As previously announced, Richard Jay-Alexander, who helmed last summer's acclaimed Les Misérables in Concert at the Bowl, will direct. Tony Award winner Donna McKechnie will choreograph the production, which will play the famed venue July 31-Aug. 2. Kevin Stites will be the musical director.
The starry cast includes the previously reported Ellen Greene (as Miss Adelaide), Jessica Biel (as Sarah Brown), Scott Bakula (Nathan Detroit), Brian Stokes Mitchell (Sky Masterson), Ken Page (Nicely-Nicely Johnson) and Ruth Williamson (General Matilda Cartwright) as well as Herschel Sparber (Big Jule), Jason Graae (Benny Southstreet), Bill Lewis (Harry the Horse), Danny Stiles (Rusty Charlie), Amir Talai (Angie the Ox/Joey Biltmore), Jody Ashworth (Lt. Brannigan), Cindy Benson (Agatha) and Grace Wall (Martha).
The Hot Box Girls will be played by Sandahl Bergman, Valarie Pettiford, Jane Lanier, Kathryn Wright, Jillana Laufer and Tracy Powell. Male dancers include Oskar Rodriguez, Stefan Raulson, Angelo Rivera, Christopher L. Morgan, Chris Holly and John Todd. The ensemble comprises David Raimo, Paul Dean, Daniel Guzman, Josh Christoff, Kyrra Richards, Nikki Tomlinson and Catherine Chiarelli.
The creative team for Guys and Dolls in Concert will also feature Evan Bartoletti and Lisa Lechuga, set designers; Tom Ruzika, lighting designer; Tommy Marquez, costume designer; Michael Moore, wig and hair designer; Valerie Jackson, hair and makeup designer; Kirk Graves, props coordinator; James Kinney, associate choreographer; and Marciann Shapiro, assistant costume designer.
Beau Bridges has appeared in over 50 feature films. He has received 11 Emmy nominations and won three. His wins were for Best Actor in "Without Warning: The James Brady Story" and Best Supporting Actor for "The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom" and "The Second Civil War." On the stage, Bridges performed in the original productions of The Trial of the Catonsville Nine by Father Daniel Berrigan at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles and on Broadway in both William Inge's Where's Daddy? and Peter Ustinov's Who's Who in Hell. He also originated the role of Roy in Looking for Normal by Jane Anderson at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. Based on a story and characters by Damon Runyon, Guys and Dolls features music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and a book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. The original Broadway production opened at Broadway's 46th Street Theatre in November 1950, running 1,200 performances before closing Nov. 28, 1953. Among the premiere cast were Robert Alda as Sky Masterson, Isabel Bigley as Sarah Brown, Sam Levene as Nathan Detroit and Vivian Blaine as Miss Adelaide. Blaine re-created her role for the 1955 film, which also starred Marlon Brando as Sky Masterson, Jean Simmons as Sarah Brown and Frank Sinatra as Nathan Detroit.
A new Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls currently plays the Nederlander Theatre and features Oliver Platt (as Nathan Detroit), Lauren Graham (as Miss Adelaide), Craig Bierko (as Sky Masterson) and Kate Jennings Grant (Sarah Brown).
Show times at the Bowl will be July 31 and Aug. 1 at 8:30 PM and Aug. 2 at 7:30 PM.
The Hollywood Bowl is located at 2301 North Highland Avenue in Hollywood, CA. For tickets call (323) 850-2000. Visit www.hollywoodbowl.com for more information.
