"Sit Down You're Rockin' The Stage"

St. John's University Stagers Soicety perfomed "Guys and Dolls" for one weekend only on April 8, 9, and 10th at the Staten Island Campus Center Gymnasium. Students from the university were granted free admission, while outsiders were asked to pay a small fee of $5 per ticket. Held in a fairly small auditorium/gym the stagers put on an excellent show. Having been part of Guys and Dolls once before, as well as having seen it performed in many different venues (including local and Broadway productions) the cast had a great show to work with.


The cast was a small group of about twenty-five students, all from St. John's, and ranged and from freshmen to seniors. They were accompianed by a five piece orchestra (piano, percussion, bass, flute, and alto saxophone.) The stagers usually put on two shows a year (a Fall and Sping production.) Some of their past shows include: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, The Crucible, Father of the Bride, and Jekyll & Hyde. As you can see the stagers' shows are not limited to musicals, but they frequently perform dramas as well. Miranda Fluhrer holds the position of President as part of the "Stagers Society Executive Board." When talking about the organization Ms. Fluhrer (a current senior) says: "The Stagers Society is a remarkable organization. Our members come from many majors and backgrounds. The endless hours and dedication displayed by all of you is worthy of much more than single applause."

Bruce Biggins directed the show, worked with choreographer Elise Di Simone, and musical director Daniel Braz. Some of the lead roles were played by John Herron (Nathan Detroit), Alyssa Brullo (Miss Adelaide), Faith Ndifornyen (Sarah Brown), Kevin James (Sky Masterson), Alphonse Caputo (Benny Southstreet), and Donald Manzo (Nicely-Nicely Johnson). With the help of a very talented supporting cast the show definitely proved to be a success. Some of the most recognizable songs from the show include: "Luck Be a Lady," "Adelaide's Lament," and "Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat." Some may be more familiar with the movie version of "Guys and Dolls" which starred Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando, and Jean Simmons.

Impressed by the talent of the cast as a whole, the other thing that truly stuck out to me was the set. The construction and design of it was done by Rick Ostrowski. Having been in the show previously, I remember the many different set/scene changes that had to occur. I performed "Guys and Dolls" at Monsignor Farrell High School back in 2006 as well as St. Dorothy in 2001. Luckily there was much room for us to set up almost a three-part stage at Farrell. With the amount of room the Stagers had to work with I think they did a fantastic job.


Overall, the show proved to be very entertaining. It was a true college performance. Many high school productions on the island can be said to be up to par with the college level, however it must be said that the St. John's University Stagers Society certainly did hold their own this Spring. Keep a look out for a possible upcoming productions in the Fall.

For some more information please see the Stagers website:

http://www.stjstagers.com/

E-mail: info@stjstagers.com

Phone: (718) 390-4004