The Star Players are about to hit the stage with Guys and Dolls, and this is a tight-knit group.
“It’s formed into a very big family,” said director Bill Arthur.
Arthur is the rec leader at Holmesburg Recreation Center, where the cast has been rehearsing since July 1. The show will be presented Oct. 11-13 at Venice Island Performing Arts Center in Manayunk.
This will be the 24th show by the Star Players, which produce shows each June and October. There were three virtual shows during COVID that were live-streamed on Facebook.
“We didn’t miss a beat,” Arthur said.
In all, there have been 221 performers over the years.
“Once a Star Player always a Star Player,” Arthur said. “The door is always open.”
The show is based on the 1950 Tony Award-winning Broadway musical that centers on gangsters and gamblers in the New York underworld.
Arthur plays Sky Masterson, a big-time, fedora-wearing gambler.
The cast is eager to entertain audiences.
Julia Rooney plays Arvide Abernathy and is looking forward to singing one of her favorite songs, More I Cannot Wish You. She and the others have been rehearsing three and four times a week.
“We put a lot of work in so we can perform at our best,” she said.
Rooney has two sons in the show and a daughter in stage crew. She’s in her fourth year with the Star Players and enjoys how close everyone has become.
“I love the camaraderie we have,” she said.
Michele Gabriele plays Sarah Brown. She knew some of the songs when Arthur announced Guys and Dolls as the fall show, but not the storyline. She’s since watched the 1955 movie and, of course, read the script.
“It’s a really good show,” she said. “It’s very entertaining. It’s got a little bit of everything.”
Gabriele has been with the Star Players since the beginning in 2013. Her husband, son, daughter, sister and niece are all in Guys and Dolls. The group’s veterans and newcomers work well together, in her view.
“We’re one big family,” she said. “We work together and support each other. We root for each other.”
Like Gabriele, Katie Estudante got her start in shows at St. Hubert.
As for Guys and Dolls, Estudante recalls being a seventh-grader in 1997 watching a Father Judge production of the show and wanting to someday play Miss Adelaide. Now she has her chance.
“I’ve always wanted to be in Guys and Dolls,” she said. “It’s so popular. Everybody knows Guys and Dolls.”
Estudante, who has a son in the show, said she has a love of theater, adding that Star Players is an amazing outlet. The group’s choir is also active off stage, singing the national anthem at a recent Trenton Thunder game, singing and dancing in the upcoming Mayfair Holmesburg Thanksgiving Parade, entertaining at the Bridesburg Christmas tree lighting and Mayfair Diner Breakfast with Santa and performing for residents of the Lafayette.
“We’re very much about giving back to the community,” Estudante said.
Estudante joined the Star Players in 2019 and has seen bonds formed.
“We really are a family group,” she said. ••
The Star Players will present Guys and Dolls from Oct. 11-13 at Venice Island Performing Arts Center, 7 Lock St. in Manayunk. Show time is 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Group rates are available. Tickets are available with Venmo @TheStarplayers or at Holmesburg Recreation Center, 4500 Rhawn St. For more information, call Bill Arthur at 215-685-8714, visit the group’s Facebook page or follow @starplayersPPR on X. ••
