Fraser Valley Stage (FVS) brings the Broadway musical Guys and Dolls to the Abbotsford stage for five performances from March 2 to 5.
With a cast of more than 40 singers and dancers, FVS will bring the antics of high-rollin’ crap shooters, their scatter-brained girlfriends and the resolute mission members to the stage with lively dance routines and classic songs such as
Luck Be a Lady, Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat and I’ve Never Been in Love Before.
Guys and Dolls conquered Broadway in 1951, running for 1,200 performances and winning five Tony Awards.
“It’s a period classic. In post-Depression days it was fun to be in New York, living the dream with influences of the raucous and the righteous,” said FVS co-producer Marg Kennedy.
“This group is not going to disappoint. The quality of the chorus is right up there with some professional shows. We excel in choral work with big strong voices. Hearing the guys sing will give you goosebumps.”
FVS, now in its 45th year, has performed many lavish Broadway musicals, including Oklahoma, Brigadoon, Fiddler on the Roof and others. Internationally, they’ve performed the Gilbert and Sullivan operettas The Mikado, Iolanthe, H.M.S. Pinafore and Princess Ida, where they won several awards at festivals in the UK.
Guys and Dolls is directed by FVS’s Paulina Harskamp, with musical direction by Chad Joiner (MEI), and choreography by Debbie Calicetto (Candance Studios in Mission).
“There’s lots of colour, lots of action taking the audience from the sewers of New York to the clubs of Havana, lots of song and dance and lots of activity,” said Kennedy. “And . . . it’s a love story with a happy ending.”
Guys and Dolls takes place at Abbotsford Arts Centre, 2329 Crescent Way. Evening performances are at 7 p.m. with the Saturday matinee at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $25 for adults, $22 for seniors and $15 for kids under 12.
They are available online at fraservalleystage.com or at Prospera Credit Union (West Oaks Branch, 3071 South Fraser Way). Call 604-854-5463 for more information.