les Miz in Concert, for a few comments about the starry Guys and Dolls casting.
"I'm ecstatic, other than the fact that John Mahoney dropped out due to personal reasons. So, we are now looking to cast the part of 'Arvide Abernathy' for the show", remarked Jay-Alexander. He continued to reveal his excitment in returning to the Hollywood Bowl, "First of all, I was very excited being asked back, after doing last summer's production of Les Misérables. To go back and work with producers Steve Linder and Brian Grohl, as well as the entire production team, makes me feel very secure - as the reality of doing these summer musicals is that it's fast and furious...and fun!" 
"The audiences at the Bowl astonished me. Presenting Les Miz in front of those 17,000 people nightly, in that amazing setting, was thrilling."
Richard Jay-Alexander is known for perfecting the art of collaboration, and once again he'll be working with the best in the business as he explains, "The kicker for me is that Donna McKechnie has agreed to choreograph this production. And, even more excting, is that she has managed to get iconic Broadway "show girls" as our 'Hot Box Dancers'." Donna personally reached out to Sandahl Bergman, Valarie Pettiford, Jane Lanier and Kathryn Wright, who all said "yes" instantly. I almost fell over when she told me!" He adds, "and at the auditions we found the final two 'Hot Box Girls' - Jillana Laufer and Tracy Powell...talk about heaven." 
The success of Damon Runyon's legendary musical comedy is often due to the casting of the colorful characters who bring to life Loesser's dazzling score and the Hollywood Bowl production is fairly bursting at the seams with talent.
Richard spoke a bit about the dynamic roster he has assembled. "We had, as you know, made early offers to Brian Stokes Mitchell and Jessica Biel." About Stokes, he says "You know, I saw Jo Loesser at FEINSTEIN'S one night, at Stokes' show, and she told me that if I do the show (Guys and Dolls) at The Hollywood Bowl, in this staged concert version, that I must 'get him.' She was right, of course. It blows my mind when I see her because I love her so much on that full-length recording of THE MOST HAPPY FELLA. It always makes me break out into some line or song when I see her. She was extraordinary as the original Rosabella."
