This summer, Boxford 13-year-old Ian Tengler has been hanging with an unsavory character called Harry the Horse. He's learned how to place bets, gamble with dice, and warn his gambling buddies about the police with slang terms.
But it's not a downward spiral into juvenile delinquency. Tengler is becoming "street smart" to play the gangster Nicely-Nicely Johnson in the musical "Guys and Dolls."
"In one part of the show, I see the police coming, and I say 'the heat is on,'" said Ian. "(My character) is helping out his friend, Nathan Detroit, play a crap game and gamble.
"My character is not mean, just nice. We're rolling the dice, having a lot of fun and betting money. Some of the songs we sing are about gambling. The opening song, 'I got the horse right here' is about a horse bet," he said.
Besides the gambling habit, Ian sees a little of himself in Nicely-Nicely.
"My character is basically happy," Ian said. "He's like me. I'm nice and try to help out, but I don't like to bet. You can probably just change the part to Nicely-Nicely Ian."
Ian is just one of the gamblers, gangsters and missionaries who will fill Boxford's Second Congregational Church next weekend for a production of the musical "Guys and Dolls."
The show, a junior version of the 1950 Broadway show by Frank Loesser, will be performed by Moonlight Productions, an Ipswich-based community theater group. The majority of the young cast — all the actors are ages 7 to 13 — are from Boxford. Director Kimberly Robertson and musical director Sandi Nason are also from Boxford.
Performances are July 25 and 26 on the stage of the church's fellowship hall off Route 133.
"Guys and Dolls, which contains the memorable tunes "Luck, be a lady tonight" and "Sit down, you're rocking the boat" was made into a movie in 1955; Marlon Brando played Sky Masterson and Frank Sinatra played Nathan Detroit, two of the main gangster characters.
In the show, Nathan Detroit bets that Sky Masterson can't woo Sarah Brown, a missionary. Romance, gambling and police-dodging ensues as the story progresses, with plenty of singing and dancing by all.
Moonlight Productions is also staging "Guys and Dolls" with a cast of teens and adults this summer. Performances will be the last weekend in July at the First Congregational Church of Georgetown.
Ian, who has never been in a musical before, said the show has been a lot of fun. He auditioned because his friend Noah Greenstein, who plays Nathan Detroit, "got me into it."
"I'm proud of myself, because I was really nervous at the audition," Ian said. "I like being on stage and performing.
"I've learned that you have to participate (in rehearsals). It's your show, so you've got to make it good. You just really need to push for your dream, and just act. I've learned that you have to try your hardest, study your lines, and try and get more expression in your lines, not just read them off the page."
IF YOU GO
r "Guys & Dolls" junior version by Moonlight Productions
r Friday and Saturday, July 25 and 26 at 7:30 p.m.
r Second Congregational Church, Washington Street/Route 133 in West Boxford center
r Tickets available at the door, $12 for adults and $10 for seniors and students under 12
r The hall is handicapped accessible
r For more information, visit www.moonlightproductions.org
Boxford cast members:
TJ Leito as Sky Masterson
Noah Greenstein as Nathan Detroit
Ian Tengler as Nicely-Nicely
Sean Gilbert as Benny
Gregory Knowles as Harry
Lia Fitzsimmons as Agatha
Olivia Hilton as Lieutenant Brannigan
Janice Hagerman as General Matilda B. Cartwright
Ally Adam as Big Jule
Gabby D'Ambrosio as Scranton Slim
Andrew D'Ambrosio as Joey Biltmore
"Hot box dolls" and missionaries: Morgan Robertson, Christie Torlone and Charlotte Wallace
