This past Wednesday, the Musical Theatre Department held an in-school production of Guys and Dolls. The play follows two couples: Nathan Detroit and Miss Adelaide, and Sky Masterson and Sister Sarah Brown. It follows themes such as love, gambling, and the clash between the righteous and the sinful.
The musical revolves around Nathan Detroit (played by Jack Pinkston), a small-time gambler, and his struggle to organize a crap game while balancing his relationship with Miss Adelaide (played by Malin Watkins), a nightclub singer who wants him to marry her and “go straight.” To get money to rent a place for the game, Detroit drags Sky Masterson (played by Hunter Jennings) into a seemingly impossible bet that he can not bring Sister Sarah Brown (played by Miranda Watkins), a sister at the Save a Soul Mission who opposes gambling, to Havana.
“I actually really liked it. I thought the music was really good, and I also really like how everyone put their all into it,” said KK Beard-Stamm, an audience member of the in-school production.
The colorful sets and fog machine pull the audience into the world alongside these characters. The sets, costumes, and music are immersive, as well as delightfully entertaining. The audience is taken on a rollercoaster of tears and laughter all at once.
The cast members received their roles before fall break. They rehearsed every day, with the exception of being out of school. With more difficult dance and musical numbers than ever before, the hard work takes its toll on the cast members.
“My character in Havana takes a lot of physical work. I’m carrying people, I’m putting people on my shoulders, like a bunch of lifting,” said Maggie Frazer who plays Angie the Ox, one of the gamblers in the production. “This [play] stands out because the two main female leads are extraordinary singers, but one of them [Malin Watkins] has to completely alter her voice for this role for the entirety of the show to make it sound different, and that’s just insane. I think it’s cool.”
The general sentiment is that the production was very well done. The singers, dancers, and people behind the scenes did a fantastic job of making the production their own. The community and teamwork shown on and off the stage is something to be admired.
“I’ve never played a role like this before, but I find it so much more rewarding, especially my senior year that I am playing a role like this. It means a lot,” said Emma Mills who plays Arvide Abernathy, the grandmother of Sister Sarah Brown. “The director has been absolutely amazing. He worked with me on my song to put some passion behind the right words and how to do it musically and I really think, because we’re doing the Marquee Awards with the Tennessee Theatre, that he’s prepared everyone, really putting in the effort for ‘Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat,’ those big choir numbers. Also the staging director and the choreographer. It’s been a great team this year, it’s been awesome.”
Tickets are still available to watch the show Saturday, April 5th. There will also be a Guys and Dolls DVD recorded on Saturday available for twenty-five dollars. Come show your support!
