SRO Productions is bringing one of Broadway’s most beloved classics to life this November with Guys and Dolls, Frank Loesser’s musical comedy about gamblers, showgirls, and salvation. Performances run November 7–9 and 14–16 at the Schorr Family Firehouse Stage in Johnson City. Friday and Saturday shows are at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday matinees are at 2:00 p.m.
Actors Sarah Wallikas, who plays mission worker Sarah Brown, and Sam Katzman, who portrays high-stakes gambler Sky Masterson, say audiences can expect plenty of familiar tunes.
“Oh my goodness, "Luck Be a Lady" is a big one,” Wallikas said. “A lot of the songs were made popular by Frank Sinatra’s recordings—he was in the 1955 movie version with Marlon Brando. The title song "Guys and Dolls" is another, along with "I’ve Never Been in Love Before", "If I Were a Bell", and of course, the famous "Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat". You’ll keep thinking, ‘Oh, I know that one!’”
Katzman describes Sky Masterson as “kind of a loner and a bit of a drifter… he’s a big gambler and likes to bet on anything—like which lump of sugar a fly might land on,” he said with a laugh. “He’s a risk-taker, and when he bets he can’t take Sarah to Havana, things get complicated fast.”
The show’s comic couple, Nathan Detroit and Miss Adelaide—played by Zach Curtis and Megan Longo—bring a different energy. “They’re the comedic duo,” Wallikas explained. “Their big number "Sue Me" at the end of Act Two is the culmination of all their frustrations after 14 years of being engaged. They do a fabulous job together.”
Director Scott Fisher is known for reimagining productions, and Katzman says this Guys and Dolls offers a fresh audience experience. “Instead of traditional theater seating, there’s an inner layer of tables surrounded by stadium-style seats,” he said. “It gives the show a dinner-theater vibe—really intimate and perfect for this kind of story.”
SRO Productions presents Guys and Dolls November 7–9 and 14–16 at the Schorr Family Firehouse Stage, located at the corner of Corliss and Willow Streets in Johnson City, right across from the Binghamton University Pharmacy School. Friday and Saturday performances are at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday matinees at 2:00 p.m. For more information, visit sroproductionsonline.com.