Depot Puts the Squeeze on ‘Guys’ : Tiny La Habra venue mutes the energy of the musical. And barely passable singing doesn’t help the production, either.

“Guys and Dolls,” a quintessential American musical, needs room to move. You can’t shoehorn this sprawling story about kindly hoods and their lovable dolls into a closet, which is just what the La Habra Depot Theatre tries to do.

The Depot is a tiny venue, and Frank Loesser, Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows’ musical is a big show. It’s that simple. Friday’s opening night looked cramped and under-realized from the first number, when the hectic New York setting is suppose to be lively and expansive.

At the Depot, it was more crowded than anything else, with Tim Thorne’s cutout sets finding as little breathing space as the cast.

Without an accommodating arena, the musical’s energy is muted--hubbub becomes ho-hum. Director Brad A. Steward, who doubles as the music director, tries to compensate by having his performers jazz everything up, but their hyper-drive doesn’t overcome this central problem; in fact, it’s accentuated.

The show, based on a streetwise story by Damon Runyon, is known for its colorful characters. This production does have a few comfortable performances in key roles, although the singing is never more than barely passable.

Martin Kennedy is properly world-weary and opportunistic as gambling hustler Nathan Detroit, and Tracy Gayle is squeaky-voiced funny as his dim sweetheart, Adelaide.

And Elna Marie Binckes as missionary Sarah Brown, offers a good-girl veneer with some heat burning below the placid surface. Her big release in the Cuban nightclub scene is more cute than sensual, but it works well enough.

Ron Graham as Sky Masterson doesn’t keep up, though. Sky is suppose to be charismatic, but Graham is far too underwhelming to generate any electricity. Consequently, there isn’t much chemistry between Sky and Sarah. Without that, it’s hard to care whether there romance is a bloom or a bust.

‘Guys and Dolls’

A La Habra Depot Theatre production of the musical by Frank Loesser (music and lyrics) and Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows (book). Directed by Brad A. Steward. With Raun Imperial, Jonathan Niel, Ralph Ohlsen, Elna Marie Binckes, Leo Soderman, Cindy Greenup, James Franco, Tom Phillips, Mike Craig, Martin Kennedy, Tracy Gayle, Ron Graham, Amy Steward, Margie Carpenter, Katie Holmes, Erin Stott, Lynette Devereaux, Stephanie Haymond, Donna Abraham, Don Fraser and Dennis Montgomery. Choreography by Tess Taylor. Sets by Tim Thorne. Costumes by Trisha Burson. Lighting and sound by Chris Montgomery, Millie Fuller and Antoinette Papazian. Plays Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. and Thursday, Oct. 8 at 8 p.m. through Oct. 9 at 311 S. Euclid St., La Habra. $8 and $10. (310) 691-8900 or (310) 905-9708.