La Salle High School Students to Perform “Guys and Dolls” April 20-28 at Porticos Arts Space in Pasadena



For this year’s Spring Musical, the Visual and Performing Arts Department will be presenting “Guys and Dolls,” the hilarious show about gamblers, nightclub dancers and redemption.

“Guys and Dolls” will open Saturday, April 20, for a two-weekend, eight-performance engagement off-campus at Porticos Art Space, 2033 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena, on the grounds of St. James Methodist Church.

Directed by VPA department chairperson Jude Lucas, the musical features the brilliant music and lyrics of Frank Loesser. Playwrights Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows adapted the short stories of Damon Runyon to tell the musical tale of cops, con men, show girls, and Salvation Army types as they get caught up in the hurly-burly of Times Square.

Audience members will come out of the theater humming Loesser’s unforgettable tunes — “A Bushel and a Peck,” “Adelaide’s Lament,” “Guys and Dolls,” “Take Back Your Mink,” “Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat,” “Sue Me” and “I’ve Never Been in Love Before.”

The show, which has numerous dance numbers, will be choreographed by Ashleigh Doede. Matt Oden will be musical director.

The show is a large undertaking, boasting a cast of more than 40 students. “Everyone will be used in multiple numbers and in multiple ways and/or characters,” Ms. Lucas said. “All of the students are blessed with much talent.”

Michael Gordon leads the cast as the gambler Nathan Detroit, who has to raise $1,000 to front the floating crap game he runs. To get the dough, he bets high-roller Sky Masterson (Izzy Lacy) that the next girl Sky sees will fall for him. And the next girl is the prim Sarah Brown (Sabrina O’Reilly/Tesia Meza), who runs the shabby Save-a-Soul Mission.

While Sky courts Sarah, Nathan keeps jilting Miss Adelaide (Judah Lacy/Maddie Pefferle), the nightclub singer to whom he has been engaged for 14 years.

The other denizens of Runyonland are just as colorful as the four leads. In the gamblers’ den, the audience meets Nathan’s right-hand man, Benny Southstreet (Tommy Moreno/Tom Ulse); Big Jule (Brandon Mulligan), a big-time craps player from Chicago; and Nicely-Nicely Johnson (Gianni Consiglio/ Andrew Ting), Nathan’s high-spirited friend who likes to bet on the ponies.

Others gamblers are played by Jack Freiberger, Jamie Stover, Emari McClellan, Aaron Ealy, and Spencer Raines.

At the Save-a-Soul Mission, Sarah is assisted by the no-nonsense Sgt. Cartwright (Precious Lacy). The mission has its dolls — Sky Garcilasodelavega , Joely Zuker, Katerina Sigur, Jenna Gilb, Kasia Wilson. Sarah’s older, wiser relative, is played by Taylor Arrighi- Bracchi.

Dancers include Alessandra Trager (dance captain), Carina Henry ( dance captain), Emily Wright, Thea McKay, Emily Coolidge, Jessica Messineo, Cheyanne Williams, Lexi Dyer, Dani Pomeroy, Kimmy Yelnick, Kennedy Gordon, Sydney Flynn and Reilly Milton, Kayla Rix, and Kasia Wilson.

The show will be presented at Porticos Art Space, 2033 E. Washington Blvd. in Pasadena, on the campus of St. James Methodist Church.

Performances are: Saturday, April 20, at 2pm and 7 pm, Sunday, April 21, at 2pm and 6 pm, Thursday, April 25 at 3:30 pm, Friday, April 26, at 7 p.m., Saturday, April 27, at 2 p.m. and 7 pm, and Sunday, April 28, at 2 pm and 6pm.

Ticket prices: $15 for adults, $9 for students. For reservations, call the La Salle Box Office at (626) 696-4415.

 

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