The “Campification” of Old-School Broadway: Review of Frank Loesser, Jo Swerling, and Abe Burrows’s Guys and Dolls
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This review examines the Stratford Festival’s 2026 production of Guys and Dolls and argues that director Donna Feore transforms a familiar Golden Age Broadway musical through a distinctly camp aesthetic. It explores how set design, costumes, and performances exaggerate mid-twentieth-century gender conventions and theatrical traditions, creating a playful reinterpretation of the source material. Special focus is given to the production’s visual design, its treatment of gender roles, and the standout comic performances of Jennifer Rider-Shaw as Miss Adelaide and Mark Uhre as Frank Detroit. Through close analysis of performance elements, the review demonstrates how contemporary productions can renew as well as critique classic works for modern audiences.
Author: Riley, Kara
Institution: Wright State University
Language: English
Subfield: Music
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7224686228