Shane Cortese puts his money on Broadway show

Shane Cortese with Sophia Hawthorne (right) and Anthea Hill in Guys and Dolls. Photo / Hannah Richards

Shane Cortese tells Dionne Christian why he is so keen on working in Guys and Dolls

It was 2013 and Shane Cortese was on a roll. He'd come off juggling starring roles on television shows Nothing Trivial and The Almighty Johnsons to play leading man Billy Flynn in Michael Hurst's production of Chicago. Hurst turned the all-American musical into a provocative burlesque-style romp that highlighted the power of sex, sleaze and celebrity to sway the media and justice system.

But when the blow-up dolls emerged in rehearsals, Cortese - already stripped down to a skimpy faux leopard skin robe - wondered what he'd signed up for.

"At first I was thinking, 'I won't be able to take Mum to this one', but as soon as I let that go and bought into what Michael was trying to say and do, it was the most wonderful and dynamic musical I'd been involved with and I loved how it became story-driven. It was an incredible experience and it drove me on to this one."

"This one" is the Broadway super-musical Guys and Dolls, Auckland Theatre Company's end-of-year hurrah with a cast of 16 that includes Roy Snow, Sophia Hawthorne, Andrew Grainger, David Aston, Geoffrey Dolan, Wesley Dowdell, Kyle Chuen, Jason Te Mete, Stephen Lovatt and newcomer Rachel O'Connell.

Cortese plays Nathan Detroit, a charming gambler looking for the perfect place to set up an illegal craps game. Trying to raise $1000 to bankroll a venue, Nathan bets Sky Masterson (Snow) he won't be able to woo the honourable Sister Sarah Brown (O'Connell) but when Masterson persuades Sister Sarah to accompany him to Havana, all bets are off.

It's a lot less raunchy than Hurst's Chicago, but Cortese says the production has a similar - albeit not as dark - heart in that it elevates the story rather than making it all about spectacle.

"One of the best things about doing a musical with ATC is that you can't hide behind a huge chorus or use the 'tricks' that a musical on the West End and Broadway may bring into play," he says.

"You won't see the blokes with a chorus line of gangsters flitting across the stage, because it's about bringing the audience into the story and the play of it rather than relying on special effects and huge choruses.

"I'm a real believer in the importance of bringing a story to life and Guys and Dolls has a wonderful story of love and mates. What could be better than love and friends? People need to hear the words so we put the energy into making the story the focus and ATC's musicals have been incredibly successful with that."

Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra and Vivian Blaine in the Guys and Dolls movie.

Based on two of Damon Runyon's short stories about the underworld characters of 1950s New York - gamblers, dancing girls, gangsters and the cops out to catch them - Guys and Dolls premiered in 1950 and ran for 1200 performances. The original production won five Tony Awards including Best New Musical and was subsequently made into a film starring Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra. Its score includes favourites like Luck Be A Lady, Sit Down You're Rocking The Boat and I've Never Been In Love Before.

With Chicago reminding him of how much he loves musical theatre, Cortese says the opportunity to portray Nathan Detroit was more attractive than ever. He likes that director Raymond Hawthorne wants to play it true to the classy style of early 1950s America rather than shaking things up with a more radical revival.

"It was a period of great manners; you know, even the gangsters were well-dressed and took their hats off when they entered a room. There was no one sitting round looking at an iPhone when they were having dinner with someone."

One of the bonuses for Cortese is that he gets to wear a well-cut suit. He reckons suits are "lingerie for men" and there's nothing like a tailored jacket, pants and smart shirt to make a man want to act like a gentleman.

"When you put on a suit and a new pair of shoes, you just want to open doors and say please and thank you."

Performance

What: Guys and Dolls
Where and when: Q Theatre, October 29-December 5