Brighton High School’s Drama program is presenting its 2019 spring musical “Guys and Dolls” in March. This musical features students from Brighton’s performing arts programs including drama, band, and choir. These programs are coming together to create an enthralling performance full of laughter and love.
Rehearsals for this production began at the beginning of January and occurred everyday after school in addition to 3 hour Saturday rehearsals and occasional Monday practices. Some members went to as many as 15 hours of rehearsals a week. Whether it was singing with Ms. Summers, learning a dance with Ms. Solano, or running through lines and acting with Ms. Archuleta, there’s no doubt the students are worked hard to ensure a flawless performance.
While the actors and actresses are the only ones seen during the musical, there are many more members of the drama program who are working just as hard. The tech crew spent many additional hours and several late nights to make the stage look like the bustling city of New York. They programmed all of the lights and technology to make sure the actors could be seen and heard. Though unseen on the nights of the performances, the tech crew is just as vital to the success of the shows as the actors.
The award-winning orchestra, under the direction of Mr. Scott Unruh and accompanied by Ms. Bonnie Simcox, also spent hours preparing for the shows. They rehearsed separately from the actors for the first month and then joined them in the auditorium a few weeks before the show. Their ability to create beautiful and fun music is what turns this show from a play to a musical.
Though sometimes underappreciated, there were several others who greatly contributed to the success of the shows. Ms. Dorie Summers spent extra time working with the members of the show to help them sound the best they could when they sang. She met with soloists, small groups, and the whole cast to teach them the songs. And Ms. Lindsey Solano was the brilliant mind behind all of the choreography. She spent hours and hours each week teaching the dance numbers and rehearsing them until they were perfect. Of course, the show would not have been able to happen without Mrs. Jane Archuleta who directed the show. She spent all of her time on this show whether it was working with actors or creating the set or finding costumes. Her creativeness and passion for the performing arts are very evident.
The musical follows the story of a group of gamblers who were looking for a place to hold their crap game. The guy in charge of finding a place, Nathan Detroit, needs $1000 to hold the game. He bets Sky Masterson the $1000 that he won’t take missionary Sarah Brown on a date. Masterson takes his offer. Meanwhile, Nathan’s longtime fiancee, Adelaide, is getting impatient and wants to get married already.
So come support Brighton’s drama program on March 8th, 9th, 15th, and 16th at 7 pm in the auditorium. The actors and orchestra members are sure to keep the audience enthralled from beginning to end. With memorable songs such as, “Luck be a lady,” “Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat,” and the title number “Guys and Dolls,” this show will be one for the books!