Prescott Fire Chief Holger Durre is balancing his public safety responsibilities with a new assignment: performing in Yavapai College’s production of “Guys & Dolls.”
Durre will appear as Arvide Abernathy, a grandfather and bass player in the musical’s Mission Band. The production opens Nov. 6 at the Jim & Linda Lee Performing Arts Center on Yavapai College’s Prescott campus.
The 51-year-old firefighter and father selected a part with a manageable amount of dialogue and singing. He also cleared his participation with his supervisor so that his work in the production could fit around the demands of leading the Prescott Fire Department.
That arrangement has still created a full schedule. Durre has moved between voice lessons, theater work and his duties at the department, at times using breaks to handle fire department business on a laptop.
### A newer interest in theater
Singing has long been part of Durre’s life, although acting is a more recent pursuit. His tenor voice led him to participate in college choirs and occasionally sing the national anthem. He had not performed in theater before moving to Prescott in 2022.
His involvement in the Dancing for the Stars fundraiser connected him with Ben Naasz, a Footlights Theatre director who is now a Yavapai College theater instructor. Durre subsequently appeared in productions of “Spamalot” and “Something Rotten.”
“Guys & Dolls” also marks Durre’s first time taking formal voice lessons, including his earlier years in choir. The production has an added family connection because his son, Ben, is also in the show. It will be the first time the two have performed together onstage.
### Teamwork across two settings
Durre has found similarities between ensemble theater and fire service work. Both rely on people bringing different abilities to a group and using those skills toward a shared result.
His comfort with public speaking has also helped him step before an audience. In the musical, his ensemble role gives him an opportunity to contribute without being the production’s central figure.
Theater provides a change of focus from his department responsibilities as well. When he steps onstage, Durre must set aside any fire department issue demanding his attention and concentrate on the performance. He views that mental shift as a useful outlet for managing stress and maintaining balance.
### About the production
Based on short stories by Damon Runyon, “Guys & Dolls” follows a comic collection of gangsters, gamblers, hustlers and reformers. Its dialogue reflects Runyon’s distinctive street slang.
The musical premiered on Broadway in 1950 and ran for 1,200 performances. It received a Tony Award and was later adapted into a film starring Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando. Its score includes “Luck Be a Lady Tonight,” “I’ve Never Been in Love Before” and “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat.”
Yavapai College will present the show Nov. 6-8 and Nov. 13-15 at the Jim & Linda Lee Performing Arts Center, 1100 E. Sheldon St. in Prescott.
Tickets start at $40, with youth tickets priced at $11. Reservations and additional information are available through the ticket office at 928-776-2000 or at ycpac.com.