The cast of the Players Guild at Sugar Hill’s latest production are putting on their dancing shoes.
Now in its ninth season as the troupe in residence at the Eagle Theatre in Sugar Hill, the Players Guild is celebrating a first this April — the theater group is staging a musical production.
The Players Guild will present the award-winning Broadway musical “Guys and Dolls” directed and choreographed by Kari Twyman with musical direction by Barbara Macko.
“For (the Players Guild’s) first musical, we wanted to go big and bring our audiences a show they’ll never forget,” says Justin Walker, the theater group’s producing artistic director. “‘Guys and Dolls’ represents classic musical theatre. It’s filled with comedy, love, iconic songs, and over the top numbers.”
Hailed as the perfect musical comedy, “Guys and Dolls” is based on a story and characters by Damon Runyon and features a book by Jo Sterling and Abe Burrows, with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser. The musical follows gangsters, gamblers, missionaries and showgirls from the bright lights of New York City to the sultry shores of Havana, Cuba, as they chase after luck and love to the tune of Broadway standards like “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat,” “A Bushel and a Peck” and “Luck Be a Lady.”
Walker says “Guys and Dolls” offers something for every audience member.
“The story is engaging, the characters are wonderful, and you can’t help but have a good time,” he says. “It gives me the same feeling I had as a child watching my favorite cartoons.”
The Players Guild’s production of “Guys and Dolls” features a cast of 22 performers with a mix of new and familiar faces. Jackson Trent returns to the Eagle Theatre stage as good-natured gambler Nathan Detroit, after playing Nick in “Over the River and Through the Woods” and Doc in “Crimes of the Heart” earlier this season. Newcomer Christian Sharp will play the infamous gambler Sky Masterson alongside newcomers Jalisa Jordan as the prim and proper missionary Sarah Brown and Hope Weisheit playing the lovesick showgirl Miss Adelaide.
“I hope that (audiences) are inspired by all of the local talent in the show,” Walker says. “You don’t have to go to Broadway to take in a fantastic show. It’s right here in your own backyard.”
Opening night for “Guys and Dolls” is April 14, and the show will run select dates through April 30 at the Eagle Theatre at 5029 W. Broad St. in downtown Sugar Hill. Tickets start at $23 with additional discounts for seniors, students and groups of 10 or more. Tickets can be purchased here.
This show is being presented in partnership with the city of Sugar Hill, the Eagle Theatre and the Gwinnett Creativity Fund.
“Since this is our first musical at Players Guild, there is a lot of anticipation for this,” Macko says. “This show is full of beautiful, show-stopping songs, and the singing and the choreography will not disappoint!”
FEATURED PHOTO: Big-time gambler Skye Masterson, played by Christian Sharp, tries to woo the prim and proper Sarah Brown, played by Jalisa Jordan in the Players Guild at Sugar Hill’s upcoming production of “Guys and Dolls” showing April 14-30, 2023, at the Eagle Theatre. Photo by Protocol Films.
