‘Guys and Dolls’ takes the
school stage this weekend
By jennifer dome
Staff Writer
FARRAH MAFFAI Wilfredo Hernandez Jr. (l-r) and Sarah Brown join Nicole Vuono and Keith Carne to play the lead couples in the Sayreville War Memorial High School’s production of Guys and Dolls this weekend.
SAYREVILLE — Before the days of The Godfather and The Sopranos, many people were familiar with the iconic depiction of gangsters through the famous musical, Guys and Dolls.
The lovable, gambling gangsters will be brought to the stage this weekend through the tireless efforts of the Sayreville War Memorial High School Theatre Society. Since December, when auditions were held for the play, students have been rehearsing their scenes, their songs and their dance performances six days a week.
The play’s director, Michael Piccuiro, said the musical, first released in the 1950s, is about street-smart gangsters living in New York City. The story revolves around two sets of couples, including a mission worker called Sister Sara and a gambler named Sky. The other gambler-gangster figure, Nathan, is engaged to a nightclub dancer named Adelaide, Piccuiro said.
"[Nathan] is not a thug. He’s just the kind of guy who makes his living as a gambler," the director said.
FARRAH MAFFAI The gamblers (l-r) — Ryan Molder as Rusty, Patsy Palma as Nicely-Nicely Johnson, and Shaun Saunders as Benny rehearse for Sayreville War Memorial High School’s production of Guys and Dolls, opening Friday.
Student Keith Carne, 16, a junior at the high school, plays Nathan in Guys and Dolls and said he has loved this production in particular since the actors at the school are so involved.
"It really gets better every year and this is really one of my favorite shows," said Carne, who has been involved with the society since his freshman year.
Another actor in the 78-member cast, Patsy Palma, plays the character Nicely-Nicely Johnson in the production.
"Guys and Dolls is amazing. It’s just so much fun," said Palma, a 17-year-old junior.
Palma said he and Carne have enjoyed the musical since they were young, and both were thrilled to learn they would each have one of the leading roles in the play.
"It’s our favorite show. Every time we go into rehearsal it just butters me up," Palma said.
"The talent we have here in the leads is phenomenal," Piccuiro said, adding that only two of the leads are in their senior year. Thus, many of the students will be returning next year.
Besides the 78 students who are members of the cast, numerous students have also been involved with creating the costumes and makeup and are working as lighting and sound technicians.
"We’ve been creating the set for [the play], which is very elaborate," Piccuiro said. "The kids did a fantastic job with it."
The curtain will go up on the high school stage at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets for the show are $8 for adults and $6 for students and senior citizens. If senior citizens reserve tickets ahead of time, the matinee performance on Sunday will be free of charge, Piccuiro said.