GUYS AND DOLLS Begins Rehearsals at Shakespeare Theatre Company
Guys and Dolls plays STC’s Harman Hall December 2 through January 4.
Shakespeare Theatre Company welcomed this week the cast and creative team of its upcoming holiday presentation of Guys and Dolls. Directed by Washington National Opera Artistic Director Francesca Zambello (Porgy and Bess, Turandot, West Side Story) and choreographed by Joshua Bergasse (Smash, Bull Durham), Guys and Dolls plays STC’s Harman Hall December 2 through January 4.
In the first rehearsal on Tuesday, Zambello shared opening remarks about this great classic of American theatre and its story of redemption and generosity, followed by presentations by members of the design team.
The cast of STC's Guys and Dolls includes Julie Benko, recently from an acclaimed run in the Broadway production of Funny Girl, as Sarah Brown; Jacob Dickey (Old Friends with Bernadette Peters, Aladdin, Company) as the suave gambler Sky Masterson; Rob Colletti (Almost Famous, original Dewey Finn in the School of Rock National Tour) as Nathan Detroit; and Hayley Podschun (Wicked; Hello, Dolly!; Something Rotten!) as Miss Adelaide.
Several D.C. actors join the cast, including Holly Twyford (Our Town, Old Times) as General Matilda B. Cartwright; Todd Scofield (King Lear, Our Town, others) as Lt. Brannigan; Lawrence Redmond (Our Town, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, others) as Arvide Abernathy; Ahmad Kamal (Babbitt, Everybody, Richard III) as Big Jule; Calvin McCullough (Peter Pan and Wendy) as Benny Southstreet; and Katherine Riddle (Matchbox Magic Flute, Secret Garden) as Agatha. D.C. faces in the ensemble are Graciela Rey (Signature Theatre, Folger Theatre, GALA Hispanic), Chivas Merchant-Buckman (Washington National Opera), and John Sygar (Olney Theatre, Round House, Arena Stage/Broadway's Swept Away).
Joining the merry gang of gamblers are Kyle Taylor Parker (Kinky Boots on Broadway and National Tour) as Nicely-Nicely Johnson, Garrett Marks (An American in Paris) as Harry the Horse, Tommy Gedrich (Pirates! The Penzance Musical) as Rusty Charlie, and Lamont Brown (Funny Girl, Mean Girls National Tours) as Joey Biltmore.
Also making their STC debuts in Guys and Dolls are Nick Alvino, Brandon Block, Landry Champlin, Brendon Chan, Aria Christina Evans, Caroline Kane, David Paul Kidder, Jessie Peltier, Jimena Flores Sanchez, and Jack Sippel.
The creative team for Guys and Dolls includes James Lowe as Music Director, as well as Conductor and doing additional orchestrations; Walt Spangler (Scenic Desginer); Constance Hoffman (Costume Designer); Amith A. Chandrashaker (Lighting Designer); Andrew Harper (Sound Designer); Kevin Foster II (Wig & Hair Designer); Lisa Beley (Voice and Dialect Coach); Robb Hunter (Fight Choreographer); Bess Kaye (Intimacy Coordinator); and Drew Lichtenberg (Dramaturg). Casting is by The TRC Company/Merri Sugarman, CSA, and STC Resident Casting Director Danica Rodriguez. The Production Stage Manager is Dustin Z West, and Assistant Stage Managers are Stephen Bubniak, Leigh Robinette, and Laura Smith.
