Broadway comes to Kingsville

 

By Miranda Monahan

The musical Guys and Dolls is being performed at Migration Hall in Kingsville.

The play began its run on Feb. 22.  The story follows a gambler named Nathan Detroit as he looks for a place and the money to host an illegal craps game. When he finds a local garage, he pays the owner $1,000 to let him use it. Detroit also has to deal with his fiancée’s pleas to get married.

Migration Hall is a community centre which opened in 1994,  located on Main Street East. The idea of the hall was conceived in the 1980s and was the vision of teachers from Kingsville District High School and other community leaders from the area. The hall is used for athletic, artistic and academic functions.

Melissa Mcleod is the director of Guys and Dolls. The show has been in the making for four months.

“This production was chosen by the Migration Hall selection committee as one of our two productions in our season,” said Mcleod.

According to Becca Silvius, choreographer of the play, the Migration Hall committee meets quarterly and Guys and Dolls was chosen because it was the best fit for the audience.

The rehearsal process for the play began in October and some shows have already sold out.

The film adaptation of Guys and Dolls was released in 1955 and starred Frank Sinatra, Jean Simmons, Marlon Brando and Vivian Blaine.

Seating is done in a cabaret style, meaning attendees are seated at tables, not in grandstands. Food and drinks are available for purchase. Food includes soft pretzels and baked goods. Drinks include water, local wines, coffee and tea. Most of the proceeds will go to Migration Hall and the Kingsville chapter of the Rotary Club.

“Music Express and Migration Hall have a partnership in this show and are providing the orchestra and pit singers,” said Mcleod. Music Express is a community choir based in Windsor.

According to Silvius, the partnership benefits both parties involved.

“We’ve done some shows with Music Express in the past that have been in collaboration to financially benefit both companies,” said Silvius.

For more details about Migration Hall, visit them online at www.migrationhall.com.