Jarrod Emick, Garrett Long, and More Star in Flat Rock's GUYS AND DOLLS Now thru 8/19

Flat Rock Playhouse presents one of Broadway's most endearing and successful musicals, GUYS AND DOLLS, onstage at Playhouse Mainstage tonight, July 25 – August 19. Amidst cops looking for an ever moving illegal dice game, bets made and lost, love found, lost, and found again, Guys and Dolls awards the audience with laughter, great dancing sequences, some wonderful vocal harmony, and the all important happy ending.

Featuring one of the greatest musical scores ever written and set in a mythical New York City, Guys and Dolls introduces us to a cast of vivid characters who have become legends. The story came from sports columnist and short-story writer Damon Runyon, who was the shady poet laureate of the desperate residents of Times Square. His characters seemed perfectly suited to a colorful musical comedy. Frank Loesser's bright, brassy, immortal score takes us from the heart of Times Square to the cafes of Havana, Cuba, and even into the sewers of New York City. Funny and romantic, the story of Guys and Dolls is ideal for audiences of any age.

The adaptation for Guys and Dolls by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows leans heavily on a Runyon story, "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown," which depicted an odd romance between an inveterate gambler named Sky Masterson and a Salvation Army-type missionary girl, headquartered in the theater district. Sky, who can't refuse a wager of any kind, is bet by another gambler, Nathan Detroit, that he can't romance the straitlaced missionary, Sarah Brown. Meanwhile, Nathan has troubles of his own, trying to set up a floating crap game while avoiding the wrath of his fiancée, a brassy chorus girl named Miss Adelaide, who is desperate to marry Nathan after a 14-year engagement. Other colorful Runyon characters, driven gamblers; petty racketeers; and chewing gum-smacking showgirls, were drafted in from a variety of other stories, and the universe of the show was generously and humorously fleshed out. The show was miraculously able to mock the desperate citizens of Dream Street and celebrate them at the same time.

In the distinguished history of the American musical theatre, few works have enjoyed the universal popular and critical acclaim that has been given to Guys and Dolls. After it's opening in November 1950, Guys and Dolls ran for 1,200 performances and the show has enjoyed successful revivals all over the world, including three on Broadway alone. A bright and brassy story about love, marriage and all that a roll of the dice can bring you, Guys and Dolls is as fresh today as it was in 1950.

Starring in the Flat Rock Playhouse production is a cast that combines seasoned Broadway performers and young apprentice talent. Jarrod Emick, who was last seen in The Playhouse's premiere production of It Happened One Christmas, plays high roller Sky Masterson. Emick won the Tony, Drama Desk and Theatre World Award for his portrayal of slugger Joe Hardy in the Broadway Revival of Damn Yankees. He will be back in Flat Rock this fall to play Scott Fitzgerald in Zelda. Garrett Long, who has appeared on Broadway in the new musical Bonnie and Clyde as well as the original cast of South Pacific and the Off-Broadway production of The Spitfire Grill, plays honest and upright Sarah Brown. Hustler Nathan Detroit is played by John Plumpis. This October John will appear as John Barrymore's prompter in the two-actor film Barrymore starring Christopher Plummer. The film premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival, and he and Mr. Plummer previously toured the play across the US and Canada. Showgirl Adelaide is played by Lesley McKinnell who recently starred in the American Premier of Stephen Schwartz' new musical My Fairytale and was also featured in both the 1st and 2nd national tours of Wicked.

These four performers are joined by more fantastic singers and dancers, including Herschel Sparber whose standout roles include the role of Big Jule in Broadway's revival of Guys and Dolls with Nathan Lane and Faith Prince, and playing the President of the United Federation of Planets, Jaresh-Inyo, in multiple episodes of TV's Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The production also includes Playhouse favorites: Preston Dyar, Linda Edwards, Michael MacCauley, Michael Marotta, Stephen T. Ware, Brenna Yeary and the 2012 Apprentice Acting Company.

Directed by Vincent Marini, the creative team for this whimsical musical includes musical direction by George Wilkins, Jr.; choreography by Nick Keply (a YouTheatre alum, now Broadway dancer). With scenic design by Dennis C. Maulden, costume design by Janet Gray and lighting design by Stephen Terry.

Presented by First Citizens Bank, Guys and Dolls is a cornerstone of the musical comedy stage that continues to delight audiences over 60 years after its Broadway premiere. Guys and Dolls is onstage tonight, July 25 – August 19 at Playhouse Mainstage. Evening performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 8:00 pm and matinee performances are Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 pm. Tickets to Guys and Dolls are $40 with discounts available for seniors, AAA members, military personnel, students and groups.

During the first week, a Rush Ticket Discount is available for the preview performances tonight, July 25 through the Saturday matinee, July 28. Adult Rush Tickets are $20 and Student Rush Tickets are $10. Rush tickets are very limited, subject to availability and will only be made available for purchase at The Playhouse box office on the day of the show - two hours before the performance begins.

The Playhouse will host a special Audio Described matinee performance of the show for the sight-impaired patrons on Saturday, August 18.

Tickets can be purchased, by calling The Playhouse box office at 828-693-0731, toll-free at 866-732-8008 or online at www.flatrockplayhouse.org. Flat Rock Playhouse Mainstage is located at 2661 Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock, NC.

 

 

 

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