We got the horse right here! It’s name is— what? Not Paul Revere? Not Valentine? Not Epitaph? Then what the good googly-moogly are their names? Benny Southstreet, Rusty Charlie, and Nicely-Nicely Johnson? What the heck kinda horse names are those? Oh they’re not horses? Oooh. Well that explains a lot. Time to shoot crap— or crap shoot? Take your pick— with the Fugue Fellas— Rusty Charlie, Nicely-Nicely Johnson, and Benny Southstreet on their time spent with Guys & Dolls.

Thank you, fellas, we’re so thrilled to have you along in this four-part Guys & Dolls series. Why don’t you start by telling us who you are, who you play, and what number show this is for you with Tidewater Players.

Dickie Mahoney: This is Dickie Mahoney, I’m playing Nicely-Nicely Johnson, and this is my 5,434^th show at Tidewater Players.

I am so disappointed in you. I really thought you were going for 24,601^st show. Or your 525,600^th show. At least!

Ryan Geiger: I vote 69^th.

Dickie: Make it one of those.

We’re off to the fantastic start I thought we would be with this bunch. For the record, we’ll just say millionth. Though given your history Mis, maybe we’ll say 24,601^st. Moving on. Who are you, person in the middle who I don’t actually know.

Matt Wilson: I’m Matt Wilson and this is going to be my first production with Tidewater and I’m playing Rusty Charlie.

Very cool and welcome! And you?

Ryan: I am Ryan Geiger, I’m playing Benny Southstreet, and this is my third production with Tidewater. Margaritaville, Oliver!, and now this one. I’ve been around Tidewater a long time but I had never actually been on stage with them until Margaritaville. Dickie was lucky enough to cast me.

Y’all are wild. And this is exactly what I knew I was in for with at least two-thirds of this bunch. Now, this is not your first Guys & Dolls, for either of you, right Dickie? Ryan? But it is your first, Matt?

Dickie: I’ve done six different productions of it.

Holy wow. As Nicely every time?

Dickie: Oh no, no, no, no, no. I was Earl the missionary in the first one. Then I was a choreographer for two, and I’ve directed two, and I filled-in for one in the ensemble of one of those two, and now I’m here.

That’s amazing. What a history! And Ryan?

Ryan: This is my fifth that’s actually gone up, but my sixth time being cast. Five times I’ve been cast as Benny Southstreet, once I was cast as Nathan, and every single time I’ve auditioned for Nicely.

Dickie: You can have it!

Ryan: Nah. I’m good. I’m happy with what I’m doing.

Matt: I mean I’m the understudy for both of them so we could just start rotating through, we’ve got six performances, we can each do two as Nicely, two as Benny, two as Rusty Charlie.

Sure! Why not! That won’t cause calamity or hilarity. Now what was the draw to want to come out and do this Guys & Dolls especially for you two who are seasoned repeaters?

Dickie: I don’t know. I haven’t performed since December before the Covid shut-down. Until doing Edna in Hairspray this past February (St. Demetros Suburban Players’ Hairspray February 2025) and I realized how much I missed performing. So coming out of Hairspray, I was looking for something else and this was the next thing to come down the pipe and I thought it would be a nice show. One of my first productions of Guys & Dolls was with Carrie Dill our stage manager, she directed the show and I choreographed it. It was my first Tidewater Teens production. So this show has a special place in my heart.

I love that. These are the stories that make the world sing with joy. Matt, what about you? What was the draw to come out as a first-timer to both Tidewater and to Guys & Dolls?

Matt: Well what really drew me to Tidewater was the fact that— well one, Guys & Dolls is a show that I’ve never done before and I’ve always wanted to do Guys & Dolls, but I had to take a year off for personal reasons and my wife and dozens upon dozens of weddings back to back so I couldn’t commit to a show for a long time so this is my first show ‘back’ after a long time and it’s good to be back.

What about you, Ryan? Why become a six-peater? Or did you just get dragged up here to do another show with your wife?

Ryan: Nope. Guys & Dolls is one of my five favorite shows. It’s my favorite of the classic Broadway shows and there are so many parts for guys. I just love everything about it from beginning to end. It’s been a good time and I can’t wait to put it up in front of an audience.

Love it. What has been your biggest challenge up to this point?

Dickie: Working with Ryan Geiger.

Ryan: That’s everyone’s biggest challenge!

Matt: Yikes. I was going to say learning both of your parts but now you’ve got me thinking!

Dickie: Honestly? Coming back to Tidewater and not being on the board of directors and not being on the production staff and just coming back to be an actor is the biggest hurdle for me. Not paying attention to the production details and not trying to encourage or influence or fix things. That has been a challenge.

Ryan: Not your circus, not your monkeys.

Dickie: That’s right!

So you swear on Big Jule’s lucky, spotless dice that I’m not going to see your name anywhere on the production team list in the program.

Dickie: Well…you will because it’s already come up. But it’s been a hurdle not to. I’ve been asked to help out with costumes. But it’s been a hurdle.

That’s because you do great costumes and they know a good costumer when they see one.

Dickie: Thank you.

Matt, what has been your biggest challenge so far?

Matt: Honestly the biggest challenge has been that I’ve been asked to learn both of their parts as well just in case, God forbid, something happens.

Dickie: I saw him with pearls in his pocket like Showgirls. He’s going to throw them.

You do know you can’t play both of their parts at the same time, so you’ll have to choose wisely whose ankle you’re breaking.

Matt: You know, I have two masks that I can swap between. I’m going to look like Two-Face from Batman only one side will be Nicely and the other side will be Benny.

That’s going to make for a very interesting performance. Oh my. Ryan, other than working with Dickie, what has been your biggest challenge?

Ryan: As funny as you say it, it’s actually working with Dickie though not in any negative way. It is impossible for me to not laugh when we’re next to each other and talking to each other. There are points in this show where we have to freeze or we have to hold for a second and I have to make sure that I’m not looking at him or I will start to giggle. It’s been a blast doing all that but that has been the biggest challenge for me, to not break on stage.

I really love hearing that. You guys sound like you work great together. What is it that you are hoping people are going to experience when they come out to see your Guys & Dolls?

Dickie: I think where we’re sitting with the show right now at this point, it’s a tribute to the classic. It’s from the Golden Era of musicals. So I think in this day and age, we’re so lost in politics and political agendas, I hope that this show is a tribute to a simpler time. And that people can leave their troubles at the door, come and forget about life for two hours and 15 minutes.

Absolutely! I’m down with that.

Matt: I hope people can experience the ability to truly let go and not think too deeply about a story and just enjoy themselves. Some of the best stories out there are not stories that make you think all the time but stories that make you almost forget and just let you be in the moment and just experience everything from the ground up.

Ryan: I don’t know. It’s already been basically said. The beauty of the show and one of the reasons why it’s so great is that it’s really just a brainless thing. The story is straight forward. There’s no deeper meaning other than it’s a love-story with a bunch of bumbling idiots. That’s the best part about it. You come in and you just forget your troubles and your feet start to tap, you recognize a lot of the music because it’s old classics. It’s Frank Loesser, he wrote 90% of Frank Sinatra’s stuff! Like Dickie said, it’s the simple times and it gets back to the roots of Broadway.

I’m all for that. What is the song that when you hear it, just does it for you? Doesn’t even have to be one you sing.

Dickie: Ooh. Guys & Dolls is the first community theatre show I ever did when I was 14 years old and I played Earl, the missionary. So when I hear each song, it’s kind of like a flashback over the years. I see Amy G. playing Sarah. Then I see the kids at Tidewater Teens doing “Take Back Your Mink” and dancing with the rakes for— what’s that number called— “Bushel and a Peck.” But I think the best part about each song is that there is a history for me. And it comes through while I’m watching and listening to it. Every song hits for me.

That is such a beautiful sentiment, Dickie! What about you, Matt?

Matt: The funny thing for me, as someone who is new to it, I haven’t found a song that really screams “I love that one.” I would say my favorite song out of the entire show in general though would have to be “Bushel and a Peck” just because of how stupidly funny it is. I like the fact that it’s a clear, overdramatized burlesque show that is taken to 150 every time and it’s hilarious to me.

Had you never even seen the show, knew anything about it?

Matt: Part of a lot of what I like to do is that I like to experience a show once and be able to do it that way I get a better understanding of it, so I can figure out what each character does. But I didn’t have that with Guys & Dolls I knew of it but I’d never seen it.

Gotcha. Ryan?

Ryan: It’s always been “Sit Down, You’re Rocking The Boat!” It’s the eleven-o’clock number. If it doesn’t absolutely murder the audience in act two, you’ve lost everything. That’s the one, it’s the crucial point in the show.

Dickie: Geez, no pressure!

Ryan: My point is there’s not a whole lot happening in the show, so it just comes out of nowhere and just slaps you upside the head and you think “This is awesome!” If you have a cast that can nail that number, it brings down the house every single time.

Dickie: I’m sweating already.

I’m sure you’ll do it just fine. What’s your favorite gambling game?

Dickie: It’s a slot machine on the Carnival Pride that reminds me of my wife. It’s called The Black Widow. And she kills men the entire time. But I also won $600 on a cruise and we got a free cruise the next year because I cashed out, so that’s why it’s my favorite gambling game. Steph knows that story so we’re good!

Matt: I have to say blackjack. Because for whatever reason I am artistically or divinely blessed with a magical horseshoe shoved up my bum so hard that I can always get a 20 or a 21 with great consistency.

That…is an image.

Ryan: Makes it difficult to sit!

Matt: Sometimes it falls out and I have to swallow it back down.

Oh boy! Moving on! Ryan?

Ryan: I guess you’d call it a carnival game? It’s called “Let It Ride” and it’s a variation of poker where they deal you three cards face-down and you have three bets. The dealer puts down two of their cards, face-down, and you have the option to remove your first bet if you don’t like your hand, then they reveal a card and you have the option to remove your second bet. Then they flip the final card and if it makes a poker hand, you win based on whatever the odds of the hand are. It’s essentially Hold-Em but you’re playing against the house instead of playing against other people. It’s a fun game, you can play it for a long time, and my brother also won $2800 playing it one time.

That’s cool. Now, a very important question. Are you team Hot Box? Or Team Mission Band?

Dickie: Well, Cheryl Vourvoulas is in our Mission Band so I have to be team Mission Band because she’s the real deal.  

No explanation needed. Bam. Matt?

Matt: I’m saying Team Hot Box. I just love Adelaide’s character. She truly makes the show in this for me just because of how hilarious she can be played.

Ryan? Team Hot Box? Team Mission Doll?

Ryan: I am legally required to answer ‘Team Hot Box.’ But not only because my wife (Lisa Geiger, playing Mimi) is a Hot Box Dancer. The two songs that the Hot Box Dolls sing are songs that I love. They’re really, really funny. Obviously, “Take Back Your Mink” opens Act II and gets the entire audience back into the flow of the show. They have the best numbers.

If you were wandering along in the— wait when does this show take place? 30’s?

Ryan: 50’s.

Dickie: 40’s.

Ryan: Late 40’s early 50’s. Because they talk about television.

What? Where? When?

Ryan: “…guy sitting home by a television set that used to be something of a rover…that’s what’s happening all over…”

Oh my God. You’re right! WOW. So anyway, in the 19-television-earlies, what is Nicely’s drink of choice?

Dickie: Drink of choice? Where do you get these questions?

I make ‘em tough.

Ryan: Carrot juice!

Dickie: Yeah, I mean I don’t think he drinks. He likes to eat! I also don’t think he’s much of a gambler. I try to figure out why he got involved because he’s the opposite of the rough-n-tumbly gamblers. I don’t know— a Pink Squirrel?

What the— what is a Pink Squirrel? You know what? I don’t want to know. I would have accepted carrot juice. Is a Pink Squirrel different from Dickie’s drink of choice?

Dickie: Oh yeah. If we’re talking alcohol it’s Jack but right now I’m on a diet so it’s unsweet tea. I haven’t drank in a year. I’m not an alcoholic, I do drink socially or on my birthday, but it’s just something that I’m choosing to do right now.

Congratulations! That’s awesome and I’m happy for you. Rusty Charlie, drink of choice?

Matt: Weeeeeelll, if I had to say I had a drink of choice, I’m gonna say it’s gonna be some whiiiiskeeeey from down south.

How I wish rogue accents translated into transcriptions.

Matt: Now, if we’re talking Matt Wilson’s drink of choice, I’ll take a good old classic Moscow Mule because I grew up loving soda. I used to drink four or five cans a night during school, don’t get me started on the acid reflux. The point is, I love me some soda and Moscow Mule is the best way to drink that tastes like Ginger Ale.

Benny Southstreet’s drink of choice?

Ryan: I think Benny Southstreet is a little more sophisticated than Nicely. But it’s funny. The way I’m playing him is as a complete and total numbskull. So I think he’s got champagne dreams but on a beer budget. I think he’d go with something like a Side Car. Classic but simple. And that is also my drink of choice, actually. That is my favorite drink. It’s a sugar rim, brandy, orange liqueur  with a twist of lemon I think…they’re really, really good.

I like gin.

Ryan: I do like highballs and screwdrivers, I love mixed drinks in my drink though I rarely drink.

Dickie: Anything fruity? I can chug back easy. You wouldn’t know it from looking at me but I am a lightweight.

Matt: As am I.

Ryan: My favorite summer drink is a Harvey Wallbanger. It’s like a screwdriver but it’s pineapple juice. I also love fuzzy navels. They’re delicious.

Matt: See I feel like you weren’t speaking English just then, I have no idea what most of those drinks are.

Ryan: You’ve only been allowed to drink for seven years. I’ve been drinking for basically your entire life. I’m 48.

Dickie: I’m 45!

Since we’re playing that game, I’ll be 39 in June.

Ryan: When I shave my beard I look like I’m in my 20’s.

Um. He looks like he’s in his 30’s.

Ryan: Quiet you.

Moving on, you delightful dingdongs, if you could write your own ticket for this show— age, gender, vocal-range, dancing capabilities, etc., notwithstanding and you could play anyone in this show, who would you want to play?

Dickie: Nicely.

Matt: That’s a tricky one. As much as I would like to do Nathan, I think Harry the Horse. Just because of how ridiculously bombastic he gets to be. And that’s all it is, he’s the comedy of the show half the time, pushing Big Jule around.

Ryan, although I think I know what you’re going to say.

Ryan: Who?

Nicely. You said you’ve auditioned for Nicely every time.

Ryan: Nope. My favorite character in the show is actually Adelaide. I would take Adelaide ten times out of ten if I could. That’s why I go for Nathan or Nicely instead. Nathan, Nicely, or Benny. They’re the sub-funny characters and Adelaide is the best.

What is the funniest moment in the show for you?

Dickie: I think working with Ryan. There are a lot of moments on stage where we look at each other and say explicatives. For good reasons in character and for some not so good reasons not in character. Working with Ryan has been a treat.

Awesome. Matt?

Matt: I would say the funniest moment for me is when Nathan always tries to pull one over on Sky and he just never does.

Ryan: Mine is a minor, tiny little part when Nathan and Adelaide are talking to each other after the first song at the Hot Box, and Mimi comes on, and accuses him of breaking up her date with society Max. I die every single time I hear the line. And luckily my wife gets to play that part—

Dickie: I was about to say— isn’t your wife Mimi?

Ryan: She is but that is not the reason. I love the line, it is my favorite line in the show. “You! I was all dated up with Society Max!” I love that line.

Who’s playing your Society Max in this show?

Dickie: Matt Perry.

Six degrees of Guys & Dolls, your wife is dated up with the husband of the dance-captain (Leslie Perry.) Until Nathan goes and ruins it. Fantastic!

Ryan: It is so funny. I love that line. I love the way it gets delivers every time. The reaction from Adelaide and Nathan is hilarious.

If you had to take your bets on Mindy selling more cheesecake or strudel, what are you betting on?

Dickie: Cheesecake.

Matt: Cheesecake.

Ryan: I’m a New York Cheesecake guy so it has to be cheesecake.

Matt: I would love me some strudel. But it’s cheesecake.

Cheesecake across the board for the win! What is your big personal takeaway here, what are you walking out of here at night feeling, thinking, learning?

Dickie: Are we changing the world with this? I question myself nightly as I leave this theatre.

Ryan: I question Dickie nightly as he leaves this theatre.

I cannot with you two!!! Y’all are making me crack-up! Matt, are you having brain activity when you leave out at the end of the night or is it just ‘what are these two gonna do next?’

Matt: Yes. My thoughts are “what is my wife making for dinner?” I’m hungry 90% of the time.

Ryan: I have no thoughts in my head when I leave. I mean I walk out of here with a smile on my face. It’s different than other rehearsals for other shows where you’re always wondering what the hell is going on. Or just the show itself is heavy. The last time you saw me on a Tidewater stage, I was beating people to death with a club. That’s a very different way to leave rehearsal, verses when I leave this rehearsal and I’m just leaving with a big smile on my face.

Fugue for the Tinhorns. How do we feel about it? Do we love it? Do we hate it? What are our thoughts…if we have thoughts…about this number, which is— in case it hasn’t clicked by now— why you three were interviewed together.

Dickie: Mark Briner (director) has definitely put his own spin on this number.

Oooh. My.

Dickie: It’s fun. It’s nice to sing a number where it cultivates three separate voices with strong parts. It’s nice to get to be a part of that.

Excellent. What about you, Matt? Love it? Hate it?

Matt: I love the vocals with it. Obviously, the choreography is a little unique, if I can politely say.

Hold up. Back it up. You just used the word ‘choreography’ in the same sentence as ‘Fugue for the Tinhorns.’ I’m sorry. What?

Matt: Oh you’ll see! The choreography for it is very interesting.

Dickie: We’re selling the show, Matt. Selling it.

Matt: The choreography is fantastic! Sensational! Gorgeous!

Oh my words and stars. Well, if nothing else, Matt has found his path to fitting in with you two!

Matt: Is that good enough for you?

I am in stomach pain from laughing. Ow.

Matt: This too I feel.

Oh my goodness. What’s-your-face— Ryan. Answer.

Ryan: It’s my second favorite song in the show, second only to “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat.” It’s a great way to open a show. It shows the skill of Frank Loesser to be able to write a song like that and be able to tie it cleanly into a show. It’s humorous, it sets the tone, and you understand exactly what you’re getting as soon as it’s over. One thing I will say about Mark with this is he is leaning into the camp with it. One of his director notes is “You can’t be too big” and I think he’s absolutely right with this show. This is one where every single character on stage chews the scenery.

Dickie: And he picked some big people for it!

You’re not quite so big, Dickie.

Dickie: I’m still pretty big.

You will always be larger than life in the best way possible.

Dickie: Thank you.

Down to the final two— why do you want people to come see Guys & Dolls? Matt, this is the part where you really try to sell the show.

Matt: Oooh. Okay! Got it!

Dickie: I think, piggybacking off of the reason why I auditioned for the show. This world is so polarizing and people get so lost in their own world, this is just an escape. Come out and escape for two and a half hours, hang out with us, and laugh. Maybe cry, maybe drink a little because we’re selling alcohol again. So come tie one on and laugh with us!

Matt: That’s how you start a show— tie one on! But the reason I would tell people to come out and see the show is not only because it’s funny but because of the fact that you’re just watching a live-action combo of Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Seinfeld, a bunch of bumbling dumdums just going around trying to make a situation happen when they have no right or reason to make it happen and you get to watch the chaos unfold. It’s hilarity in a nutshell.

I like that. Bumbling dumdums. Ryan?

Ryan: As Dickie said, it’s two and a half hours where you can turn your brain off and escape from the drudgery of your day-to-day life. There’s nobody trying to force their message on you, there’s no great political whim being pushed on you. There’s no great thought here other than it’s a love story between two people, really two sets of people—

Dickie: Two gangsters.

Ryan: That’s right— the subtext between Benny and Nicely is what you’re coming out for!

Do it for the Benny and Nicely side-plot.

Dickie: Hey, there’s a reason Nicely’s always hungry.

Oh goodness. Benny setting up thirst traps on second avenue. I cannot!!!

Ryan: But seriously, come turn your brain off for two and a half hours, escape the world you live in, and come have a great time and listen to some awesome music.

I’m astonished that we made it to the end of this interview. You three are comedic golden gems. Honestly! If I had to answer this final question I’m about to ask you, I’d say ‘ridiculous!’ because you three are so funny and have kept me in stitches. But seriously, if you had to sum up your experience with Tidewater Players working on Guys & Dolls using just one word, which word would you use?

Dickie: Camp.

Matt: Entertaining.

Ryan: Fun.

Guys & Dolls will play May 9^th through May 18^th 2025 with Tidewater Players in residence at the Cultural Center at The Havre de Grace Opera House— 121 N. Union Street in historic downtown Havre de Grace, MD. For tickets call the box office at 667-225-8433 or purchase them online.

To read the interview with Big Jule & Harry the Horse, click here.