On the first weekend in April, Hoboken’s high school auditorium will be hopping with gamblers, do-gooders, and a rum-laced trip to Havana. The Hoboken High theatre group is bringing “Guys and Dolls,” the 1951 Tony Award winning musical, to stage with some new character interpretations, according to director Jared Ramos.
Four showtimes are scheduled from April 3 to 5, and a first-act teaser show is planned for the younger children in the district.
Ramos, a graduate of both Hoboken High School and Princeton University, teaches theater at HHS. Last year, the district ran a successful pilot theater class, and now there are five classes in total. The theater program is growing as a result.
As evidence, one mustn’t look any farther than high school football player-turned-actor Joshua Delgado. Delgado will star in “Guys and Dolls” as Sky Masterson, a role played by Marlon Brando in the film version.
“Josh is one primary example of a kid who only played football,” Ramos said. “Just from his performance in my class, just from his speaking voice, I could tell [he had talent]. So I asked him to audition.”
Delgado, a junior, auditioned and locked up the lead role in his first production ever. Was he surprised?
“I was very surprised,” Delgado said. “But all of my life, I’ve been outgoing.” He said the role was appealing – “I’ve always loved mobsters” – but that singing was just slightly outside of his comfort zone. “I’m like a shower singer,” he said.
Ramos said of the new star, “He’s just grown so much in the process.” He added, “These classes allow us to have these new discoveries.”
The actors are also putting in time in class working on sets, props, and other production aspects.
Rocking the boat
The theater program districtwide, under the leadership of district theater arts director Paula Ohaus, has actually been collecting statewide honors for the last several years, including several prestigious awards from the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn.
Recently, Hoboken’s theatrical prominence was noted in a series of New York Times articles.
“I can tell a kid who’s worked in theatre program just by the way they walk down the hallway.” – Paula Ohaus
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“It’s kids from all different classes, all different cliques,” she said last week. “I can tell a kid who’s worked in theatre program just by the way they walk down the hallway.”
Ramos credits Ohaus for the growth. “The progress that Paula created has made this district,” he said.
While Ohaus directs many of the productions, she has taken a back seat to Ramos on this one, concentrating on costumes and other production elements. In January, Ohaus was awarded a “best director” award at the Montclair State Theatre Nights ceremony, one of a few awards the school took home for their performance of “The Odyssey” last year.
This year, the school is again participating in the upcoming Rising Star Awards given out by Paper Mill, which some refer to as the state’s high school equivalent of the Tony Awards. Even famous actress Anne Hathaway won the award in the past.
Ohaus said, “The Rising Star Awards have elevated the standard of theatre in the state.”
Touchdown
Newcomers like Delgado are excited, as are some of the veteran actors in “Guys and Dolls.” Bianca Alvarez, a junior, is playing Sarah Brown in her fourth production at the school. “But it’s my first lead,” she said excitedly.
Browne credited Ohaus and Ramos for shepherding her into the role. “I sang all the time [before], but I’m an actress now. I wasn’t an actress before. I love it”
Rounding out the four leads are Krystin Santiago, a sophomore, as Miss Adelaide, and Saquan Williams, a junior, as Nathan Detroit, a role once filled by Hoboken favorite Frank Sinatra.
Ramos is excited to bring these performances to life. “I really enjoy the opportunity to direct something on the same stage that I once performed on,” he said.
Showtimes are as follows: Friday, April 3 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, April 4 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, April 5 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12 at the door and $7 in advance; senior citizens are free.
For more information, call (201) 356-3731.
Timothy J. Carroll may be reached at tcarroll@hudsonreporter.com.