I cannot think of a better place to be on a muggy summer night than at the Hollywood Bowl in a box seat watching Frank Loesser’s ever memorable production of “Guys and Dolls.”

This was a full-scale production with 35 cast members. Choreographer, Donna McKechnie used the narrow, circular path around the orchestra pit effectively and her dance numbers were exciting. Director, Richard Jay-Alexander’s direction was swift and dynamic. Evan A. Bartoletti’s sets were colorful and integral to the Bowl’s stage and a stand out was the lighting design by Tom Ruzika which set the moods through his usage of bold color.

I loved the costumes by Thomas G. Marquez. His costumes for the Havana dance scene and “A Bushel and a Peck” were whimsical and striking as were the gangster “zoot” suits for the men.

Adelaide (the ever delightful Ellen Greene) had a knock-out leopard one shoulder skin-tight sheath paired with spike heels in a different leopard print and a cream fur stole.

The stellar cast included Tony Award winner, Brian Stokes Mitchell, touted as “The last leading man” by the New York Times. He was well cast in the Marlon Brando role as the irresistible smooth, gambler, Sky Masterson. His performance was sexy and exciting in the song, “Luck Be A Lady Tonight” and thoughtful and sentimental in “My Time of Day” and “I’ve Never Been In Love Before.” Brian has the looks, the moves, an incredible vocal instrument and a long, long list of formidable Broadway credits. Greene, (“Little Shop of Horrors” fame) was an outstandingly ditzy Adelaide. There was a little Lucille Ball, a little Judy Holliday and a lot of Ellen Greene in the show stopping, “Adelaide’s Lament” and “Take Back Your Mink.” Ever handsome, Scott Bakula known mostly for his film and television roles was perfect as the ner-do-well gambler, Nathan Detroit. Versatile Jason Graae was Benny Southstreet, Jody Ashworth was Lt. Brannigan, Beau Bridges was Arvide Abernathy, and Ken Page was Nicely-Nicely Johnson. He got an ovation with his soul rousing rendition of “Sit Down, You’re Rockin the Boat.” I last saw Ken Page in Reprise’s “Damn Yankees” and he just gets better and better. Ruth Williamson gave a marvelous comedic performance as the straight-laced Gen. Mathilde Cartwright.

The surprise for me was Jessica Biel as Sarah. Could this model-turned-actress sing? Yes! Jessica Biel has a lovely soprano voice. It was clear as a bell in “I’ll Know,” “If I Were A Bell,” and her duet with Sky, “I’ve Never Been in Love Before.” This gal can sing and she certainly has comedic talents as well. She was adorable in the Havana scene. Sky plies her with Dolce de Leche, (Bacardi) and after downing several of the very potent alcoholic drinks, Sarah lets her hair down and lets loose. The stiff, proper Salvation Army Sergeant is forgotten as she transforms into a flirty, funny and slightly drunken doll who also can dance and well!

Were there hitches? Yes, the sound system for Gen. Cartwright did not work and gave static and was off in her first number. Jessica Biel forgot a cue and actually broke character and said to Arvide Abernathy, “Beau I missed my cue.” Beau Bridges took it in stride and laughingly commented, “You must be more tired than I am” and continued after missing a beat. While Bridges is not a singer per se, he did a good job acting his song, “More I Cannot Wish You.”

I have seen Loesser’s “Guys and Dolls” before in a smaller venue and at the large scale Hollywood Bowl, the intimacy would have been lost without the use of the big screens. I don’t know how well the musical played to those way back. From the vantage point of my box seat, it was fine. It must have been okay for those patrons way back because there was thunderous applause after Act 1 and a standing ovation at the end.

Loesser’s “Guys and Dolls,” A Musical Fable of Broadway opened on Broadway in 1950 and ran for 1, 200 performances. It won five Tony’s in 1951 and still wows us today. The 1955 film version directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz starred Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, Jean Simmons and Vivian Blaine. It is based on the story and characters of Damon Runyon.

It is the age-old story of “opposites attract” as Sarah Brown, (Jessica Biel) the repressed anti-gambling, anti-drinking girl who is out to save sinners falls for a smooth talking, gambler, Sky Masterson (Brian Stokes Mitchell). He has made a bet with Nathan Detroit (Scott Bakula) a small time hood who has been engaged to Miss Adelaide (Ellen Greene) for 14 years. The bet is that Sky cannot get a doll, namely Sarah to go to Havana for dinner with him. Sky has given a marker to Sarah and will guarantee that he will bring a dozen sinners to her mission. In Havana, Sky gets Sarah drunk on “milk,” Dulce de Leche and she professes her love to him in the delightful “If I Were A Bell.”

The other love story is between Adelaide and Nathan Detroit (Scott Bakula). Adelaide is a singer-dancer at the Hot Box. For years, she has been lying to her mother. The fabrication is that she married Nathan who is an assistant manager at an A and P and they have five children with a sixth on the way. In reality, Nathan keeps “stalling and stalling the wedding trip.” He sings “Sue Me” to Adelaide as he breaks the date for the marriage again. The dolls meet on the street and do the soul sister number, “Marry the Man Today” as they commiserate. Sky delivers the dozen sinners and saves Sarah’s mission and both he and Nathan Detroit transform into the men their women would have them be.

Ah, the healing and transformational power of love. Adelaide appears in a wedding gown and Nathan who now runs a newsstand comes out in a tux and Arvide Abernathy marries them. He had already joined Sky, who uses his real name, Obadiah and Sarah in holy matrimony and Sky, reformed gambler, marches to a “different drummer.” He is the Bass Drum player in the Salvation Army Band. The conflicts are resolved and “all’s well that ends well.”