Like Sky Masterson, Alex Santoriello is a sly guy.
And like Sister Sarah Brown, Jill Marrese knows the score when it comes to playing a doll.
Put them together and you have the ideal leads for “Guys and Dolls” playing Savannah Center Dec. 21-23. The musical also stars Kathleen Kane and John Rogerson, with a cast of nearly 40 Villagers.
Watch the dress rehearsal from the show:
Marrese has no illusions about Sister Sarah.
“It’s the soprano role in most musicals – the aging spinster falls for the bad boy,” she said.
A couple of years ago in The Villages, Marrese played Marian the Librarian in “Music Man” – the nerdy bookworm who turned temptress for con man Harold Hill.
Now, here is Marrese on a weekday night in December, rehearsing with another quick-talking hustler – Sky Masterson.
Santoriello, a veteran Broadway performer who appeared in “Les Miserables,” and other plays, is Sky. He also directs the show for KC Theatrical Productions & Pro-Am Performing Arts. He is fresh off his remarkable Villages debut last spring in “Man of La Mancha.”
Santoriello directed that play and earned raves as Cervantes and Don Quixote. Santoriello has been asked to perform “Man of La Mancha” to Penn State University this summer.
Santoriello was a natural for Cervantes but Sky Masterson is no errant knight.
“But Sky is not a sleaze bag,” Santoriello blurts out in his typically colorful vocabulary and buzz saw speaking style. “He could have had his way with this girl, but he didn’t. He kept his word.”
What we have here is the theatrical dynamic of the bad boy reforming and the good girl losing her religion and looking for action.
Sky is the gambling kingpin in Damon Runyan’s colorful post-war New York City. Sister Sarah is trying to reach out and save the sinners.
But Sky almost gets the best of her.
“Playing Sarah is a challenge,” Marrese said. “You have to find a way to make her fresh. In some ways, Sarah can be negative. She’s naïve and kind, and Sky takes advantage of her. But she’s not dumb.
“She discovers herself and her freedom. When she sings, ‘If I Were a Bell,’ I think she is finally letting go and expressing herself.”
Any play directed by Santoriello features a play within a play. Sometimes, he’s more fun to watch as a director than as an actor. He is a seasoned pro and In The Villages, Santoriello huffs, puffs, laughs, yells and cajoles the local performers to make them better. He jumps and marches in front of actors, waves his arms and bellows directions.
“Don’t keep your feet together; nobody stands with their feet together,” he tells the cast. Then he teaches them how to walk across the stage at an angle and slow pace.
“Don’t move this way – boom and your gone.”
One cast member tells Santoriello she’s not sure how to play a scene. “Oh God, an actor who is not sure,” Santoriello moans in mock despair, holding his hand to his forehead. “Think about your objective and what happens if you fail. There’s a reason you’re doing this role and saying these lines.”
During a break, Santoriello catches his breath.
“I’m a player coach,” Santoriello said. “I like to play and I like to coach. I’m a teacher. Everyone in the cast works so hard. I’m trying to show them how to do basic things. I just wish we had more time to rehearse and work. No matter what, we’re going to do the best we can.”
Marrese appreciates Santoriello’s efforts.
“I learn something new from him everyday,” she said. “He has so much background. He can be demanding, but he’s always teaching.”
Kathleen Kane plays Miss Adelaide, a New York nightclub performer who falls for another gambler, Nathan Detroit, played by John Rogerson.
Kane gives Adelaide a thick Brooklyn accent and ditzy personality. Kane brings the character to life with a look, a walk and an attitude.
“I picked up the accent from a couple girlfriends I know in New York City,” Kane said. “Adelaide is a fun character, and I’m trying to capture that side of her. But she also has an emotional side.”
Tim Casey plays Nicely-Nicely Johnson, a rotund, lovable and bubbling gambler. Casey performs one of the memorable numbers in the musical, “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat.”
“I’ve always wanted to play Nicely,” Casey said. “I try to bring a bit of Curly Howard of the Three Stooges to him. Nicely is the kind of character who always looks at the bright side, no matter how bad things get. He likes to eat a lot and that’s my kind of role.”
And it’s Santoriello’s kind of holiday play. He gets to sing one of the biggest songs from the musical, “Luck Be A Lady.”
“We were going to do a Christmas play but this is more fun,” Santoriello said. “People want to be entertained and have a good time, and this is that kind of show.”