Student players will present upbeat musical
The last three musicals presented by the Beacon Players — Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera and Man of La Mancha — featured some heavy material.
This spring, students in the high school’s theater troupe are having a blast working on a more upbeat production. Two weeks before opening night, every team on stage and behind the scenes leaned into Guys and Dolls, which opens April 25. After a break for pizza, the players rushed to put on their elaborate costumes for the first time.
Though the story of molls, gangsters and missionaries is dated (at one point the cast sings “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow”), it’s fun to dress up, recreate the past and bust out watered-down Brooklyn accents.
The play, which debuted on Broadway in 1950 and is edified in a 1955 film with the unlikely pairing of Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra, features many meaty roles, lots of onstage movement and show-stopping songs like “Adelaide’s Lament,” “Luck Be a Lady” and “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat.” Perry Como’s version of “A Bushel and a Peck” reached No. 3 on the pop charts two months before the show’s Broadway opening.
The play’s emblematic high-pitched squeal, forged by actress Vivian Blaine onstage and on screen, is delivered by the character Miss Adelaide, played by freshman Giana Rodriguez, who rues the fact that she’s waited 14 years to wed rambling man Nathan Detroit (junior Jonah Espinosa).
Molly Lyons, a sophomore who aspires to a professional acting career, chose the role of Sarah Brown, a soul-saver who falls in love with inveterate gambler Sky Masterson (senior Charlie Klein).
“I wanted the best fit,” says Lyons. “Adelaide has some great solo moments, but Sarah is so proper, uptight and by the book, which is not me, so I wanted to get out of my comfort zone.”
This is Klein’s first and last lead role. He usually sits in the pit playing trumpet and is headed to the Manhattan School of Music to study jazz. For the performances, 21 students and 14 hired guns will perform the sophisticated soundtrack.
“I’m trying to get as much as possible out of the role,” says Klein. “I’m kind of reserved and Sky is full of confidence, so I’m treating it like a long, improvised solo. Working with Molly, Jonah and the entire cast makes it easier because we’re much bigger than the sum of our parts.”
X – Havier Gonzales is suitably menacing as Big Julie, a mobster from Chicago who tries to rip off a craps game. Atlas Baltz strikes the right comical chord for Nicely Nicely Johnson, a go-between for Sky and Nathan.
Onstage and behind the scenes, director Anthony Scarrone swings a velvet hammer and maintains high standards. “I’m known for making changes down to the wire,” he says.
Another appealing component of Guys and Dolls is the dance routines that fill the cavernous stage. Many performers are comfortable acting and singing, but to be a triple threat, one must move with grace.
“Sometimes choreographers tend to simplify things when overseeing school productions,” says Kimberly Rodriguez, mother of Giana, who is coordinating the steps. “But these kids are fast learners and super eager to do this, so nothing is being dumbed down. We’re challenging them and they are rising to the occasion.”
The Seeger Theater at Beacon High School is located at 101 Matteawan Road. Guys & Dolls will be performed at 7 p.m. on Friday (April 25) and Saturday (April 26) and 2 p.m. on Sunday (April 27). Tickets are $12 ($8 for students and seniors) at beaconplayers.com or at the door.
