Real Life Husbands Play Best Friends in Brelby's DOGFIGHT

Brelby Theatre Company's Dogfight, opening July 14 features real life husbands Ryan Malikowski and Nick Gearing as the two best friends of main character, Eddie Birdlace.

Malikowski, who plays Bernstein said "Bernstein is a fun-loving guy who takes his friendships very seriously. He is always there with a joke or a quirky mannerism in order to get a laugh out of his buddies. However, he is easily hurt when his friends are forced to come down harshly on him," Malikowski said.

"Boland," played by Gearing, "is a very strong personality in this group of young men," according to Gearing. "He is easy to misunderstand if not looked at with a lens of compassion for what these boys, barely old enough to be considered men, were preparing to go into. He is the result of poor parenting, as especially supported by the remnants of his father's influence on his own sense of what being a man is. These remnants are echoed in his words and actions, but are magnified in the face of this impending danger as compensation for his fear and self-doubt," he said.

Malikowski says Dogfight is about "looking at what is beneath the surface. People are often judged based on their looks, their outward personality, or any other number of things. However, it is important to look at somebody for who they truly are with all of their strengths and weaknesses."

"At it's center," Gearing said, "it is about how people deal with fear, change, and the unknown. It is about how even people on their worst days are still people."

"My favorite part about working on this show," said Malikowski, "has been the music. As a harmony nerd, it has been so much fun working with everybody to really lock in all the nuances that this music has to offer. It is not easy and it is really high, but that's what makes it so darn fun."

Gearing said that aside from working with his husband on the production, he has "really loved how vocally challenging the show has been. I also have seriously enjoyed working toward maintaining the humanity and dignity of these individuals," he said. "Audiences should come see Dogfight," he added, "because this show has not been seen in Arizona and many people haven't heard of it. I guarantee that you're in for an evening of rowdy and raucous fun and, most likely, at least a tear or two."

Malikowski agreed, "This is the AZ premier, which in and of itself is very exciting. The story is so different than other musicals. It isn't full of sweeping love ballads galore and huge chorus numbers. It is intimate and multifaceted. It gives, but it doesn't give everything."

Dogfight opens July 14 at 7:30pm. Subsequent performances are July 15, 21-22, 28-29, August 4-5 at 7:30pm and July 16, 23, 30 at 2PM.

Brelby partners with local downtown Glendale businesses to offer more options for audience members. By showing their digital ticket, audiences can receive 10% off of their bill at the Hop Stop Diner, 10% off of any entrée at Haus Murphy's Restaurant, and 10% off of a customer's bill at the Olde Towne Glendale (OTG) Beer & Wine Bar or the Gaslight Inn.

Tickets are available by visiting the official website, brelby.com/tickets. General admission is $25 per performance. Admission is included in the benefits of Brelby's ShowGO subscription: brelby.com/showgo. The Brelby Playhouse is located at 7154 N 58th Dr, Glendale, AZ 85301.