The Mountain Play Association Presents: Guys And Dolls May 23, 2010

THE MOUNTAIN PLAY ASSOCIATION PRESENTS:
GUYS AND DOLLS
Last produced on the mountain in 1995 - one of the top ten best sellers in Mountain Play history!

Mill Valley, CA- The Mountain Play – ‘A Great Outdoor Adventure’ and the San Francisco Bay Area’s most magical outdoor theater experience, is proud to present for the second time in its 97 year history, the Tony Award© winning musical Guys and Dolls for its 2010 season.

Guys and Dolls, a musical fable of Broadway, is based on a short story by Damon Runyon, "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown.” Music and lyrics written by Frank Loesser. Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. Gaining additional inspiration from the vivid characters and plot elements of other Runyon stories as well, most notably, "Pick the Winner” and “Blood Pressure,” Guys and Dolls ran for 1,200 performances and won the Tony Award for Best Musical. A favorite of musical theatre enthusiasts worldwide, it has had several Broadway revivals, West End productions and inspired a feature length movie starring Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, Jean Simmons and members of the original Broadway cast Vivian Blaine and Stubby Kaye. Last produced on Mount Tamalpais in 1995 for an audience of 21,000, Guys and Dolls was one of the top ten best sellers in Mountain Play history.

• DATES: Performances will be on Sunday May 23, 30, June 6, June 12 (Saturday), June 13, and June 20.

• TIMES: All Shows begin at 1 pm. Pre-show begins at 11 am. Please arrive at least one hour prior to show. Live performances by local talent will entertain between stage time.* See entertainment line up below

• COST: Tickets range from $21-$36 General Admission. Children 3 and under are FREE. Information for Group discounts and Online Specials available at the Mountain Play website- www.mountainplay.org

• RESERVED SEATING AVAILABLE: Cushioned reserved seating is available in both the shade and the sun FAN club sections of the amphitheatre with prices starting at $56. *See FAN Club information below for additional benefits

• HOW TO GET THERE: The Cushing Memorial Amphitheatre is located off scenic Highway 1 in Marin County, CA. Patrons are encouraged to take the shuttle buses provided, hike, or bike to the venue as parking is limited. For more information and schedules, visit the Mountain Play Experience section of the website for directions, tips and detailed explanations.

• CONTACT: Call (415) 383-1100 or visit www.mountainplay.org

About the Play

Set in the colorful world of New York City in the mid 20th century, Guys and Dolls is a story about what happens to gambling men and the dolls who long to tame them. It all begins with a bet. Desperate to find money to pay for his floating craps game, Nathan Detroit (Randy Nazarian) bets Sky Masterson (Tyler McKenna) a thousand dollars that Sky will not be able to persuade Save-A-Soul Missionary Sister, Sarah Brown (Susan Zelinsky), to accompany him on a trip to Cuba. While Sky eventually is able to convince Sarah to join him, Nathan is doing his best to stay outside the matrimonial clutches of his long-suffering fiancée, Adelaide (Kimberly Jensen.) Upon Sky and Sarah’s return from Cuba, both realize they have fallen in love but their passion cools off abruptly when Nathan, unable to secure a location for his craps game, attempts to use Sarah's mission as the site of his crap game. The romantic and funny Guys and Dolls has one the greatest musical scores in the history of American theatre. Favorite songs include: “Luck Be a Lady,” “Bushel and a Peck,” “Guys & Dolls,” “The Oldest Established,” “I'll Know,” “Adelaide's Lament,” “If I Were a Bell,” “My Time of Day,” “I've Never Been in Love Before,” “More I Cannot Wish You,” “Sue Me,” “Sit Down, You're Rockin the Boat” and “Marry The Man Today.”

Entertainment:

In keeping with the Mountain Play’s effort to support young, local performers, this season’s pre-show entertainment consists entirely of ensembles featuring talented Marin local musicians in middle school or high school.

• May 23: Sturdy Adams & Friends – reggae band led by 16 year old pianist/ song writer from Marin Academy who studies jazz at The Jazzschool in Berkeley and performs locally in several jazz groups.

• May 30: ‘Til Dawn - a teen a cappella singing group comprised of local teens hailing from almost every city and high school in Marin. ‘Til Dawn performs over 40 shows per year at a variety of community events, benefits and schools as part of the Youth in Arts programming. The group celebrates the value of the arts, encourages positive messages about meaningful social issues, and inspires children of all ages with their professionalism, showmanship and exciting vocal arrangements. http://www.youthinarts.org/til_dawn.html

• June 6: The Boogeymen – a funky jazz trio from Marin Academy with Tom Wilson on keyboards, Terry Castleman on guitar, and Kenny Volkmann on drums. Their music is a blend of the Yellowjackets and their funky vibes with Return to Forever's jazzy chops.

• June 12: Third Rock – this 6 member rock bank featuring local musicians ranging in age from 11 to 13 is a band that has already captured the hearts of audiences worldwide. Third Rock has performed to packed, enthusiastic houses ranging from the Tam Valley Community Center to the legendary nightclub Whiskey A Go Go in Los Angeles.

• June 13: Griffin Stoller & Kenny Blacklock – Texas-style fiddle performed by award winning 15-year-old fiddle prodigy and multi-instrumentalist (Stoller) with school teacher and fiddle master (Blacklock). Griffin has immersed himself in rock, jazz, classical and blues genres studying with Grammy Award winning Jazz violinist Evan Price. He has performed in the Mountain Play pre-show Entertainment for “Oklahoma” and “Hair.” A music teacher for over 25 years, Blacklock currently plays with Keystone Station, Bluegrass Contraption, and Wild Blue. www.kennyblacklock.com

• June 20: Crunchy Frog – Crunchy Frog from Corte Madera is a seasoned, professional, and very entertaining band made up of kids age 10-14. They've been featured on ABCTV, newspaper articles and performed for thousands of people with their fresh arrangements of rock & pop classics such as Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love," "In My Life" by the Beatles and the Isley Brothers' "Twist and Shout." www.crunchyfrog-band.com

In addition, pre-show activities for the entertainment of the whole family include Puppet shows by Randal Metz at all but the Saturday performance. Puppet theatre is located in the shady Redwood Grove behind concessions and show times are 10:45 am and 12 pm.

An ASL professor at the College of Marin for many years, Pat Siriani will perform and sign for the hearing impaired at the first three shows, May 23, 30, and June 6th in her 30th year on the mountain. The fourth show, Saturday, June 12th will be described for the visually impaired.