Interview: Craig Smith And Anthony Christopher Milfelt of GUYS AND DOLLS at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre

The classic musical Guys and Dolls, with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, is based on two short stories by Damon Runyon, which focus on gangsters, gamblers, and the seedy underbelly of New York. This Tony Award winning musical first took the stage on Broadway in 1950 and has been adapted and revived numerous times on stage and screen. Audiences can enjoy this delightful musical comedy at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre through September 16th. Two of the actors in this production, Craig Smith (portraying Nathan Detroit) and Anthony Christopher Milfelt (playing Rusty Charlie), took some time to tell BroadwayWorld how they feel about Guys and Dolls.

BWW: Tell us a little about yourself.

Smith: My name is Craig Smith. I’m 43 years old. I have a lovely wife, Theresa, and twin boys, Aidan and Braedan. I’ve been acting professionally for 20 years now. My one and only retirement happened for two years during Covid when I played a lot of tennis, watched a lot of movies, and got the floofiest Persian cat named Sanssouci.

Milfelt: I’m Anthony Christopher Milfelt. I am from St. Louis, Missouri, originally. I just moved from Chicago to the Washington D.C. area. I have been professionally working in the musical theatre industry since 2011. I’m half Vietnamese, half Scotch-Irish. Fun fact is that I’ve been to about 63 countries and the only continent I have yet to step foot on is Antarctica!

BWW: What is your favorite role to date and why is it your favorite?

Milfelt: My favorite role to date has been Gus/Ensemble in Saturday Night Fever. It truly comes down to the cast/creative team I had for it. My director/choreographer Amy McCleary came in with such passion for the show that it transferred to our whole cast so that we had incredible passion doing the show, too. That being said, I also loved all my cast mates. We had such a good time on stage together and, I feel, told the story incredibly well. I never got tired of doing it!

BWW: For audiences who may not be as familiar with Guys and Dolls, tell us a little about your character.

Smith: I play Nathan Detroit, a Gambling Promoter who has been setting up Crap Games ever since he was a juvenile delinquent. Nathan’s one love, aside from gambling, is Adelaide. He has been with her for quite some time and has successfully avoided getting married at every turn. But everything eventually comes to a head for Nathan, with pressure closing in from all sides to finally make something happen in his life.

Milfelt: This time around I’m playing Rusty Charlie. He is one of the named gamblers in the show. He sings in “Fugue for Tinhorns”. Other than that moment I’m an ensemble gambler.

BWW: Are there any aspects of your character’s personality that you see in yourself?

Smith: Good question, as an actor it’s always helpful to find common traits with a character you’re playing. With Nathan I don’t really relate to the gambler aspect, but his adoration for Adelaide and his begrudging willingness do whatever she wants is something I can relate to with my wife. Lol. But it’s a character I’m familiar with, having played Rooster in Annie and Mr. Green in Clue; it’s an easy transition into Nathan with the smooth-talking New York dry humor for which those characters are usually known.

Milfelt: Any gambler is willing to take a risk for a bigger outcome. One of my main mantras in life is “No Risk, No Reward.” So, I’d identify that much with him. Also, I’m still discovering Rusty Charlie. As humans we never stop growing and evolving and I’m excited to learn, grow, and live in Rusty!

BWW: What are you most excited about for this production of Guys and Dolls?

Smith: As with most shows I’ve done, I’m excited to just tell this story. This is a classic musical that audiences of all ages love. And it’s wonderful to see when all the different pieces of a production fit together. The sets are amazing, the dancing is beautiful, and the characters are a lot of fun. It’s gonna be an all-around solid production that I’m happy to be a part of.

Milfelt: I’m honestly excited to work with so many people that I’ve only met in passing. There are so many talented people that I have been acquainted with in this cast, but have never had the chance to share the stage with. There are also some wickedly talented people I’ve worked with previously in this cast that I am over the moon about working with again! For me, connecting with friends new and old, as well as telling this classic fable, has me bursting at the seams with joy!

BWW: Craig, we’ve had the pleasure of seeing you in numerous shows at Dutch Apple and elsewhere—what sets this show apart for you?

Smith: Well for starters, I’ve never done it. It has slipped through the cracks of my career, but I’m excited to finally do this role. It’s a role I’ve wanted to play since I was in my twenties and, as they say, good things come to those who wait.

BWW: Anthony, I understand that you performed in Guys and Dolls as a youngster. How has your experience with the show changed over the years?

Milfelt: Guys & Dolls was in fact the first show I ever had a role in! I played Nicely Nicely Johnson in my school production at Herculaneum High School in Herculaneum, MO. I was in the 8th grade (they cast the shows from the middle and high school as it was a smaller school system then), and I was just having the time of my life with my friends—not unlike now. But, now I feel that as I’ve grown and aged and experienced some of what life has to offer, I can bring a level of expertise and experience to the show that helps create a world that is correct in style and brings heightened entertainment value to the audiences. And of course I hope to create something that still makes my mom and dad smile and clap vigorously!

BWW: What is your favorite song in the show and why is it your favorite?

Smith: Ugh. There’s so much great music in this show from Frank Loesser that it’s really hard to have a favorite. Certainly, the classics like “Luck Be A Lady” and “Guys & Dolls” stand out. But then songs like “More I Cannot Wish You” and “I’ll Know” get stuck in my head a lot and are expertly performed by Jim, Kate, and Andrew respectively.

Milfelt: “A Bushel and a Peck” is my favorite. I only sit on stage as a patron in the number, but watching my friends dance and be fierce and silly every day makes me proud and also makes me cackle. Brandon Shawl’s choreography is just so fun! Add the quirkiness of my castmates and their willingness to be larger than life, and you can’t help but smile and laugh. The song itself has just been an earworm for me for ages.

BWW: Guys and Dolls was first performed in the early 1950s and is based on short stories from the 1930s. Since it first hit the stage, it has been revived numerous times and adapted to film. What is it about this show that you think keeps audiences intrigued and coming back for more?

Smith: I think for a lot of people there’s a bit of nostalgia that comes along with this show. Either it’s a show they’ve loved since they were younger or it was a show they did in High School, that can certainly play a part in people coming back to relive old memories. The music is timeless, the characters are classic, and it’s a feel-good musical. And who doesn’t like to feel good?

Milfelt: I think it’s the music. So many famous musicians through the decades have covered songs from this show. Heck, Frank Sinatra was Nathan Detroit in the movie. So, that alone keeps the songs alive to this day. His version of “Luck Be A Lady” is superb. As stated before this show has a ton of earworms in it that will have you tapping your toes all the way home from the theatre.

BWW: Have you ever taken a gamble in life (monetarily or otherwise) that paid off well?

Smith: Well, being an actor, I’ve never had enough monetary means in which to make a bet, yet…But I have lucked out with getting “a most beautiful doll indeed” marrying my wife Theresa, with whom I’ve shared 7 amazing years together today as I write this. And two handsome, smart, kind boys that are growing into responsible fine young men. A lucky life indeed and a happy one to be sure.

Milfelt: Honestly, just choosing to be a full-time actor. I was planning to be a marine biologist out of high school. I auditioned to study theatre at one college, Missouri State Univeristy, because I loved doing theatre so much. I told myself if I get in here, I’ll keep going with theatre. If not, it was under the sea with me! But, I got in, and I haven’t turned back since. As a lot of people know, the musical theatre performance world is crazy competitive and there are a lot of insanely talented people out there. So, I count myself lucky to have had work as consistently as I do. Don’t get me wrong, I work very hard for what I have accomplished. But, that level of luck really plays in a lot of the time! So, I said yes and took a gamble on life and, if I’m being honest, the payout is better than anything money can buy.

Take a gamble that is sure to be worth it and get your tickets for Guys and Dolls today! Visit https://dutchapple.com/shows/guys-and-dolls/

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