Drama department begins rehearsing for 2016 spring musical ‘Guys and Dolls’

With second semester in full swing, the drama department is busy at work with not only numerous student productions, but also this year’s spring musical “Guys and Dolls,” which began rehearsing Jan. 25 after roles were announced over the MLK three-day weekend.

This year’s spring musical is the fourth one drama teacher Sarah Thermond will direct, and she is excited for the upcoming practices and show.

“[‘Guys and Dolls’] is a very beloved show,” Thermond said. “It’s one of the more classic and old-fashioned musicals, but people still see it as fun and modern because the humor is fast, snappy and timeless. On top of that, the characters are endearing and ridiculous, no matter what decade you are watching it in.”

The musical, written by Frank Loesser, includes several catchy songs and dance numbers that Thermond is excited to showcase. The show takes place in the early 1950s in a neighborhood in New York, where a church group is unsuccessfully trying to set up a Mission.

The residents, however, are more interested in the gambling ring of Nathan Detroit (played by junior Austin Villanueva). The ring moves to different locations each time they play in order to stay away from the cops. But things go awry when Detroit, needing money to find a new space, makes a bet with his friend Sky Masterson (played by junior JT Hulme) in a desperate bid for bribe-money. 

“I’ve never worked on a production of this show before, but I’ve always enjoyed it when I watched it, so it seemed a really natural choice,” Thermond said.

“Guys and Dolls” differs greatly from that past two musicals Thermond has directed. Unlike ‘Les Miserables,’ an operetta with no dialogue, and ‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood,’ which contained a play-within-a play element, “Guys and Dolls” is more straightforward plot-wise, and contains the traditional mix of dialogue, songs and dances, according to Thermond.

The musical is more similar to the plays that the drama department has done recently, such as “Pride and Prejudice” and “Much Ado About Nothing,” so Thermond is confident that the actors are capable of performing it.

Sophomore Christine Schultz, who plays the role of Irene, said that the fact that the show requires a lot of dancing makes it enjoyable to do, but also a bit more difficult than previous musicals, such as last year’s “The Mystery of Edwin Drood.”

According to Thermond, the drama department has also experienced some difficulties in terms of scheduling.

“We had three student productions performing before the musical, so our rehearsals weren’t be able to totally pick up until February, which was a bit of a crunch,” Thermond said. “But I can’t wait to continue working with the students and for the cast to feel they are creating something great.”

“Guys and Dolls” will be performed April 22 and 23 at 7:30 pm, April 24 at 2 pm, and April 29 and 30 at 7:30 pm.