‘Guys and Dolls’ promises laughter, nostalgia

When “Les Misérables” premiered two years ago in the McAfee Center, some of the audience sobbed with tears of joy as they witnessed their friends and family perform one of their favorite stories.

Last year, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” held the audience’s attention throughout with its open-ended conclusion. This year, the audience will be gasping for air as they laugh uncontrollably during the spring musical, “Guys and Dolls.” The show premieres on April 22 at 7:30 p.m. and also runs on April 23, 24, 29 and 30.

According to drama teacher Sarah Thermond, unlike the last two musicals,  “Guys and Dolls” is a pre-Broadway, “old-fashioned piece of Golden Age comedy.” The school last performed “Guys and Dolls” in 2003.

“It’s charming, well-paced and just ridiculous enough to keep it exciting,” Thermond said. “It’s a staple for many high school drama programs and I think everyone will see why in April.”

The main characters of the show will be played by an experienced cast. Conman Nathan Detroit will be played by senior Austin Villaneuva and gambler Sky Masterson will played by junior JT Hulme. Sarah Brown, head of the Save-a-Soul Mission and Masterson’s eventual love interest will be played by senior Nina Nelson. Juniors Gaya Chatterjee and Julie Cai will be leading the crew which is currently comprised of a few underclassmen.

According to Thermond, students will easily connect to the “snappy, energetic” comedy in the show.

Additionally, “Guys and Dolls” will allow cast members to illustrate the versatility of their talents. The show includes many dance numbers, and for the first time ever, choir director Andrew Ford will be a vocal director of the show.

Thermond anticipates her main challenge will be participation: There are three student productions that take place during the “Guys and Dolls” rehearsal period, which could cause decreased attendance due to scheduling conflicts.

“I’ve also been joking with the students about how the script explicitly says the minimum number of gentlemen actors we need for the show, but I’m pretty confident we’ll get the size cast we need to pull this off,” Thermond said.

The show also calls for elaborate set design ranging from the streets of New York City, a mission, a sewer, a dance club and a spontaneous trip to Cuba at the end of Act I.

Auditions for the show were held in mid January. According to junior Raymónd McCarthy, Thermond makes the auditioning process as fun and relaxing as possible for the students. She uses a technique called typecasting which lets students understand their characters and their goals during the auditioning process.

“Auditions were especially fun for me because I love getting typecasted,” McCarthy said. “[Auditions are] always a fun time getting to know the people that you will be working with for the upcoming show.”