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Poland Players bring Guys and Dolls to the stage
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .On a last rehearsal on April 4, the 100-strong cast of the Poland player’s production of “Guys and Dolls” celebrated their months of hard work.
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The beautiful and honorable Sarah Brown, played by Sarah Lankitus (center), introduced herself to the audience as she preached the good word to the drunks and gamblers of Broadway.
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Local hood Nathan Detriot, played by Vinny Notareschi (left), meets his match when he bets with high roller hood Sky Masterson, played Dom Iudiciani.
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Nathan Detriot’s long-suffering fiancé Adelaide (center), or Emily Begala, loves the spotlight.
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Sarah Brown (left),played by Sarah Lankitus, lets loose in Havana as she drinks dulce de leche cocktails kindly provided by Sky Masterson, played by Dom Iudiciani.
By SARAH FOOR
Poland drama director Candy Fonagy firmly believes that the production should fit and complement the talent. The inspiration to stage the 1940s Broadway fable “Guys and Dolls” on April 7-9 came from the excitement of her students.
“One of our lead actors had a dream sequence in our fall production that made him a mobster. He had the voice and the demeanor down pat, and then the whole cast and crew started mimicking it. It was all very Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack, and it seemed like ‘Guys and Dolls’ would be the perfect fit for our group,” Fonagy shared.
“Guys and Dolls” was the Poland Players’ first musical production since 2008’s “My Fair Lady,” and the excitement for a musical seemed to reflect on the size of the cast.
“I’ve been directing for 20 years, and this is by far one of my largest shows,” Fonagy explained. “With cast and crew, we have almost 100 students, with as many athletes as there are classically-trained voices. Our wonderful set crew resets our stage 16 times during the show — it’s all very big.”
The hardworking cast and crew brought the story of two New York couples, Nathan Detroit and his love, Adelaide, and Sky Masterson and Sarah Brown, to life with plucky zest.
Longtime gambler Detroit, played by Vinny Notareschi, strings along Adelaide, played with natural humor by Emily Begala, for 14 years of engagement without ever heading to the altar.
“It’s really fun to just be a schmuck for the whole play,” Notareschi, a senior, said of his character. “I love being the comic relief, it’s always great.”
Fellow senior Sarah Lankitus brought missionary Sarah Brown to life, showing chemistry with co-star Dominic Iudiciani, who played love interest Sky Masterson.
“I’ve watched the movie 10 times now,” Lankitus shared, “and I’ve been part of the play since January. You’d think I would get sick of it, but I’m still so excited.”
“There’s just something about a musical,” reflected director Fonagy. “The energy and the camaraderie translate to wonderfully into the production.”