'Guys and Dolls' Coming to Sesser Opera House
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ The Opera House Co. presents the timeless musical comedy "Guys and Dolls" in a four performance run, October 9-11, 7:00 p.m., and October 12, 2:00 p.m. Performances are at the Historic Opera House Theatre, located at 106 West Franklin Avenue, in Sesser.
Ticket prices are $10(General), $8(Senior), $7(Students), and $6(Children) general seating. Tickets are available locally at the Print Shop, located in Sesser by calling (618)625-5322 or on the web at http://www.brownpapertickets.com (search "Sesser"). Tickets will also be available at the door one hour before the show.
Written by composer/lyricist Frank Loesser, with a book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, "Guys and Dolls" won a Best Musical Tony for the original 1951 production and a second Tony for Best Revival for the 1992 production starring Faith Prince and Nathan Lane. The musical also received international attention thanks to the 1955 MGM motion picture adaptation featuring Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons and Frank Sinatra.
Set in Damon Runyon's mythical New York City, this oddball romantic comedy - considered by many to be the perfect musical comedy - soars with the spirit of Broadway as it introduces us to a cast of vivid characters who have become legends in the canon: Sarah Brown, the upright but uptight "mission doll," out to reform the evildoers of Time Square; Sky Masterson, the slick, high-rolling gambler who woos her on a bet and ends up falling in love; Adelaide, the chronically ill nightclub performer whose condition is brought on by the fact she's been engaged to the same man for 14 years; and Nathan Detroit, her devoted fiancé, desperate as always to find a spot for his infamous floating crap game.
Everything works out in the end, thanks to the machinations of Burrows and Swerling's hilarious, fast-paced book and Loesser's bright, brassy, immortal score, which 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, Guys and Dolls is a cornerstone of the musical comedy stage that continues to delight audiences for over 50 years. Featuring the songs "Luck Be a Lady" and "Bushel and a Peck," this musical is the perfect balance of story, dance, music, and romance.
The cast hails from all corners of Southern Illinois and the talent is abundant. Jeremy Adams (Creal Springs) and Sara Alstat (Vergennes) will be holding the roles of Sky Masterson and Sarah Brown, Aaron Hopkins (West Frankfort) and Gretchin Irons (McLeansboro) as Nathan Detroit and Miss Adelaide, Dr. David Walters (Mt. Vernon), Jim Ford (Benton), and Isaiah Barnfield (Benton) will be playing the comedic gamblers Nicely-Nicely Johnson, Benny Southwest, and Rusty Charlie respectively, and a show full of memorable supporting roles played by: Christie Barnfield, Eric Wakefield, Sharon McKinney (all of Benton), Darwin Walters and Jennifer Dycus (Mt. Vernon), Rachel Wylie, Curt Johnson, Matthew Lappin (Sesser), Andy Biggs (West Frankfort), Will Heisner (Johnston City), Emily Dixon (Pinckneyville), Brittanie Graham (Woodlawn),
Kira Irons (McLeansboro), and Michelle and Mikayla Benjamin (Christopher). Guys & Dolls is under the artistic direction of Aisha Mitchell (Sesser). It is presented under special licensing through Musical Theatre International.
The Opera House Co. was founded in 2007. It is the first theatrical group to call the Historic Opera House (built in 1914 and on the National Register of Historic Places) home. If you would like to get involved with the Opera House Co. please contact them theoperahouseco@gmail.com or by calling 618-927-0860.