4th Wall Theatre Opens 20th Anniversary Season with GUYS and DOLLS in Concert

4TH WALL THEATRE opens its 20th anniversary season with the Broadway classic, Guys and Dolls in concert. The show features music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and a book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. The story is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" and "Blood Pressure" - two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also borrows characters and plot elements from other Runyon stories - most notably "Pick the Winner." The show has a limited run of September 30, and October 1, 2 at the Westminster Arts Center in Bloomfield.

Considered by many to be the perfect musical comedy, the story is set in Damon Runyon's mythical New York City. We meet Gambler, Nathan Detroit, as he tries to find the cash to set up the biggest craps game in town while the authorities breathe down his neck; meanwhile, his girlfriend and nightclub performer, Adelaide, laments that they've been engaged for fourteen years. Nathan turns to fellow gambler, Sky Masterson, for the dough, and Sky ends up chasing the straight-laced missionary, Sarah Brown, as a result. Guys and Dolls takes us from the heart of Times Square to the cafes of Havana, Cuba, and even into the sewers of New York City, but eventually everyone ends up right where they belong.

Variety called it "One of the funniest and melodious shows in seasons. Everything about it seems practically perfect."

4th Wall's production features Bob Russell of Hackensack, Laura Fortgang of Verona, Michael Barthel of Madison, Allison Macri of Upper Saddle River, Jarad Benn of Langhorne, PA, Tom Schopper of Bloomingdale, Peter Downing of Cliffside Park, Warren Carr and Danny Egan of Bloomfield, Mark Saylor of Montclair, Patrick Mclaughlin of Little Falls, Sharon DeRosa Smolen of Glen Ridge, Samantha Ferrara of Bernardsville, Laurice Grae-Hauck of West Orange, Rich and Jodi Maloy of Cedar Grove, Beatriz Esteban-Messina of Union City and James Lopez of Lake Hiawatha. 4th Wall Artistic Director, Kate Swan of Teaneck, directs and is joined by Markus Grae-Hauck of West Orange as Music Director. The two have teamed on numerous 4th Wall productions. Gwen Ricks-Spencer, formerly of Montclair, is the Production Manager, and Martha Thalheimer of Paterson serves as the Stage Manager.

4th Wall's tagline is "theatre on The Edge" and the company is known for sometimes making unusual choices for and within its shows. Director Swan says "For this concert version of Guys and Dolls, I wanted to play a little bit with not only how men and women get what they want and need from each other, but also what defines men's and women's roles, both in relationships and in society. We have done a little bit of cross-gender casting in the ensemble, and we have had a great time exploring how that affects certain messages in the show."

Guys and Dolls in concert will play a 3 performance limited run at the Westminster Arts Center on the campus of Bloomfield College in Bloomfield on September 30, October 1 and 2. Tickets are only $25, and discount tickets are available for students and seniors. Tickets may be reserved by calling 973-996-8484. Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover are accepted. Tickets may also be purchased online and additional information is available at www.4thwalltheatre.org.

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