‘Guys and Dolls’ wows FTC

By Grace Bonamico

Guys and Dolls is the latest musical to hit the stage by the Five Towns College Theatre Arts Division. Opening night was on Thursday, November 21st, and the show ran through Sunday, November 24th. Mitchell Walker directed this adaptation of the 1950 Broadway hit, with Felipe Rondon directing the music and Julia Krowiak choreographing the scenes. Dr. David Krasner oversees the FTC Theatre division.

While Guys and Dolls is initially set in the 1950s, FTC jumped to the future by about twenty years, placing the show in the 1970s and presenting it like a live broadcast, complete with a sponsor by the home appliance company Whirlpool. The musical tells how gambler Sky Masterson tries to take female missionary Sarah Brown on a date to Havana, Cuba, as part of a bet with Nathan Detroit, who planned to use his assumed winnings to fund a craps game.

The set brought the show to life, full of bright reds, whites, and shiny lights, making it feel like the glamorous 1970s. With the show presented as a broadcast, the stage had applause signs that would shine whenever a new character came on screen or a particularly funny punchline was delivered. There was also a treat for those in attendance who bought a ticket for the front row, cabaret-style tables and chairs right up against the stage, where the performers would run and dance through, making it almost as if you were a part of the show. “I think it’s very vibrant. There was lots of smoke, and I was concerned for my asthma for a minute, but I made it through, so I’m happy,” said Mass Communications major Daniel Garcia, who sat in one of the special seats.

Another highlight of the show was the performance of Luck Be A Lady in Act Two, sung by Cameron Maxwell, who played Sky Masterson along with most of the ensemble. It was a gorgeous number with dancing and physical comedy in the choreography. The pit orchestra, conducted by Felipe Rondon, added to the atmosphere with the wonderfully jazzy soundtrack of the show, and the audience loved it. “I think the instruments were really, really good up there. And I love that this is my second time seeing it [the show],” said Music Composition major Kaitlyn Lalicaca.

Friday night’s performance of the show differed from the others as one of the female leads, A’Shya Dawson, who plays Sarah Brown, got sick during the day. With only a few hour’s notice and the help of everyone around her, Jillson McGarry, who was part of the ensemble/mission band, learned the lines, choreography, and took the stage as Sarah Brown.

“We have such a supportive team here, so as soon as they knew that I was going in, everybody stopped everything. And by everybody, I mean Mitchell, our Director; Monica, our Stage manager; Felipe, our music director; and Cameron, my main scene partner. They all stayed here all day. No one took a break. No one took any time off.  And then I went away, had a little bit of time by myself, and I came in, and we were like, okay, it’s happening. Let’s do it. Honestly, in the first two scenes, I thought, ‘Oh God, this is never going to happen. I’m not going to make it. I’m so scared.’ And then I was like, ‘No, I’m doing it. I just did it, so I know I can do it.’ And suddenly, I felt really dropped in, really excited. And I feel very grateful to have been able to have done that,” Jillson explained.

When the show was over, the audience roared with applause and a standing ovulation, cheering for the entire cast and crew, especially for Jillson, who stepped into the spotlight on such short notice. “It was fabulous, it was fabulous. Wow, I enjoyed everything. All the actors did an amazing job, the musicians, the directors, everybody, but we got to hand it to the young lady who stepped into the role and saved the show,” said Five Towns College President, Dr. David Cohen.