Theatre goers have the option of doubling down on the romance between inverterate gambler Sky Masterson and Sarah Brown, the prim do-gooder out to save his soul, as two companies stage separate productions of “Guys and Dolls.”
The Turlock Youth Performing Arts senior company is staging “Guys and Dolls Jr.” starting tonight. Further down the highway, the Modesto Performing Arts is staging their production of “Guys and Dolls” at the Gallo Center for the Arts.
“That just goes to show how popular this show is,” said Amber Traini, the director of the TYPA show.
The Tony award winning musical is about Sky Masterson, a habitual gambler who takes up a bet to lure the Salvation Army missionary Sarah Brown away to Havana for a romantic night. Along the way Masterson falls for Brown, but the romance could come to a quick end if Brown discovers Masterson’s bet. The blossoming romance has a counter point to that of Nathan Detroit and showgirl Adelaide, who have been engaged forever, but no wedding date in site.
The musical score to “Guys and Dolls” includes such hits as “A Bushel and A Peck,” “Sit Down Your Rocking the Boat,” “Luck Be A Lady,” and “Back Your Mink.”
The musical was later turned into a film starring Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, and Frank Sinatra.
“I did a production of “Guys and Dolls” myself and I just fell in love with the music and the characters,” said Traini. “It’s not a time period that the kids are familiar with, but they have really embraced it and gotten into their characters.”
The TYPA show stars Andrew Cheesman as Sky Masterson and Emily Wooten as Sarah Brown. Jacob Sylvester plays Nathan Detroit and Eliana Roberts plays Adelaide. The music director is Lisette Sims and the assistant director is Sarah Snyder. The musical features a cast of 32 teenagers from the area, ranging in age from 14 years to 18 years.
The MPA production stars Curtis Nelson as Sky Masterson and Randi Linee as Sarah Brown. Nelson previously played the lead roles in “42nd Street” and “Man of La Mancha.” Paul Tischer is directing the show and musical and orchestra direction is by David Barios.
The TYPA show opens at 7 p.m. tonight and has shows at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 7 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $5 for children 12 and under and seniors and $10 for adults. All shows will be at the Turlock Community Theatre and tickets will be available at the door.
The MPA production opens at 7:30 p.m. tonight. Other performances are at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 14 and 15 and 2 p.m. Saturday and Aug. 16. Tickets range from $19 to $34 and are available at http://www.galloarts.org. All shows are at the Gallo Center for the Arts.
