Golden age musical arrives in Creston

A timeless classic will be performed by Creston High School this weekend, bringing the hustling and bustling sleaze of old-school New York to the stage in their production of “Guys and Dolls.”

With names like Nicely-Nicley Johnson, Benny Southstreet and Rusty Charlie, New York City and the shady gamblers on Broadway will arrive at Creston in performances at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and a 2 p.m. show on Sunday.

Students can purchase tickets for $6 and adults for $10. The show is directed by Jennifer Gaessar with choreography by Leslie Tyler. Michael Peters directs the musical pit with an accompanist in Lynn Baker.

Bringing a golden age musical such as “Guys and Dolls” to a modern stage can be tricky. The show was originally produced in 1950 with music by Frank Loesser and a book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows.

New York offers sleazy gamblers galore, but with police snooping around, powerful underground figure Nathan Detroit (played by Wyatt Hitz) has to find a way to fund his gambling ring. In order to make change, he makes a bet with Sky Masterson (played by Carson Beer), a hot-shot gambler on an even hotter winning streak.

Sky wins the bet if he’s able to secure a woman of Nathan’s choice as a date to Havana. That woman is Sarah Brown (played by Caitlin Austin), a fiercely devout woman of the Lord, the exact opposite of Sky. As Sky gets closer to Sarah, who is more likely to slap that sleaze out of him, the two realize they might be really falling for each other.

Nathan has some trouble himself with Adelaide (played by Kiya Capson), his fiancée of 14 years. While Nathan tries to hide his gambling ring, Adelaide is growing impatient. The two intertwined love stories have become classics in a show which has become a Broadway fable.

With the 75th anniversary of the original Broadway production this November, there’s not a better time to look back at a staple of Broadway history. With a cast ready to knock an audience out with laughter, Gaesser knew the show would be a great choice.

“I was looking for a comedy show,” Gaesser said. “We have a lot of cast members that are really suited for comedy. We have lots of kids auditioning to be in this musical. We had kids audition to audition for the musical. We had so many kids that want to be in the show than I could fit on the stage. I needed a large show that can fit all these students on stage.”

The explosion of musical culture at this time, which extended to films which were based off of successful productions, became known as a golden age. “Guys and Dolls” grew as a contemporary representation of New York.

“It really reflects what was going on in Manhattan and New York at the time,” Peters said. “The gambling and the pushback from the far-religious right. That push back and forth was a big thing at the time.”

The colorful slang of the time period is well-represented, with students performing in accents and a dialect which reflects New York and the time period. As students dove into their roles, the production offered a chance for a history lesson.

The unique language of the show and differences between the ‘50s and today was a learning curve for students.

“It’s fun to talk to kids about why [the characters] were upset, why they were running from the cops,” Gaesser said. “At the time, gambling was illegal in the late ‘40s.”

On the music side, ‘40s-style big band jazz offers a different type of musical than what audiences might expect. This style has helped a talented cast feel fresh after many years in Creston’s speech and drama programs.

Leaning toward comedy, Gaesser expects the duo of Benny Southwest and Nicely-Nicely Johnson, played by Noah Richardson and Drake Wilson, to be fan favorites. From the entire show, one which Gaesser described as massive in scale, she hopes people will leave entertained.

“I think people should expect a really solid show,” Gaesser said. “The students do a fantastic job transporting the audience back to the ‘40s of New York City. They create their characters, you’ll hear some accents in the show. They do the storyline some really good justice.”

Creston High School’s production of “Guys and Dolls” includes a cast comprised of:

Wyatt Hitz as Nathan Detroit; Carson Beer as Sky Masterson; Kiya Capson as Miss Adelaide; Caitlin Austin as Sarah Brown; Drake Wilson as Nicely-Nicely Johnson; Noah Richardson as Benny Southwest; Chaylee Needham as Agatha; Ryder Baird as Rusty Charlie; Emma Lange-Money as General Matilda B. Cartwright; Timmy Bartlett as Arvide Abernathy; Evan Abel as Calvin; Lizzy Sprague as Master of Ceremonies; Javen Hyde as Harry the Horse and Pickpocket; Adella Carter, Savannah Jaques, Christina Strand and Lydia Preston as Sightseers; Kyler Hanson as Lt. Brannigan; Claire Ralston as Tour Guide; Maddox Hansen as Angie the Ox; Felix Harness as Actor and Waiter; Justice Cross as Actress; Josh Bunz as Joey Baltimore and Boxer; Olivia Fox, Amelia Kendrick and Ellarae Pryor as Vendor/Shoppers; Kylor Budrow as Big Julie; Kailyn White as Ferguson; Lilly James as Mimi; Rosalie Austin as Reading Newspaper; Janea Green-Ngang as Martha; Haileigh Lundy, Shaylee Coen and Janessa Pokorny as Bobby Soxers; Zaina Harvey as Allison; Marleigh Gunn as Photographer; Matthew Warner as Waiter and Texan; Mahi Patel as Texan’s Wife.

Other members of the ensemble include: Callista Adams, Shyannah Bochniak, Esme Capra, Grace Cheers, Alexis Flores, Beth Gee, Charlie Goodall, Savanna Jones, Sarahi Mesa-Robles, Novaleah Smith, Trinitie Smith, Kaylee Wells, Corbin Williamson and Jenna Williamson.

Tech/backstage crew includes: Malachi Webber, Karlee Capson, Jameson Hanson, Lehydn Dresback and Zoey Wagner.