Who Sang That In "Guys And Dolls"? Quiz

Answer: Nicely-Nicely Johnson, Benny Southstreet and Rusty Charlie

"Guys And Dolls" has both music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, with book credited to Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on the short stories of Damon Runyon (1880-1946), in particular "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" and "Blood Pressure".

"Fugue For Tinhorns" was the first song that Frank Loesser wrote for the show, before the plot of the musical had been worked out. For a long time he wasn't sure where in the show to put it, and it was one of the original show's producers, Ernie Martin, who had the bright idea of putting it at the very beginning. It is sung by three petty gamblers ("tinhorns") while deciding which horses to bet on that day.

Answer: Sarah Brown and Sky Masterson

"I'll Know" is a duet sung by the gambler Sky Masterson and Sarah Brown of the Save-a-Soul Mission. Sky has taken a $1000 bet that he can persuade the pious Sarah to come with him for dinner in Havana, Cuba. Each of them has an idea about the person they will marry, and sing about how they will each know when that person comes along.

Answer: Sarah Brown

"If I Were a Bell" is sung by Sarah Brown, describing how happy she feels at the end of her Cuban dinner date with Sky Masterson. Her normally strict morals have been relaxed as a result of the number of "Cuban milkshakes" she's drunk, which (unknown to her) are made with Bacardi rum. Sky realises that he's fallen for her but is gentleman enough not to take advantage of her befuddled state.

Answer: Nicely-Nicely Johnson and Benny Southstreet

The title song "Guys And Dolls" is sung by the two gamblers Nicely-Nicely Johnson and Benny Southstreet, observing that men will do anything when they're in love with a woman. Incidentally, Nicely-Nicely Johnson has gained his nickname because whenever someone asks him how he's doing, he replies "nicely, nicely".

Answer: Miss Adelaide and the Hot Box Girls

"A Bushel And A Peck" is sung by Miss Adelaide and her fellow performers at the Hot Box Club, a typical racy New York nightclub. The words describe how much the singer loves the subject of the song, a "bushel and a peck" being a large amount.

The song was very successful and was recorded several times even before the musical had its official premiere, by performers including Perry Como and Betty Hutton, Doris Day, and the Andrews Sisters. It is slightly odd therefore that it was omitted from the 1955 film and replaced by a completely different song called "Pet Me, Poppa", in which the performers are dressed as cats.

Answer: Arvide Abernathy

"More I Cannot Wish You" is a touching little song in which Sarah Brown's uncle and fellow Mission member, Arvide Abernathy, describes how much he hopes she will find her true love.

The song was originally written by Frank Loesser for a 1949 film named "Roseanna McCoy". The film's producer, Samuel Goldwyn, cut it out because he didn't like it, so Loesser slotted it into "Guys And Dolls" instead. Goldwyn didn't change his mind about the song, because when he came to produce the 1955 film of "Guys And Dolls", he cut it again.

Answer: Nathan Detroit and Miss Adelaide

"Sue Me" is sung by the gambler Nathan Detroit and his long-term fiancée, Miss Adelaide. After a fourteen-year engagement, Adelaide has at last got Nathan to promise to elope with her, but he has stood her up because of his involvement with an important crap game.

When she gives him one last chance, he still can't oblige, having lost the bet with Sky and is thus obliged to go to the Mission meeting. They then sing this duet, in which he professes his love for her, while she expresses her frustration at his refusal to settle down.

Answer: Sky Masterson and the Crapshooters

The well-known song "Luck Be A Lady" is sung by Sky Masterson and a chorus of the men involved in Nathan Detroit's "floating crap game", which is currently located in the sewers under the street. To fulfil his promise to Sarah to get "one dozen genuine sinners" to come to a meeting at her Mission, he makes a bet with the gamblers - if he wins the roll of the dice, they will all come to the Mission; if he loses, he will give them each $1000.

The song is sung as Sky prepares to make the most important dice roll of his life.

Answer: Nicely-Nicely Johnson and Ensemble

"Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" is sung by Nicely-Nicely Johnson and the other people at the Save-a-Soul Mission meeting. Nicely-Nicely has been asked to testify about his sinful life in front of the group, and he does so in the form of this show-stopping song.

He tells how he dreamt of being on a boat bound to heaven, where he is warned by the other passengers not to "rock the boat" by gambling and drinking, because if he does the devil will drag him down in the other direction. Just as he falls overboard and feels himself sinking, he wakes up, and thanks the Lord it was all a dream. With its catchy chorus, the song is usually encored at least twice.

Answer: Miss Adelaide and Sarah Brown

"Marry The Man Today" is a duet sung by the two disappointed women, Sarah Brown and Miss Adelaide. Each of them is frustrated that the man she loves is deeply flawed, but during the course of the song they cheer up and agree that it is best to "marry the man today and change his ways tomorrow".

As the musical ends, this is shown to be the right policy. Nathan has married Adelaide and given up his crap game to open a newspaper stall. Sky has married Sarah and joined the Save-a-Soul Mission. The moral of the song "Guys And Dolls" - that men will do anything for the love of a woman - is thus fulfilled twice over.