The Wood River High School Players present their spring production of "Guys and Dolls" from Thursday, May 5, through Saturday, May 7, at the Community Campus Theatre in Hailey. Show time is 7:30 p.m.
Based on Damon Runyon's short story "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown," with music by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, the play revolves around a bet. The male protagonists are Nathan Detroit, the organizer of (as the song says) the "oldest established permanent floating crap game in New York," and pal Sky Masterson.
Sky bets that he can woo any doll Nathan chooses and take her on a romantic Havana getaway.
Nathan, of course, chooses the most straight-laced girl in the neighborhood, the prim missionary Miss Sarah Brown of the Salvation Army. The status of the bet, the crap game, and the plight of the 14-year engagement of Nathan and his girl, Miss Adelaide, result in chaotic hilarity amid great song and dance.
Songs of note from the musical are "A Bushel and a Peck," "I'll Know," "Luck Be a Lady," and "Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat."
Of course, "Guys and Dolls" has serious Broadway chops. It opened in 1950 at the 46th Street Theatre and ran for 1,200 performances, with a cast that included Robert Alda and Vivian Blaine. The 1955 film version featured Marlon Brando, Vivian Blaine, Frank Sinatra and Jean Simmons. In 1976, a Broadway revival was staged with an all-black cast. And in 1992, Nathan Lane and Peter Gallagher co-starred in another revival, which ran for more than two years. Faith Prince won a Tony Award for her role as Miss Adelaide.
"This'll be a big family event," director Becky Miller said. "It'll be lots fun."
The cast includes Brooke Hand, Jessica Rice, Dakota Cole and Cooper Lee as the four leads. Other roles are portrayed by Joe Zeman, Mark Pederson, Dan Parnes, Max Kessler, Cutis Hopfenbeck, Matt Sloan and Sheldon Hart. There are numerous other guys and dolls as well as HotBox and Havana dancing girls.
Sara Gorby is the choreographer and Max Stimac is music director. There will be live accompaniment from the high school band with additional direction by Bart Bailey.
Miller loved having a show with so many good parts for the boys.
"I have so many men and they're so good. I love getting the boys involved. The four leads are from the Performing Arts Academy. That helps so much. Most of the academy kids, (of which there are 22) are in it, and if they're not, they helped in the production."
In all, Miller said 75 students are involved either in the cast or building sets, making costumes, singing and dancing. Miller cast the show in September, and has been able to work with the leads—and on the music—since then. The Academy's play production class designed the set.
General admission tickets for the show are at Iconoclast in both Ketchum and Hailey, and at the door. They cost $8 for adults and $5 for students.
This production marks the last one for many seniors, who've been involved in theater for all of their four years in high school.
Miss Sarah Brown (Brooke Hand) is carted home from a swinging night out by Sky Masterson (Dakota Cole) in "Guys and Dolls."
