Theatre Under the Stars

Theatre Under The Stars’ introduces the cast of its final Mainstage show of the 49th Season, Guys & Dolls!

Carlos Lopez will lead the cast as “Nathan Detroit” with Madison Claire Parks as “Sarah Brown”, Michelle Aravena as “Adelaide”, and Omar Lopez-Cepero as “Sky Masterson”. Lopez was most recently seen as Mr. Krabs in the SpongeBob Musical in Chicago. Parks won critical acclaim for her turn in the role of Luisa in the Off-Broadway production of The Fantasticks. Aravena appeared in the original companies of A Bronx Tale, Rocky, and Jersey Boys on Broadway. Lopez-Cepero appeared in Broadway productions of On Your Feet! and American Idiot.

Joining them will be Sofia Cheyenne as “Big Jule”, Paul Hope as “Arvide Abernathy”, John Johnston as “Lt. Brannigan”, Arthur Lazalde as “Harry the Horse”, Cedric Leiba, Jr. as “Benny Southstreet”, Lynda Keith McKnight as “Cartwright”, Roland Rusinek as “Nicely-Nicely”, and Michael Anthony Sylvester. Cheyenne has appeared in numerous regional theatre productions including Other World and The Briefly Dead. Hope is well-known to Houston audiences, and has appeared in a number of productions at TUTS including Mame, Sugar, and La Cage aux Folles. Johnston is another familiar face to Houston audiences. He was most recently seen in The Adventure of the Speckled Band at the Classical Theatre Company, and he was last on the TUTS stage in The Sound of Music. Lazalde has appeared in numerous Off-Broadway productions including The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd and As You Like It. Leiba’s theatrical credits include National Tours of Miss Saigon, and RENT. McKnight made her theatrical debut in John Corgliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles in 1991 with the Metropolitan Opera, and she has since performed with the Toledo Opera, the Shreveport Opera, Opera Orchestra of New York, the Wolf Trap Opera, and Sugarland Opera. Rusinek is known for his work in the Broadway company of The Phantom of the Opera, many productions of Sweeney Todd, and the first National Tour of The Addams Family. Sylvester is returning to TUTS having appeared in In The Heights, ELF, and The Rocky Horror Show.

Rounding out the cast in the ensemble is: Ryan Anthony, Mariela Arteaga, Austin Alejandro Arizpe, Gabriel Bernal, Cristina Maria Castro, Courtney Chilton, Juan Sebastian Cruz, Gabriella Enriquez, Jorge Guerra, Jayson Kolbicz, Blair Medina, Michelle Mayo, Jessica Seavor, and Christopher Tipps.

Directed by Nick DeGruccio, this Latin-inspired, reimagined production of Guys & Dolls will run June 12 through 24 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. Joining DeGruccio on the production is Julio Agustin as Choreographer, Stephen W. Jones as Music Director, Steven Young as Lighting Designer, Andrew Harper as Sound Designer, Ryan McGettigan as Scenic Coordinator, Colleen Grady as Costume Designer, and Gerard Kelly as Hair and Makeup Designer. Casting for Guys & Dolls was provided by Stewart/Whitley.

Guys & Dolls is the classic musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, based on some of the short stories by Damon Runyon premiered on Broadway in 1950, and the following year won five Tony® Awards in every category in which it was nominated, including Best Musical. For tickets, visit TUTS.com.

This production of Guys & Dolls is made possible thanks to the generous support of production sponsors, Locke Lord, Hampton Inn/Homewood Suites, and The Humphreys Foundation.

Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital is the official healthcare partner of Theatre Under The Stars. United Airlines is the official airline partner of Theatre Under The Stars. KTRK ABC-13 is the official media partner of Theatre Under The Stars. Phoenicia Specialty Foods is the official catering partner of Theatre Under the Stars. TUTS is supported in part by the City of Houston through the Theater District and the Texas Commission on the Arts.