The Taylor University Theatre Department plans to honor and expand upon the historical musical that is Guys and Dolls.
This semester’s musical will be Guys and Dolls, one of the most successful Broadway musicals of all time. The show will take place April 25-26 and May 2-4.
The story follows two main couples: Sky Masterson and Sarah Brown, and Nathan Detroit and Miss Adelaide.
Sky Masterson, a gambler, makes a bet that he can take Sarah Brown on a date and ends up falling in love with her. Nathan Detroit, who runs an illegal floating crap game, has been long engaged to his fiancé who just wants him to settle down.
“When they announced that we were doing it last year, I was super excited,” TJ Fausnight, the actor portraying Nathan Detroit, said.
He said he appreciates the Theatre Department getting into the script, which means a lot to him.
Guys and Dolls is typically set in New York in the 1920s. Taylor’s production, however, will feature a set design that will resemble a dystopian world, Fausnight said.
Stage manager Lydia Hertzog enjoys how the department takes a different approach to the musical while staying true to the original.
“I’ve been enjoying how much deeper we’re going into the characters and their stories,” she said.
While in high school, Fausnight acted in Guys and Dolls as Nicely-Nicely Johnson, Nathan Detroit’s sidekick. Unlike his sidekick, Nathan Detroit’s role in the film contains very little singing.
“A majority of what I had to memorize was lyrics and songs, which are much easier to memorize,” Fausnight said while reflecting on his high school performance as Nicely Nicely Johnson. “But instead of the 40/50 lines of Nicely Nicely, I’m now something like 200 lines.”
Fausnight is incredibly excited about this role. He even said his role in Taylor’s previous show, Sense and Sensibility, prepared him for how many lines he has. He loves the difference in the role.
Fausnight is most excited about performing The Crapshooters’ Dance.
“I’ve been loving doing the choreography,” he said.
The cast and crew have bonded throughout rehearsals. Notable moments from rehearsal that included this bonding are the times when the cast practices The Crapshooters’ Dance.
“There’s so many [moments] that make the show special,” Hertzog said. She is also most excited about the performance of The Crapshooters’ Dance. “It’s so fun to watch.”
While Hertzog’s role as stage manager takes a smaller role in the creative vision of the musical, she helps to bring that vision to life through the way she tapes and blocks the stage. It helps the cast and crew see how the set is going to look.
“When it’s in their heads, it’s in their bodies as well,” Hertzog said. Blocking the stage earlier helps bring out a better musical and creative vision, she said.
Hertzog wants the audience to take away the idea that a story doesn’t need to be the same every time. She believes diving deeper into the lives of these characters will enhance the world the department has been working very hard to make.
“Being able to tell a part of someone else’s story and telling that story to other people is a lot of fun and just makes me love what I do,” Fausnight said.
Tickets are available at the link on the Taylor Theatre Instagram bio: @taylortheatre.
