DownRiver Actors Guild to Present BONNIE & CLYDE

Passion, crime and a wild ride captures the story of Bonnie and Clyde, two notorious Depression-era criminals with a craving for fame whose saga steals the spotlight at the Downriver Actors Guild.

The show runs 7:30 p.m. Oct. 14, 15, 21, 22, 28 and 29, and 3 p.m. Oct. 16 and 23 at the Catherine A. Daly Theatre on the Avenue, 2656 Biddle Ave. in Wyandotte.

Director Ron Baumanis said "Bonnie and Clyde" is one of his favorite musicals because it tells a very American tale and captures a passionate love affair.

"These two young foolish kids, born out of Depression-era desperation, found a way to escape their dust-dry existence and become folk heroes," Baumanis said. "For a while, people followed their antics as if they were modern day Robin Hoods. They stole from banks and shops that had turned their backs on the American people as they foreclosed on houses and farms."

He said it wasn't until their shooting spree began that people saw them for what they really were - bank robbers and killers - dragging Buck and Blanche Barrow down along with them.

"One of the things I like most about this show, besides the incredible Frank Wildhorn score, is the way in which the story is told," Baumanis said. "It starts out as a biography, told in flashback format, and by Act II, when the killing starts, the musical shifts almost entirely to focus on the love story. It shifts to an intimate look at what it must have been like for these two stupid kids as they hid, ran and struggled."

Daniel Hazlett of Ann Arbor, who plays Clyde Barrow, said he often can't decide whether the character should be hated or loved.

"You see Clyde abruptly jump from from tough guy gangster to sweet-talking Romeo and back again, a tension that only grows throughout the story," Hazlett said. "I think that the tension between his good side and bad side takes the criminal and unexpectedly makes it into something far more relate-able and human."

Ashley Gatesy of Westland, who plays Stella, said the musical gives audiences a better understanding of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow.

"This musical doesn't romanticize them, but it definitely delves into why they went on this crime spree," Gatesy said.

Colleen Stanley of Trenton, who's play Cumie Barrow, Clyde's mother, said she has always been fascinated by the glamour associated with the 1920s and 30s crime sprees.

"My grandmother was a teenager at the height of this era, (and) she was alive when Bonnie and Clyde were gunned down," Stanley said. "The thought of being a part of this history, especially my grandmother's history, inspired me."

Melanie Aue of Taylor, who plays Blanche Barrow, said the music drew her into the show.

"The soundtrack is full of upbeat rock songs and heartbreaking ballads, and that's what really sealed the deal for me," Aue said.

She hopes audiences realize the impact Bonnie and Clyde had on everyone in their lives.

"It's a beautiful and tragic love story with catastrophic consequences," Aue said. "I hope audiences will take away an understanding of how complex this story is."

Others in the cast include Kimberly Elliot of Canton Township as Bonnie Parker; Bryan Aue of Taylor as Buck Barrow; and Kevin Kaminski of Detroit as Ted Hinton.

Elaina Primeau oF Brownstown Township as Young Bonnie; Dee Morrison of Canton Township as Governor Ferguson; Tommy Koch of Grosse Ile as Sheriff Schmidt; Jeff Powers of New Boston as Cpt. Frank Hamer and other roles; and

Keagan Rodden of Taylor as Young Clyde; Taylor residents Amanda Aue as Eleanore and as the bank teller; and Wyandotte residents Chuck Bollman as Henry Barrow, Paige Wisniewski as Trish, Geoffrey Robinson as the bank teller, Austin Charlebois as a deputy, and Jami Krause as Emma Parker; and Nick Brown of Ypsilanti as the preacher.

Tickets are $16, with a $3 discount for students and seniors. For more information or to order, call 734-407-7020 or go to downriveractorsguild.net.

Photo by Stephanie Skolnik