New York City comes to Rockwall

Broadway veteran to direct Rockwall Summer Musicals’ season opener

(ROCKWALL, TX – May 18, 2015) Rockwall Summer Musicals is bringing Broadway to Rockwall this summer with Guys and Dolls, June 25-28, and West Side Story, August 13-16. Not only are both shows set in New York City, but Broadway veteran, Michael Serrechia, will be guest director for Guys and Dolls.

Serrecchia performed on Broadway for 18 years, and is an original cast member of A Chorus Line. He has worked and studied with legends including Bob Fosse, Jack O’Brien, Tommy Tune, Liza Minelli, Joel Grey and Carol Channing. Serrecchia is now an award-winning director/choreographer in the DFW area.

Bustling with gamblers, gangsters and sassy showgirls, Guys and Dolls celebrates Broadway’s golden era with music by the legendary Frank Loesser, witty book and lyrics by Joe Swerling and comedy legend Abe Burrows, and the glorious Damon Runyon’s comic book world of 1940s Times Square. Loesser’s toe-tapping score includes “Luck Be a Lady” and “Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat” as the perfect music to complement Runyon’s colorful characters.

The second show of the season, West Side Story, will transport audiences to the vibrant battleground of the 1950’s New York City west side. Written by Arthur Laurents and inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story follows the doomed trajectory of love for Tony and Maria, as their rival gangs clash over territory and power. The exciting music by Leonard Bernstein and passionate lyrics by Stephen Sondheim need no introduction for anyone with even a passing interest in musical theatre.

RSM’s VP of Productions, Barbara Doudt, will direct West Side Story. Doudt has directed six RSM shows during the last four years. Previously, she performed with the Dallas Opera and Garland Summer Musicals. Doudt has received many accolades for her roles as actor, singer, dancer, director, choreographer and teacher.