Blackfriars Theatre Presents GUYS AND DOLLS

Blackfriars Theatre begins its 70th Anniversary Season with the celebrated Tony Award-winning musical, Guys and Dolls. The Golden Age musical is also celebrating its 70th birthday during the 2019-2020 Season, which makes it the perfect choice to launch Blackfriars Theatre's anniversary season. Considered by many to be the perfect musical comedy, it ran for 1,200 performances when it opened on Broadway in 1950. Set in Damon Runyon's mythical New York City, Guys and Dolls is an oddball romantic comedy. Gambler, Nathan Detroit, tries to find the cash to set up the biggest craps game in town while the authorities breathe down his neck; meanwhile, his girlfriend and nightclub performer, Adelaide, laments that they've been engaged for fourteen years. Nathan turns to fellow gambler, Sky Masterson, for the dough, and Sky ends up chasing the straight-laced missionary, Sarah Brown, as a result. Guys and Dolls takes us from the heart of Times Square to the cafes of Havana, Cuba, and even into the sewers of New York City, but eventually everyone ends up right where they belong.

"Guys and Dolls is one of the most iconic and celebrated stories in the musical theatre cannon," shares Artistic & Managing Director, Danny Hoskins. "With a score that everyone adores along with characters that are larger than life - it not only gives our artists some of the richest storytelling to sink their teeth into but it gives our patrons the most classic and vibrant music to sing along to as our 70th Season begins. Guys and Dolls is the perfect vehicle to kick-start our biggest and brassiest season yet."

Before Guys and Dolls starts the season, Blackfriars will be throwing a birthday bash in their parking lot on August 17th, from 5-8 p.m. to celebrate 70 years. In addition to the Party in the Parking Lot, they'll also be producing a pair of retrospective concerts, a play reading series highlighting favorites from past years along with showcasing everything that has made Blackfriars special and essential over the previous 69 years as a staple of the downtown Rochester arts scene. The 70th Anniversary Season will be an important moment in BT's history as they celebrate the hard work of so many Rochester artists and kick off the next chapter of professionally-minded, artistically-ambitious local theatre-making!

The Guys & Dolls cast includes Dean Davis (Calvin / Ensemble), Laura Jean Diekmann (Miss Adelaide), Jennie Gilardoni (Hot Box Girl / Ensemble), Lexi Gleichauf (Hot Box Girl / Ensemble), Alvis Green Jr. (Nicely Nicely Johnson), Suzanne Hansch (Agatha / Ensemble), Lance Hoffman (Lr. Brannigan / Ensemble), Tina Hoffman (Hot Box Girl / Ensemble), Lani Toyama Hoskins (Sarah Brown), Emily Putnam (Martha / Ensemble), Tom Racculia (Benny Southstreet / Ensemble), Ann Rhody (General Cartwright / Ensemble), Eric Schutt (Harry The Horse / Ensemble), Scott Shriner (Nathan Detroit), Scott Shutts (Rusty / Ensemble), J. Simmons (Sky Masterson), Hadley Strelau (Hot Box Girl / Ensemble), Jason Tortorici (Big Jule / Ensemble), and Steve Valvano (Arvide Abernathy). The production is directed by Mr. Hoskins, with musical direction by Julie Covach and choreography by Mandy Hassett.

Guys and Dolls is sponsored by ESL Federal Credit Union and our 2019-2020 Media Sponsors CITY Newspaper and Warm 101.3.