Place your bets—Stratford is rolling the dice in style. Okay, it is more of a sure bet as Stratford Festival’s Guys & Dolls opens what is expected to be a sensational 2026 season starting in May.
The Stratford Festival opens with the irresistible snap, crackle and charm of Guys and Dolls, a musical that never met a sure thing it didn’t like. Directed and choreographed by longtime Festival favourite Donna Feore, this production promises big energy, bigger heart and a whole lot of luck.
Guys and Dolls officially opens at Stratford Festival on May 26 and runs through November 1 at the Festival Theatre.
From the neon pulse of New York City to the heat-soaked rhythms of Havana, this is a world where gamblers dream big, missionaries stand firm and love has a habit of upsetting even the best-laid odds.
Leading the charge is Dan Chameroy as the suave Sky Masterson, opposite Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane’s steadfast Sarah Brown. Jennifer Rider-Shaw steps into the spotlight as the endlessly hopeful Miss Adelaide, while Mark Uhre brings grit and desperation to Nathan Detroit—a man juggling a floating craps game and a fiancée who’s running out of patience.
And yes, of course, the hits are all here. “Luck Be a Lady,” “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat” and “A Bushel and a Peck” arrive right on cue, delivered with the kind of polish and punch that Stratford audiences have come to expect.
At its core, Guys and Dolls is a story about risk—romantic, financial and otherwise. A slick-talking gambler bets he can win over a devout missionary, while another risks everything to keep his underground operation afloat. In this world, fortunes flip fast—but it’s love that proves the ultimate gamble.
Feore leans into the show’s precision and playfulness.
“Guys and Dolls offers a remarkably balanced view of the romantic transactions of this fabled Broadway bunch,” she says. “There’s a joy and discipline to it—nothing wasted. Every word, every note, every step earns its place.”
The production features a deep ensemble, including Gabriel Antonacci as Benny Southstreet and Steve Ross as Nicely-Nicely Johnson, supported by a dynamic company that brings the streets of Manhattan to vivid life.
Behind the scenes, a seasoned creative team fuels the spectacle. Music Director Franklin Brasz returns for his 17th season, joined by set designer Michael Gianfrancesco, costume designer Dana Osborne, lighting designer Bonnie Beecher and sound designer Haley Parcher—each adding another layer to this high-energy revival.
Guys and Dolls officially opens May 26 and runs through November 1 at the Festival Theatre.
The 2026 Stratford Festival season also features an ambitious lineup including The Tempest, Something Rotten!, Waiting for Godot, Death of a Salesman, The Hobbit, The Importance of Being Earnest, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Othello and more.
Because at Stratford this year, the message is clear: the odds are good—and the entertainment is going to be even better!
lead photo From left: Mark Uhre as Nathan Detroit, Jennifer Rider-Shaw as Miss Adelaide, Dan Chameroy as Sky Masterson, and Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane as Sarah Brown, Guys and Dolls. Stratford Festival 2026. Photo: Dariane Sanche.
Other articles from totimes.ca – otttimes.ca – mtltimes.ca