By Jason Klaiber
Staff Writer
From July 18 to 20, the Town of Manlius Recreation Department will be putting on its 43rd annual summer production, presenting the musical comedy “Guys and Dolls” at Eagle Hill Middle School.
The Frank Loesser-penned show, which debuted on Broadway and follows New York City gamblers navigating their love lives, has previously been tackled by Manlius’ recreation department in 1983 and 1997.
“Our cast has been working hard and putting so much heart into making this show the best that it can be,” Caeli Carroll, the show’s assistant producer, said. “They have been given difficult and exciting choreography, unique characters to explore and classic music to perfect, and they have been rising to all of the challenges.”
Carroll said the pit orchestra and stage crew has worked diligently to ensure a smooth outcome.
In past years, the town’s summer production has regularly been unveiled to the public at Fayetteville-Manlius High School.
However, due to renovations and asbestos abatement being carried out this summer at the high school, Eagle Hill Middle School—situated at 4645 Enders Road in Manlius—became the stand-in location.
Auditions took place in the middle of May, and the finalized cast and crew began rehearsing in early June.
“We have such a short period of time to prepare,” Kristine Zingaro, the recreation supervisor, said.
Despite the same rushed schedule every year, she said the town’s productions always tend to pan out.
“I never really need to stress,” Zingaro, also the co-producer of this year’s “Guys and Dolls” show alongside Eric Feola, said.
Guzmán’s Dance Studio on East Genesee Street in Fayetteville, opened up space to house the show’s rehearsals, preventing an overlap with end-of-the-year school events at the middle school like choral concerts and student award ceremonies in the evenings.
Featuring actors and actresses varying in age, the cast gave the public a sneak peak of the upcoming show at Manlius’ Fourth of July parade earlier in the month. The performers handed out candy, sang tunes from the show and danced, while a highway department pickup truck played matching music.
Greene & Miller Dentistry and ice cream shop Sno-Top serve as the main sponsors of this year’s town production.
With the exception of the year 1987, Manlius has staged a musical production every summer since 1976.
“This is something that the Manlius community really looks forward to,” Zingaro, who has worked for the town’s recreation department since 2002, said. “It’s become sort of a staple in the community.”
The show will run this week on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, each night from 7 to 10 p.m.
Tickets have been on sale since June and can be purchased at the door each night, through manliusmusical.org or at the recreation department’s office at 301 Brooklea Drive, which can be reached at 315-637-5188. Tickets cost $15 for everyone except seniors 65 and older and kids ages 12 and under, who will be admitted for $13.
“It’s nice for people to be able to go to the theater and see something that brings them joy and makes them laugh,” Carroll said. “That is exactly what this show does.”
