NHRA News: Baca signed to star in Broadway musical Guys and Dolls (4/1/2004)

Baca signed to star in Broadway musical Guys and Dolls

By Lester Gillespie, Broadway Reviewer
4/1/2004

"To combine my love of racing with my passion for dance is beyond a dream."
– David Baca

All the dancing that Top Fuel racer David Baca does whenever he wins a round of racing has caught the eye of noted Broadway director George S. Kaufman, who has hand-picked the colorful Baca to star in his next incarnation of the wildly-acclaimed musical Guys and Dolls.

Baca will assume the role of Nathan Detroit, a colorful organizer of high-stakes craps games, that has been played by Robert Alda since the play opened in 1950. Over, 1,200 performances later, choreographer Michael Kidd thought it was time for a change and a chance late-night replay of a drag race featuring Baca caught his eye.

"It might be a bit of surprise to you but we're not actually big race fans," Kidd said, as Kaufman looked on. "But one night the satellite dish at Sardi's got moved by what we think was a roving pack of rats and the replay of the Sonoma race came on. We all jumped for the remote but then we saw this wonderful ballet come to life before our eyes.

These dance steps in Sonoma helped Broadway producers discover Baca.
Racers Edge Photography

"Here it was, amidst all the noise and motor grease, a perfect little dancer who just stole our hearts. Each time they showed him climbing from his car and doing his little jigs, he showed us a little more. We just had to have him."

After lengthy negotiations with Baca's talent agent, "Rollin' Roland" McNew, a deal was struck that will see Baca open the latest Guys and Dolls extravaganza in conjunction with the K&N Filters Supernationals, June 17-20, at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J. Due to the expected high demands for tickets, the show will be presented at the 1,800-seat Ford Center for the Performing Arts on West 42nd Street.

"To say I'm excited would be an understatement," Baca said. "To combine my love of racing with my passion for dance is beyond anything I could have ever dreamed about. I'd like to thank my father and mother, the academy, the NHRA, and all my fans for their support."

Baca and partner Rick Henkelman find time to
rehearse a dance number between rounds.
Racers Edge Photography

In between national events, Baca has been working feverously on his dance moves and has hired a personal trailer to tone his body for the rigors of the Broadway life. He will be featured prominently in the lead dance performances of several songs in the musical, including: A Bushel and a Peck, If I Were a Bell, My Time of Day, I've Never Been In Love Before, Take Back Your Mink, Marry the Man Today, and the big closing number, Luck Be A Lady.

"There's this one part in Take Back Your Mink where I do the full splits in mid-air," Baca said. "It's a stunning move where I end up being caught by the casino crew of gamblers and other spunky do-gooders. It's breathtaking."

NHRA fans can use their Supernationals ticket stubs for a two percent price break on Guys and Dolls duckets. Well-wishers can send flowers, balloon bouquets, milk, cheese, and chocolate-chip cookies to Baca's dressing room through the Ford Center.

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