Pittsburgh CLO’s Guys and Dolls
Produces the Best Bet for Summer Entertainment!
Guiding Light’s Justin Deas to star as Nathan Detroit!
Pittsburgh, PA (June 26, 2002)…The Pittsburgh CLO proudly presents the sizzling streetwise musical comedy, Guys and Dolls, July 9-21 at the Benedum Center.
Some of the most colorful gamblers have come to New York City looking for action, and it will mean big bucks for Nathan Detroit if he can find a place to hold the game. Meanwhile, the Save-A-Soul mission is on a quest to save the gamblers from their sinful lives. Hounded by the cops and his marriage-hungry fiancée of 14 years, Nathan begins to worry that all odds are against him. As luck would have it, Sky Masterson, one of New York’s highest rollers, falls for a determined local missionary, Miss Sarah Brown, and promises to bring a dozen sinners to her mission if she will have dinner with him in Havana. Without Sky knowing, Nathan plans to seize this opportunity to use the mission for the big game. Upon their return from her romantic getaway with Sky, Miss Sarah discovers the gamblers in her mission. Desperate to live up to his promise to change his ways, Sky asks "lady luck" to win the roll of his life for the souls of a dozen sinners, but most importantly for love.
To highlight the pinstriped panache of these lovable gangsters are the fabulous songs, "Luck Be a Lady," "Adelaide’s Lament," "Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat" and "I’ve Never Been in Love Before."
ABOUT THE CAST
Robert Cuccioli (Sky Masterson) earned a Drama Desk Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, the Joseph Jefferson Award and a 1997 Tony Award nomination for his electrifying portrayal on Broadway and on tour of mad scientist Dr. Jekyll and his sinister alter ego Mr. Hyde in the musical thriller Jekyll & Hyde. His voice can also be heard on the original cast recording. Mr. Cuccioli continued his work with Jekyll & Hyde at the Westchester Broadway Theater, where he made his directorial debut last summer. Recently, Mr. Cuccioli wrapped a successful run as Count Carl Magnus in A Little Night Music at the 5th Avenue Theater in Seattle. He is returning to Pittsburgh after appearing in the 2000 production of The Pajama Game and last summer’s critically-acclaimed Bells Are Ringing. In 1991, Mr. Cuccioli garnered the Outer Critics Circle Award for Brilliant Ensemble Performance in the highly acclaimed Kander and Ebb revue And The World Goes ‘Round. Other Off-Broadway roles quickly followed - among them Gaston in Gigi, Nathan in The Rothschilds and Jose in the Frank Loesser musical Senor Discretion. In 1993, following his record-setting, nine-month run in the New York premiere of the Maury Yeston/Arthur Kopit Phantom at the Westchester Broadway Theatre, Mr. Cuccioli made his Broadway debut as Javert in Les Miserables.
Justin Deas (Nathan Detroit) joins the CLO on the stage while taking a break from his successful run on daytime television. He can currently be seen as Buzz Cooper on "Guiding Light" which he won the Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in 1994 and Best Actor in 1995 and 1997. Mr. Deas has performed on "Ryan's Hope" as Bucky Carter. He won his first Emmy award for Best Supporting Actor as attorney Tom Hughes on "As the World Turns" in 1984 and then two more as attorney Keith Timmons on "Santa Barbara" in 1988 and 1989. He began his role as Buzz on the CBS daytime drama on February 5, 1993. On the stage he was seen on Broadway in The November People, played Kenickie in the first national company of the hit musical Grease, and played the lead in the Seattle ACT production of Streamers. Mr. Deas has also acted off-Broadway in Porno Stars at Home and in the world premiere of Beth Henley's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Crimes of the Heart.
Victoria Clark (Adelaide) is returning to the Pittsburgh CLO this summer after her appearance as last season’s exuberant Ella in Bells Are Ringing. On Broadway, she has been seen as Fraulein Kost in Cabaret, Smitty in the revival of How To Succeed… with Matthew Broderick, Adelaide in Guys and Dolls and Vicki in A Grand Night for Singing. Ms. Clark also created the role of Alice Beane in the Tony-Award winning musical Titanic. For Broadway National Tours she has portrayed Madame Theanardier in Les Miserables and Jellylorum/Griddlebone in Cats. Her other credits include Marathon Dancing, States of Independence and The Chocolate Soldier. In addition to the stage, Ms. Clark has created several educational pieces to introduce young people to musical theater and has directed opera regionally throughout the US.
Kate Suber, (Sarah Brown) a Carnegie Mellon graduate, is returning to Pittsburgh to portray the sometimes prim and proper Sarah Brown. Audiences will remember her from Sunday in the Park with George and Side By Side By Sondheim at Pittsburgh Public Theater; The Happiest Girl in the World and Sweeney Todd at Hartwood Acres; The Oddyssey, The Women and The Pajama Game at The Kresge. Ms. Suber makes her home in New York City where she has starred as Claire in On the Town at the New York Shakespeare Festival in Central Park, Luisa in The Fantasticks during its 30th celebratory year and Japan Tour, Christine Daae in The Phantom of the Opera and Kate in Titanic on Broadway and in National Tours.
Wayne W. Pretlow (Nicely-Nicely) was nominated for the 2000 Helen Hayes Award for his recent portayal of Nicely-Nicely at the Arena Stage. Some of his Broadway credits include A Christmas Carol and Exter Thomas in Civil War. Mr. Pretlow has starred as Tick in Arena Stage’s The Great White Hope. His theater credits also include: Five Guys Named Moe, Sweeney Todd, Dreamgirls, The Music Man and Avenue X. Mr. Pretlow’s film credits include Next Stop Wonderland and the upcoming film The Accident. Mr. Pretlow has also been seen as a guest-star on TV’s "The Sopranos," "Law & Order" and "The Chris Rock Show."
Numerous Pittsburgh favorites will also join the charming Guys and Dolls cast. Paul Palmer (Big Jule) is helping CLO recreate Guys and Dolls after he debuted with the same production with the CLO in 1975 and then toured with the show in 1984. After performing in CLO’s 1999 production of Crazy For You, Scott P. Sambucco returns to portray the gambling gangster Harry the Horse. Also joining the cast is the CLO veteran husband and wife team of Gene A. Saraceni (Arvide Abernathy) and Iva J. Saraceni (General Matilda B.Cartwright). Fresh off of this season’s production of Fiddler on the Roof are CLO favorites Jeff Howell (Lt. Brannigan) and Daniel Krell (Benny Southstreet).
Mark Esposito (Choreographer) returns to Pittsburgh CLO after choreographing this year’s critically acclaimed production of Fiddler on the Roof and last year’s production of Brigadoon starring Charles Durning. Mr. Esposito has choreographed over 30 shows for regional, summer stock and Off-Broadway theaters. He has also performed in over 15 Broadway and National Tours. He has assisted, dance captained and or worked for Jerome Robbins, Agnes De Mille, Michael Kidd, Tony Stevens, Rob and Kathleen Marshall, Trevor Nunn, Jerry Zaks and his mentor Chris Chapman. Mr. Esposito has been a guest teacher and choreographer for the theatre departments of NYC, UCLA, UOM and UC Irvine.
Tom Helm (Musical Director) returns for his 6th consecutive year as CLO’s Musical Director. On Broadway, he has spent over three years as musical director for both Les Miserables and Me and My Girl and continued as musical supervisor of the national tour of Me and My Girl. Mr. Helm has also conducted Sandy Duncan’s 5-6-7-8 Dance at Radio City Music Hall and was the original musical director of the first national company of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats. His Broadway debut as conductor was the Tony-nominated revival of Brigadoon. He recently conducted the acclaimed Paper Mill production of Crazy For You, which was also televised on PBS’s "Great Performances" series. His credits also include the acclaimed Paper Mill Playhouse production of Stephen Sondheim’s Follies, which has also been released on CD.
HISTORY OF THE SHOW
The creation of this musical comic strip of characters began with the big ears and the talented pen of the clever Kansas born author, Damon Runyon. After moving from the rural west and serving his country, Mr. Runyon soon became a columnist for the New York American. To get inspiration for his stories, Mr. Runyon would sit with a cup of coffee at the Broadway restaurant, Lindy’s, keeping his ears open for new gossip and news bits. His short stories became the most favorite fables in New York’s most prestigious magazines. The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown, the original show titlw for Guys and Dolls, hit the Broadway stage on November 24, 1950, four years after Damon Runyon’s death. The popularity of the show was still thriving five years later when Hollywood produced a film version of the musical, with the masterful casting of Frank Sinatra as Nathan Detroit, Vivian Blaine as Adelaide, Marlon Brando as Sky Masterson and Jean Simmons as Sarah Brown.
In 1992, Jerry Zaks ingeniously reintroduced the timeless shenanigans of the loveable gangsters to the Broadway stage, keeping the charm of the story the same but transforming Runyon’s world into a comic strip of color featuring costumes and sets of shameless purples, aquas, oranges, plaids and stripes. With Peter Gallagher as Sky Masterson, Nathan Lane as Nathan Detroit and Faith Prince as Adelaide, Guys and Dolls became one of longest running revivals on Broadway lasting for 1,144 performances.
ABOUT THE COMPOSER AND LYRICIST
Frank Loesser (Music and Lyrics) was always considered a musical genius because he wrote both the words and music to his over fifteen hundred songs and major Broadway musicals. Some of his memorable tunes are the Oscar winning "Baby It’s Cold Outside," " Heart and Soul," "Small Fry," "Two Sleepy People," "Let’s Get Lost," "They’re Either Too Young or Too Old," and " I’ve Got Spurs That Jingle, Jangle, Jingle." During World War II, he wrote the patriotic songs of "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" and "First Class Private Mary Brown." Shortly after in 1948 Mr. Lesser wrote his first musical comedy, the charming Where’s Charley? This began his successful string on Broadway, continuing with Guys and Dolls, The Most Happy Fella and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
Abe Burrows (Book) is considered one of theater’s most consistently successful playwright, director and play-doctor since he first made a memorable hit out of Guys and Dolls. After Guys and Dolls, Mr. Burrows continued to write and direct Silk Stockings and Can Can, wrote the book for Make A Wish based on Molnar’s The Good Fairy, staged Two On The Aisle, wrote the screen version of The Solid Gold Cadillac, stage Ethel Merman’s musical hit, Happy Hunting, and adapted Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice, into a musical called First Impressions. After that, he applied his masterly touch to How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Following that highlight of his career, Mr. Burrows continued to direct and adapt many more productions on Broadway.
Jo Swerling (Book) made friends with Damon Runyon when they both worked as columnists at the New York American, before he adapted Runyon’s short story, "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown," into the hit musical Guys and Dolls. His first theatrical contribution was a musical for the Marx Brothers. In 1930 he went to Hollywood to write motion pictures, including "Ladies of Leisure," "Rain or Shine," "Pride of the Yankees," "Dirigible," "Pennies form Heaven," "Leave her to Heaven," "Lifeboat" and "Thunder in the East." He was co-author of "The Lord Don’t Play Favorites" televised on N.B.C.
TICKETS FOR SUMMER SEASON 2002
Tickets are on sale now online at www.pittsburghCLO.org, at the Benedum Center Box Office or by calling (412) 456-6666. Single ticket prices range from $12 to $44.
Groups of 20 or more should call the Group Sales Hotline at (412) 263-2560 to enjoy special discounts.
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
July 9 Tuesday 8:00pm July 10 Wednesday 8:00pm
July 11 Thursday 8:00pm July 12 Friday 8:00pm
July 13 Saturday 2:00 pm & 8:00pm July 14 Sunday 2:00pm & 7:30pm
July 16 Tuesday 8:00pm July 17 Wednesday 8:00pm
July 18 Thursday 8:00pm July 19 Friday 8:00pm
July 20 Saturday 2:00pm & 8:00pm July 21 Sunday 2:00pm
Guys and Dolls is part of the PNC Spotlight Series. Pittsburgh CLO also gratefully acknowledges the generous support of our Summer Season 2002 sponsors: American Airlines - serving over 250 destinations worldwide, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and PNC sponsor of the PNC Spotlight Series.
Since 1946, the Pittsburgh CLO has been the driving force behind live musical theater in Pittsburgh and the entire Southwestern Pennsylvania region. Pittsburgh CLO is a not-for-profit arts organization that appreciates the support of nearly 200,000 patrons each year. Its dedication to the musical theater art form extends beyond the summer season, with such programs as the CLO Academy, the CLO Mini Stars, the Gene Kelly Awards and the Construction Center for the Arts.