GUYS AND DOLLS Opens Season At Norris Center for the Performing Arts

The Tony award-winning romantic musical comedy, "Guys and Dolls" opens the Norris Center for the Performing Arts' 2011-2012 season on September 23. Bustling with gamblers, gangsters, and sassy showgirls, "Guys and Dolls" celebrates Broadway's golden era, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest musical comedies because of its perfect blend of plot, music and lyrics. The production will run for nine performances though October 9.

Frank Loesser's legendary score for "Guys and Dolls" features such show-stopping hits as "Luck Be a Lady," "Sit Down You're Rocking The Boat," "If I Were a Bell," and the famous title song, "Guys and Dolls."

The Norris production stars equity actors Chris Gilbert as Sky Masterson, Jeff Asch as Nathan Detroit and Beth Obregon as Sarah Brown. Rebecca Morris plays the long-suffering Adelaide and Brandon Stanford is Nicely-Nicely Johnson. It is directed by James Gruessing, with choreography by Ann Meyers and musical direction by Daniel Thomas.

Set in Damon Runyon's mythical New York City in the 1940s, the musical revolves around two unlikely romances. Nathan Detroit, the organizer of the oldest permanent floating crap game, bets slick gambler Sky Masterson that he can't make the next girl he sees fall in love with him, but that next girl happens to be Miss Sarah Brown - a prim and proper Salvation Army missionary.

Meanwhile, Nathan is under pressure from his fiancé Adelaide, who is growing impatient that their 14-year engagement has not led to marriage -- and the stage is set for all the hilarious complications of love. The masterfully witty and hilarious book by Joe Swerling and comedy great Abe Burrows introduces an incredible cast of vivid, colorful characters that have become theatrical legends.

Premiering on Broadway in 1950, "Guys and Dolls" ran for 1,200 performances and won five Tony awards including Best Musical. It was also selected as the winner for the 1951 Pulitzer Prize for drama. The show holds the record for the longest running revival on Broadway, and was immortalized in the 1955 film starring Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra.

Based on Damon Runyon's famous short stories celebrating the world of New York City during Prohibition, "Guys and Dolls" brings to life all the excitement, danger and glamour of the era. Runyon's characters were typically humorous and good-hearted hustlers, gamblers, gangsters and entertainers who vibrantly illuminated the seedy underbelly of the city. The musical is drawn primarily from his short stories "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" and "Blood Pressure."

"'Guys and Dolls' is considered by critics to be the perfect musical comedy and it is also the perfect opener for our 29th season at the Norris," says James Gruessing, executive producer at the Norris Center for the Performing Arts. "This rollicking musical fable of Broadway, with its irresistible score, lavish sets, and unforgettable characters will provide the ultimate in entertainment for audiences of all ages."

Performance dates for "Guys and Dolls" are September 23-25 and 30, October 1-2 and 7-9, with 8 p.m. shows on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sunday matinees. Tickets are $42 adult and $25 youth, and discounted group sales tickets are available at ext. 256. For more information or to purchase tickets call 310-544-0403 or visit www.norriscenter.com. Free, covered parking is available behind the theatre. The facility is wheelchair accessible and assisted listening devices are provided upon request. The Norris Theatre is located at 27570 Norris Center Drive in Rolling Hills Estates.