FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 29, 2003

ROLLING THE DICE
Saint John Theatre Company To Stage Its First Musical

For the first time ever, the Saint John Theatre Company is lacing its dancing shoes, warming up the band and getting ready to swing. The Company will stage Guys and Dolls, one of the most famous and popular musicals of all time, October 9, 10 and 11 at the Imperial Theatre. When the curtain goes up, it will be an exciting and historic moment for the Company. Since its inception in 1990, the SJTC has never produced a musical.

"It is the only genre of theatre that we haven't worked in over the past 13 years," says Stephen Tobias, SJTC artistic director. "Audiences are constantly requesting that we branch out. That, and the fact that this is our tenth season of performing at the Imperial Theatre, made it an appropriate time to offer a special treat to our audiences."

To make the production a smash, the SJTC enlisted someone who has been at the helm of more musicals than just about anyone in the Saint John area. Bob Doherty has directed a host of song-and-dance shows for the Kennebecasis Valley Players and Kennebecasis Valley High School. He has also directed Noises Off!, The Three Musketeers and an impressive array of non-musicals for the SJTC.

"Compared to a play, musicals are huge," Doherty exclaims. "Our cast is over 30 people compared to a play in which the cast will usually be under ten. There are more props, more costumes, more everything! At times, I feel like a traffic cop handling a rush hour volume of traffic that is moving at high speed in many different directions."

Frank Loesser's Guys and Dolls is a big, splashy tale of two couples in 1940s New York City. It's chock-full of comedy, dance numbers and unforgettable songs like 'Luck Be A Lady', 'Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat' and 'If I Were A Bell'. The cast features Charlotte Dort, Scott Thomas and many other multi-talented locals.

"We've got a great cast made up of a handful of SJTC regulars plus a huge crop of new talent," says Tobias, who plays slick gambler Nathan Detroit. "The band, which has been put together by Richard Kidd, is going to swing like crazy. All in all, it's a really exciting project to work on."

For Doherty, part of the thrill of Guys and Dolls is that it will give the Saint John audience a chance to see local adults in a musical.

"This will be the first locally-staged musical in over 30 years in Saint John whose cast is made up of adults from the community," he says. "Since the Saint John Arts Council stopped producing musicals in the late 1960s, all local musicals have been staged by high schools. I think the audience is really going to enjoy the musical talents of the adults in our community."

The curtain time for Guys and Dolls is 8 P.M. on October 9, 10 and 11. There's also a matinee at 2 P.M. on October 11. Tickets for the evening shows are $27.50 for adults and $25.50 for seniors. All tickets for the matinee are $19.50. Students will be admitted to the October 9 show for the special price of $7.50. Tickets are available from the Imperial Theatre box office at 674-4100 or 1-800-323-SHOW (7469).

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