Luck be a Lady! On May 3rd, 2024, Woodland’s Halo award-winning Drama Club had its opening night of the spring musical: Guys and Dolls. The music and lyrics of the show were created by Frank Loesser and the book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. The amazing sets and stage design were created by Claire Cummings, Hannah Semrow, and Olivia Laliberte. The carpenters who assisted them with this were Jared Moore, Patrick Rogers, James Amato, and Christopher Tomlin. The attention to detail in everything from the city backdrop in the scenes, to the newspaper stand, and Save A Soul Mission door was beyond expectations. It made the audience think that they were with the cast on stage in every scene. 

This particular show was special for most of the cast, specifically the seniors, as they were fulfilling the roles that they were cast in their eighth-grade production, which unfortunately got cut short due to the pandemic. 

Even after their shows then got canceled, this adversity made the actors even better. Thanks to director and choreographer Jillian Jackman, the work and time that she put into the show and the actors allowed them to perform their very best during opening night. The amazing cast of Guys and Dolls who executed the production beautifully are:

Nathan Detroit- Evan Moore

Miss Adelaide- Hannah Semrow

Sarah Brown- Casey Mulvihill

Sky Masterson- Connor Doughney

Benny Southstreet- Claire Cummings

Nicely Nicely Johnson- Isabella Peralta

Rusty Charlie- Jamie Misuraca

Harry the Horse- Reese Fernandes 

Lt. Brannigan- Logan Bernier

General Matilda B. Cartwright- Hannah Mudry

Arvide Abernathy- Dylan Tyrrell

Martha- Zoe Kindt

Agatha- Illiana Rosenblum

Hot Box M.C and Joey Biltmore- Elijah Nastu

Allison- Michaela Darrah

Ferguson-Zoe Kindt

Mimi-Abigail Diamante

Society Max-Jaylen Goodall

Liver Lips Louie- Jeffery Guluzy

Brandy Bottle Bates-James Schwarz

The Greek-Ryan Deptula

Big Jule-Jacob Savoy. 

Most of this cast were seasoned actors in the Woodland drama department but some of them were new. Trying new things can take a lot of courage, especially when you have no idea what you are getting into. But the new actors had learned from the best and more experienced actors in the Woods. The whole cast had you laughing and appreciating all that goes on in the theater department. 

Thanks to music director Ian Youngs, the vocals and the music had the audience in disbelief. The whole cast who had singing parts in the show had amazing vocal training and impressive vocal range. Especially Casey Mulvihill, who played Sarah Brown. 

All of the dance numbers had the audience roaring. The two main dance numbers: Havana and The Crapshooters Ballet had the most amazing performance and choreography. Everything from the costumes, to the set was perfectly put together. The audience, including myself, were in awe. The amount of accomplished dancers that the cast had was amazing. This pulled the whole show together. 

All in all, this show has had raving reviews and great reactions after closing night. The show was nominated for 16 Halo awards and that ceremony is on Wednesday May 29th, 2024 at 7pm at the Palace Theater in Waterbury, CT.