Nathan Detroit
Nathan Detroit is the heart and soul of Guys and Dolls Jr. Nathan should be a very good actor with excellent comic timing and able to handle a sizable role. His presence must draw the focus in any scene. Nathan's big secret is that he wants to marry Adelaide; he just can't bring himself to admit it.
Miss Adelaide
Miss Adelaide is the stereo-typical “intellectually-challenged floozy” (AKA dumb blonde). She is the featured showgirl at the Top Hat Cocktail Lounge. This actor should be a strong dancer with an excellent sense of pitch and timing. Adelaide needs to be funny and able to do a convincingly thick New York City dialect.
Sky Masterson
Sky Masterson is the quintessential, “smooth-as-velvet” Broadway gambler; he's slick and charming. All the other gamblers wish they were him. Sky should have a strong voice capable of owning the stage when delivering “Luck Be a Lady.” He has a soft spot for Sarah Brown. Sky is the role for a confident, mature actor who can sing, dance and drive his scenes.
Sarah Brown
Sarah Brown is the “girl next door” with an adventurous side that's waiting to escape. She is gently authoritative, the mirror opposite of Sky. Sarah is about substance as much as Sky is about style. She should be an excellent actress as well as singer, and must be able to show two distinct sides of herself, a triple threat, who pairs off well and can hold her own opposite Sky Masterson.
Nicely - Nicely Johnson
Nicely - Nicely Johnson is walking, talking, Broadway comedy. Select a performer who has fantastic comic timing and is naturally funny. Cast an excellent musician and someone who isn't afraid to take positive risks. He should have the chops to really deliver the showstopper, “Sit Down You're Rockin’ the Boat.”
Benny Southstreet and Rusty Charlie
Benny Southstreet and Rusty Charlie are the small-time gambler sidekicks of Nicely- Nicely Johnson. These are perfect roles for good actors who are naturally funny. They should be confident singers (they open the show with “Fugue for Tin Horns”) and have a handle on comic timing. Could be a female who has the skills for one of these roles. Benny has speaking lines throughout.
Arvide Abernathy
Arvide Abernathy is Sarah Brown's grandfather (or grandmother) and the leader of the Mission Band. The actor in this role has a small solo song, and quite a few lines. They should be able to portray a fiercely protective older parent who wants Sarah to be safe and happy.
Featured acting roles with NO solo singing
Harry the Horse and Big Jule
Harry the Horse and Big Jule are colorful additions to the crap shooters crew. They should be strong and humorous characters. They are in all the ensemble numbers but don't need to be strong singers. Their lines are sidesplitting so cast characters that can deliver them.
Lt. Brannigan
Lt. Brannigan and his police force are constantly trying to track down the elusive gamblers and shut down their operation. Nathan and his crew are always one step ahead, and Brannigan is frustrated. He would give a lot to catch them redhanded. This is a character part with no solo singing.
General Cartwright
General Cartwright is the formidable leader of the Save-a-Soul Mission organization. The mission has a band, and General Cartwright can be a singing or a musician. This character has several lines.
Master of Ceremonies
The Master of Ceremonies is the host at the Top Hat Lounge. He has one memorable line, so this is a great role for someone new to the stage.
Ensemble Player
Gamblers
The Gamblers are the well-dressed “comic glue” of the show. They sing together and have some major dance numbers. Angie the Ox is a gambler with one solo speaking line. Named gamblers also include Liver Lips Louie, Society Max, and the Lookout.
Top Hat Lounge Girls
The Top Hat Lounge Girls work in the club where Miss Adelaide is the headliner. The girls sing together, and can be jazz or tap dancers. The girls are Adelaide’s friends, and are sympathetic to her ridiculously long engagement. On their breaks they hang out in the dressing room, have lunch at Mindy’s Deli, or go shopping.
Mission Band
The Mission Band is a Salvation Army-style group of singers and musicians who promote clean and sober living. They do not approve of drinking alcohol or gambling. They go out on the street and encourage folks to come to the mission to be “saved.” Their music is more about persistence than precision. Mission band members do a lot of enthusiastic singing and marching around, but they don’t have to be high-level dancers. Several of them are named characters with a few lines. It would be amazing to have a few actual musicians playing trumpet, clarinet, trombone and drums.