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  • Evan Primeau, left, a junior at Traverse City St. Francis High School, portrays Nicely-Nicely Johnson during a rehearsal of "Guys and Dolls," which opens at the school Friday for a six-show run. Special to the Record-Eagle/By Carol South

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February 6, 2012

'Guys and Dolls' center stage at TCSF

By Carol South Special to the Record-Eagle

Bringing the high jinks and scheming of Nathan Detroit and Sky Masterson to the stage, St. Francis High School presents "Guys and Dolls" for six shows starting Friday.

As the rascally pair contrive and connive around the beautiful Sarah Brown and perpetually ill — and unmarried by Nathan — Miss Adelaide, a cast and crew of 82 students breathe life into the Broadway classic.

Iconic tunes from the Frank Loesser production, which is set in the 1940s, include "Bushel and a Peck," "Luck Be a Lady" and "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat."

"It's a great show," said director Jenn Miles. "It is a very powerful story about redemption, and it's the biggest cast we've ever had."

The complex plot of "Guys and Dolls" weaves together two story lines that keeps both actors and audience members on their toes.

"It's fun to see the two different stories going on and how they come together," said Anna Wheatley, a junior who plays Miss Adelaide, double cast with Colleen Olson. "It's really fun, and there's a lot of funny things going on and lots of fun dancing — definitely a high-energy show."

"It's just super fun and funny," she added. "Everybody has such a good time when we're together rehearsing it."

Music director Scott Carter decided last spring to tackle "Guys and Dolls" as the annual production. After casting in September, rehearsals started in November with an ambitious schedule for participants, who total 20 percent of the high school's population. This includes 59 on stage, a crew of 23 people and a pit orchestra of 20. Musicians include St. Francis students as well as some Interlochen students, parents and members of the community.

"The challenges come as a result of their very full schedules; the directors have to be very flexible," Carter said. "It is so wonderful to watch these amazing kids make the transformation from not knowing it at all to being able to wake up out of a deep sleep, hear a line and know the response.

"Plus through this trying process they grow together as a family unit and will cherish these memories for years to come," he added.

"Guys and Dolls" is the sixth straight year the school has presented an annual musical since relaunching the tradition in 2007. Things looked bleak in November 2010 when the school's choir program had just 11 participants and no males.

In one year, the St. Francis choir program has turned around dramatically, providing a solid foundation for "Guys and Dolls" as well as future musicals. Carter, whose tenure started then, has boosted the numbers to 37 students, about half of them guys.

Carter deflects praise for the choir program's transformation from himself to his talented and devoted students.

"These kids are so able to handle diversity and to balance such a difficult schedule because they all do everything," he said. "They're changing the way people look at music at St. Francis."

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