BroadwayWorld has exclusively learned that Elena Shaddow (The Bridges of Madison County), Lesli Margherita (Olivier Award Winner), Lenny Wolpe (The Drowsy Chaperone), Darius de Haas (Shuffle Along), Clarke Thorell (Hairspray), Steve Rosen (Broadway's Guys and Dolls) and Ruth Gottschall (Mary Poppins) will take to the stage in Buck County Playhouse's GUYS AND DOLLS.
Executive Producer Robyn Goodman, Producing Director Alexander Fraser and Producers Stephen Kocis and Josh Fiedler announced details on the upcoming production of the classic Broadway musical "Guys and Dolls," which will run at Bucks County Playhouse beginning Friday, July 21 concluding August 12. The official opening night is Saturday, July 22. The 2017 Bucks County Playhouse Season is sponsored by Bank of America.
Based on a story and characters by
Damon Runyon, the classic American musical "Guys and Dolls" has music and lyrics by
Frank Loesser and a book by
Jo Swerling and
Abe Burrows. "Guys and Dolls" will be directed by Tony nominee
Hunter Foster (BCP's "Clue: On Stage" and "Buddy: The
Buddy Holly Story") and choreographed by Jeremy Dumont.
The musical is the largest physical production to grace the Playhouse stage since its reopening in 2012. It comes in a year that also features three world premieres - two of them musicals. "Guys and Dolls" will be followed this fall by the world premieres of "Rock and Roll Man: The Alan Freed Story" starring
Alan Campbell and featuring
George Wendt, and "The New World" by the producers and co-creator of "Altar Boyz."
"'Guys and Dolls' is one of the most celebrated musical comedies of Broadway's golden age. It seems fitting that such an iconic show should be produced on one of America's most storied stages," says Producer
Stephen Kocis. "Our audiences have told us they want to see more classic American musicals at Bucks County Playhouse. I am happy to report that they are already responding favorably at the Box Office. We can't wait to see what magic
Hunter Foster and the creative team will bring to this fun and extraordinary American musical love story."
Let the wooing begin when notorious gambler Nathan Detroit and Adelaide bring their stalled engagement to the Playhouse stage in one of America's iconic musicals. Trying to bankroll his latest crap game, Nathan Detroit challenges notorious gambler Sky Masterson to a bet he's sure he will win. This big, brash Broadway musical features Loesser's brassy, immortal score that includes "Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat," "If I Were A Bell," "I've Never Been in Love Before," "Luck Be a Lady" and so much more!
The cast will be led by
Elena Shaddow ("The Bridges of Madison County," "The Visit") as
Sarah Brown,
Clarke Thorell ("Hairspray," "Annie," "The Front Page") as Sky Masterson,
Steve Rosen ("Monty Python's Spamalot," Broadway's "Guys and Dolls") as Nathan Detroit and
Lesli Margherita ( "Matilda," "Dames at Sea" and Olivier Award Winner for "Zorro") as Miss Adelaide.
Also featured in the cast is
Darius de Haas ("Shuffle Along" and BCP's "Ain't Misbehavin'") as Nicely-Nicely Johnson,
Blakely Slaybaugh ("
Cirque du Soleil's Paramour") as Benny Southstreet,
Lenny Wolpe ("The Drowsy Chaperone," "Bullets Over Broadway") as Arvide Abernathy,
Ruth Gottschall ("Mary Poppins") as General Matilda B. Cartwright,
Brendan Averett (Broadway's "Guys and Dolls") as Big Jule,
Victor Hernandez ("Bonnie and Clyde") as Lieutenant Brannigan,
Evan Mayer as Rusty Charlie,
Eric Greengold as Harry the Horse, and
Adam Vanek as Angie the Ox.
The ensemble is rounded out by Alysa Finnegan,
Alyssa Gardner, Mason Reeves, Isabel Stein, Jake Smith and Chris Washington.
The creative team features
Anna Louizos (Scenic Designer),
Kirk Bookman (Lighting Designer), Nicole V. Moody (Costume Designer) and
Bart Fasbender (Sound Designer).
Jane Pole is Production Stage Manager.
"Guys and Dolls" will play the following schedule: Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m., Wednesdays at 2:00 p.m., Thursdays at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. The opening night performance on Saturday, June 24 will be at 7:30 p.m. The Playhouse will hold a special LGBT Night performance with a post-show talkback on Tuesday, July 25 and a Ladies' Night performance on August 3.
Single tickets to "Guys and Dolls" are on sale now. Certain performances have limited availability. Tickets range from $40 - $75. Special rates for groups of 10 or more. Subscriptions to the full 2017 Season are still available. For complete details, and to purchase tickets, please visit buckscountyplayhouse.org, call 215-862-2121, or visit the box office at 70 South Main Street, New Hope, PA.
Bucks County Playhouse, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, is the oldest and largest professional Equity performing arts center in Bucks County. Under the direction of Tony Award-winning producers,
Alexander Fraser and
Robyn Goodman, the Playhouse provides first class professional theatrical entertainment as well as community events, partnerships and arts education programming for visitors and residents of New Hope, Doylestown, Lambertville and the Delaware Valley.
Located between Philadelphia and New York, Bucks County Playhouse opened in 1939 in a converted 1790 gristmill after a group of community activists, led by Broadway orchestrator
Don Walker and playwright
Moss Hart, rallied to save the building. The Playhouse quickly became one of the country's most famous regional theaters, featuring a roster of American theatrical royalty including
Helen Hayes,
Kitty Carlisle,
George S. Kaufman,
Grace Kelly,
Robert Redford,
Bert Lahr,
Walter Matthau,
Angela Lansbury,
Bernadette Peters,
Alan Alda,
Tyne Daly,
Liza Minnelli and
Audra McDonald and remained in continuous operation until December 2010. In 2012, the Playhouse re-opened thanks to the efforts of the Bridge Street Foundation, the nonprofit family foundation of Kevin and Sherri Daugherty, and Broadway producer
Jed Bernstein.
Since its renovation, significant productions include
Terrence McNally's "Mothers and Sons" starring
Tyne Daly, which moved to Broadway and was nominated for two Tony Awards, and "Misery" by
William Goldman based on the
Stephen King novel which also went on to a Broadway run in the 2015-16 season. Two of the Playhouse's recent productions -- "Company" starring
Justin Guarini, and
William Finn's "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" -- were named by Wall Street Journal to its "Best of Theatre" list for 2015. The Playhouse's productions of "Steel Magnolias" and "Buddy: The
Buddy Holly Story" broke box office records in 2016. Thanks to the Bridge Street Foundation and their vision for the New Hope waterfront, the Playhouse is currently in construction mode - as it adds 4,000 square foot riverfront cafe and bar that is expected to open in 2018.
