Placer Community Theater GUYS AND DOLLS Opens to Audience Raves

The hit Broadway musical Guys and Dolls opened Friday, July 21 at the State Theatre. The classic Frank Loesser musical is based on the stories of famed journalist and storyteller Damon Runyon and tells the story of gamblers looking for love and a floating dice game in the streets of New York's Broadway theatre district. The musical is produced by Placer Community Theater and runs weekends through August 5th.

Calling the show a "must see," audiences at Friday's opening night left the smiling and singing the songs. "Guys And Dolls was FANTASTIC!" said one audience member. ""To see the talent, production, dancing and singing in this little town just blew me away."

Guys and Dolls opened on Broadway in 1950 and quickly became a critical and box office success. It won seven Tony awards including Best Musical and ran for 1,200 performances. A 1992 Broadway revival featured Nathan Lane and Faith Prince as lovable but misguided gambler Nathan Detroit and his long-suffering fiancé, Miss Adelaide and ran for nearly 1,200 performances.

Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando appeared in the 1955 movie which was nominated for four Academy Awards. The musical features Frank Loesser hit songs including "Luck Be a Lady", and "(I Love You) A Bushel and a Peck".

Placer Community Theater is based in Auburn and performs at the State Theatre as well as the General Gomez Art and Event Center. "We love the State theatre because of the historic connection to the community," said Charles Davidson, who directed the production. "We always pick a big blockbuster musical for our summer show at the State. It's a great way to get lots of people involved. It creates a lot of excitement."

The group is entirely volunteer. None of the staff or performers are paid and most of the cast is made of younger actors. "We have actors as young as 13 in the show all the way up to more seasoned veterans in their 70s," said Davidson. "One of the things we are most proud of is the family atmosphere that we try to create. This is really one of the best casts I've had the pleasure of working with."

Audiences agree. "Some real stand out performances and the singing was exceptional," wrote one audience member. "Placer Community Theater has done an amazing job...what a cast!"

Guys and Dolls runs through August 5th at the State Theatre in Auburn. Performances are Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 pm and Saturdays and Sunday at 2:00 pm. Tickets are available at www.brownpapertickets.com and at the State Theatre Box Office. For more information, email info@placertheater.org.