A New Production of GUYS AND DOLLS Directed By Michael Arden Opened in Tokyo

The new production of Guys and Dolls in Japan has opened its curtain to a house full of enthusiastic audience at the prestigious Imperial Theatre on Thursday, June 9th in Tokyo.

The classic Broadway musical is given a new life in Japan by two-time Tony-nominated director Michael Arden, choreographer Eamon Foley, and Tony-nominated set designer Dane Laffrey. The show is produced by Toho Co., Ltd.

The show stars Yoshio Inoue as Sky Masterson, Rio Asumi as Sarah Brown, Kenji Urai as Nathan Detroit, and Futo Nozomi as Miss Adelaide.

Guys and Dolls was presented at the Imperial Theatre in June, followed by a regional tour at Hakataza Theater, Fukuoka from Saturday July 16th to Friday July 29th.

Michael Arden is a two-time Tony-nominated director for his revivals of Spring Awakening and Once On This Island (which won the 2018 Tony for Best Revival). He won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for his production of Spring Awakening. Michael made his Broadway debut as an actor in Deaf West Theater and Roundabout Theatre Company's production of Big River. Other directing credits include ALIEN/NATION (Williamstown Theatre Festival), THE CONNERS (ABC), A Christmas Carol at the Geffen, Annie at The Hollywood Bowl, My Fair Lady at Bay Street Theater, The Pride and Merrily We Roll Along at the Wallis Annenberg Center in Los Angeles, where he is currently the Artist in Residence. Michael is an alum of The Interlochen Arts Academy and The Juilliard School. In addition to his work as a director, Michael is the founder and Artistic Director of THE FOREST OF ARDEN, a diverse Company of multi- disciplinary artists, designers, musicians, writers, stage managers, and filmmakers who strive to devise immersive, imaginative, and provocative theatrical experiences with an emphasis on site-specific work and innovating technologies while serving communities and the people in them.

Eamon Foley is the founder and artistic director of Grind Arts Company, which specializes in theater and dance on film and beyond the proscenium. Collaborations with Michael Arden include Annie (The Hollywood Bowl), Merrily We Roll Along (The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts), Alien/Nation (Williamstown Theater Festival), and American Dream Study. Other choreography credits include Next to Normal (Writer's Theater), His Story, Horror Camp, and DanceBreak. As director-choreographer, he has helmed numerous musicals, films, and music videos including Nine, Cyrano, Brown Rice (Queerty Award Nomination), Sweeney Todd, The Last Five Years, and Hero. As a performer, he was in the original Broadway casts of 13! The Musical, Everyday Rapture, Gypsy, Assassins, and How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Eamon is a graduate of Princeton University.

Dane Laffrey (Set Designer) - With Michael Arden: set and/or costume design for Maybe Happy Ending (Alliance Theatre), Once On This Island (Broadway / National Tour; Henry Hewes, Drama Desk and Tony Award nominations), Deaf West's Spring Awakening (Wallis Annenberg / Broadway), Merrily We Roll Along (Wallis Annenberg), My Fair Lady (Bay Street), Annie (Hollywood Bowl), A Christmas Carol (Geffen Playhouse + forthcoming film; Ovation Awards for Best Scenic and Best Costume Design). Other recent work in New York includes Disney's Hercules (The Public), Greater Clements (Lincoln Center), Collective Rage...(MCC), Apologia (Roundabout), Fool For Love (Broadway) and other projects at Manhattan Theatre Club, Second Stage, Vineyard Theatre, Atlantic Theatre Company, BAM, Soho Rep, Transport Group. US Regional work at theaters including Center Theatre Group, Arena Stage, Old Globe, Huntington, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Pasadena Playhouse, Denver Center, Dallas Theatre Center, Shakespeare Theatre, and many others. In Tokyo Dane has previously designed the set for The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (Parco Theatre). Additional nominations for a Drama Desk Award, 7 Henry Hewes Awards, 4 Ovation Awards (LA) and in 2017 won an OBIE for sustained excellence in set and costume design. www.danelaffrey.com [danelaffrey.com]

Toho Co., Ltd. is a leading production company of theatre and film in Japan, internationally recognized for the Godzilla series and for Akira Kurosawa's masterpieces. Its theatrical department has presented numerous original and licensed musicals and plays in Japan, including Broadway and West End imports such as LES MISERABLES, Miss Saigon, Mary Poppins, My Fair Lady, Man of La Mancha, Fiddler on the Roof, La Cage Aux Folles, RENT, Jekyll & Hyde, Fun Home, Next to Normal, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Jersey Boys, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Ghost The Musical, Bullets Over Broadway, Waitress, The Producers and NEWSIES among many others. In 2017, Toho presented a new production of Shakespeare's As You Like It directed by Michael Mayer, music by Tom Kitt, choreography by Lorin Latarro. Coming productions including Moulin Rouge! The Musical, the original manga-based stage production of KINGDOM and SPY x FAMILY, and more. Recently, Toho has co-produced the Broadway musical Tootsie. Toho has also produced the Japanese versions of musicals from Central Europe, including Elisabeth, Mozart!, and Rebecca the Musical. The company also produced the original musicals and plays, including Marie Antoinette and Lady Bess with the creators of Elisabeth, book and lyrics by Michael Kunze, and lyrics by Sylvester Levay, the musical adaptation of Roman Holiday, Crest of the Royal Family, music by Sylvester Levay, Knight' Tale music and lyrics by Paul Gordon, book and directed by John Caird. Toho's most recent production was the stage adaptation of Hayao Miyazaki's awards winning animation masterpiece Spirited Away, adapted and directed by John Caird and co-adapted by Maoko Imai. Toho's musical productions have been licensed internationally, Marie Antoinette was presented in Germany, Korea and Hungary, and Lady Bess was presented in Switzerland.

For more information, please visit https://www.tohostage.com/guys_and_dolls/index.html (Japanese only)

To post a comment, you must register and login.