Guys Doin It Just for the Dolls Since 1950

These celebrities share something in common with countless drama clubs, community theatres, local theatres, and *ah hem* EMU Theatre!...

 

These celebrities have starred in the American Musical Theatre staple, Guys and Dolls which will be presented by EMU Theatre April 13-21. Since its 1950 premiere in New York City, Guys and Dolls has taken performance art by storm and is ripping through the Quirk Theatre. 

The music and lyrics of Guys and Dolls were written by Frank Loesser (also known for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying). The songs leave you with a pep in your step or a catchy ballad in your head. And all of this is heightened by the glitz & glamour and sensational music.

Frank Loesser

Music I can wish you

Merry music while you're young 

And wisdom when your hair has turned to gray.

Guys and Dolls premiered November 24th, 1950 and ran for 12 hundred performances. It swept the 1951 Tony Awards by winning five awards including Best Musical.

Stubby Kaye as Nicely-Nicely Johnson in 1950

In 1953 Guys and Dolls had its West-End premiere at the London Coliseum and is a popular choice for drama clubs and community theatres in Europe! Isn't that lovely?

Guys and Dolls spread widely throughout Pop Culture in 1955 when it was featured as a film starring Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando. The musical added Luck Be a Lady as a signature in Sinatra's repertoire. 

The musical has since been revived in London and New York nearly twice a decade while gathering a rather impressive Rolodex of notable performers taking a chance with Guys and Dolls.

The story follows two couples and their struggles towards commitment. A combination of underground gambling, expectations in regards to commitment, mixed in with the Jazz era and you get one illuminating glimpse into a lifestyle that is now a novelty. 

Join the lads in their effort to tame a dame.. 

...and you definitely don't want to miss the gals giving it all they've got.

Guys and Dolls opens on April 13 at Eastern Michigan University Theatre. Come be apart of history.

(CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS)

Check out EMU Theatre Celebrities talking about Guys and Dolls!

EMU Theatre Presents "Guys and Dolls": A Show Full of Crap (Games)

The desire to live in another era is a common fantasy, but for EMU Theatre students the fantasy is practically a reality. Guys and Dolls (April 13-21) takes place in the 1940’s – an era that is often romanticized in film and theatre. It is the decade of WWII, the first commercial televisions, Sinatra, Fred Astaire, Lucille Ball, and a minimum wage rate of $.43 per hour.  (Keep reading and check out some photos from rehearsal!)

Guys and Dolls ushers audiences through the infamous decade with spectacular song, dance, and nifty dialogue.

Eric Hohnke (pictured center) says, “Even though Guys and Dolls is a familiar classic, it will be an EMU Theatre original”. Actors, designers, and directors have dedicated the past months to organizing a ducky experience for Southeastern Michigan audiences.

If you’re not familiar with Guys and Dolls….Don’t worry, we won’t tell you to scram! Rather, we would delight in introducing you to the beloved characters Nathan Detroit, Miss Adelaide, Miss Sarah Brown, and Sky Masterson. 

In an effort to jump start his crap games, Nathan Detroit, wrangles a risky wager with Sky Masterson, a man who bets as high as his name. Nathan bets Sky 1 thousand dollars that he will fail at wooing the prudish broad, Miss Sarah Brown.

To win the bet, Sky must convince Miss Sarah Brown to travel to Havana with him. Meanwhile, Nathan Detroit is dealing with a relationship predicament of his own. He has been engaged to the lovely Miss Adelaide for 14 years! Does he have it in him to set a date before she tells him to scram? (Check out the interview with the actors who play Nathan and Adelaide!)

Guys and Dolls runs April 13-21 (click here for show times!) and is sure to entertain audiences of ALL ages. Bring a date! Bring a friend! Purchase tickets HERE!

Rehearsal Preview!