Wireless Mics and Projection for Guys and Dolls JR.
Show guide · JR. · 13 roles plus an expandable ensemble · Reviewed by Stage Gear staff, October 2026
Short answer: plan on 14 channels. 12 body mics for the principals plus 2 spares. Cover the Hot Box Girls, Mission Band and gamblers with 2–3 area mics at the stage edge.
Stage Gear supplies wireless mics, rentals and projection to school and community theatres across the U.S. Our staff work in theatre; this guide is how we'd mic Guys and Dolls JR.
Who gets a mic
We counted roles that sing solos or carry lines over music: Nathan, Adelaide, Sky, Sarah, Nicely-Nicely, Benny, Rusty Charlie, Harry the Horse, Big Jule, Lt. Brannigan, Arvide and General Cartwright. That is 12 body mics plus 2 spares, for 14 channels.
Borderline: MTI lists Arvide and Brannigan as non-singing and Cartwright as not required to sing. On a 12-channel budget, put those three on area mics and keep the nine singers on packs. Rusty Charlie only sings, so he can't be dropped without losing a voice in "Fugue for Tinhorns." Arvide and Cartwright share Mission scenes, so don't pair them on one pack.
Bigger budget: add the Master of Ceremonies and Mimi for 16 channels. Each has only a line or two, so a spare body mic swapped in for their scenes often does the job.
Mic plot
| Ch | Role | Mic | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel 1 | Nathan Detroit | Hairline (3 mm), brown | Young lead in a fedora; small head. |
| Channel 2 | Miss Adelaide | Hairline (3 mm), beige | Hot Box numbers; mount under the wig. |
| Channel 3 | Sky Masterson | Hairline (3 mm), brown | Fedora; carries "Luck Be a Lady." |
| Channel 4 | Sarah Brown | Hairline (3 mm), beige | Triple-threat role; secure mic for Havana dancing. |
| Channel 5 | Nicely-Nicely Johnson | Hairline (3 mm), brown | Showstopper in "Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat." |
| Channel 6 | Benny Southstreet | Hairline (3 mm), black | Opens the show in the fugue trio. |
| Channel 7 | Rusty Charlie | Hairline (3 mm), black | Singing-only role; third voice in the fugue. |
| Channel 8 | Harry the Horse | Hairline (3 mm), brown | Comic crap-game lines; fedora. |
| Channel 9 | Big Jule | Hairline (3 mm), black | Crap-game lines; hat. |
| Channel 10 | Lt. Brannigan | Hairline (3 mm), brown | Non-singing; area mic on a tight budget. |
| Channel 11 | Arvide Abernathy | Hairline (3 mm), beige | Non-singing; often in a gray wig. |
| Channel 12 | General Cartwright | Hairline (3 mm), beige | Mission scenes; area mic on a tight budget. |
| Channel 13 | Spare | Hairline (3 mm), brown | Small-size spare; swap in for MC or Mimi. |
| Channel 14 | Spare | Hairline (3 mm), beige | Second small-size spare for any lead. |
Every Bodymic is wired for one transmitter family: Shure, Sennheiser, Audio-Technica, AKG, MiPro or Creative Audio. Build your Bodymics to match the packs you own. Cast Pack: every 4 Bodymics of the same style and capsule size earn a 5th free. This plot is a starting point; change any row to suit your cast.
The ensemble
The Hot Box Girls, Mission Band, gamblers and dolls sing as groups. Cover them with 2–3 area or choir mics along the stage edge and stage group singing downstage. Young voices are quieter, so bring big numbers like "Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat" as far forward as the blocking allows. Give a spare to any ensemble member with a solo line.
Show notes from our team
- Fedoras on small heads. Kid-size hats sit low and touch the mic. Mount 3 mm hairline mics just under the brim and test at the first costume rehearsal with every hat on.
- "Fugue for Tinhorns". Benny, Nicely-Nicely and Rusty start the show in overlapping parts. Have all three faders set before places, and rehearse the opening cue with the full trio.
- Havana and the crap game. Sarah's Havana dancing and the sewer crap game are the most active scenes. Use mic belts and medical tape, and check packs between scenes.
- Many talkers in one scene. Crap-game scenes have five or six gamblers trading lines. Script your cue sheet line by line and keep idle mics off so the scene stays clear.
Projection
Times Square, the Mission, Havana and the sewer crap game are good fits for projected scenery and let a short one-act move quickly between locations. Most school auditoriums need 7,000–10,000 lumens with the right lens; smaller black boxes need less.
Our sister company Broadway Media makes Scenic Projections for Guys and Dolls JR. Not sure which projector? Read Stage Projectors for Digital Scenery.
Rent it for the run, or own it
| What you get | Next step | |
|---|---|---|
| Rent for the show | A 14-channel wireless rental, Monday to Monday around tech week. Tested before it ships, return labels in every case. | See rental systems |
| Own it | Creative Audio Show-Ready, 16 channels: receivers, bodypacks and antennas racked, programmed and tested. $ 11,190.38. | See the system |
| Mics for the packs you have | Bodymics for the whole cast: hairline from $79, earsets and headsets from $99. | Build your Bodymics |
Buying for a school? U.S. public schools can pay by purchase order. How school ordering works.
Common questions
- How many wireless mics does Guys and Dolls JR. need?
- Plan on 14 channels: body mics for Nathan, Adelaide, Sky, Sarah, Nicely-Nicely, Benny, Rusty Charlie, Harry the Horse, Big Jule, Brannigan, Arvide and Cartwright, plus 2 spares. On 12 channels, put Arvide, Brannigan and Cartwright on area mics.
- How do we mic the Hot Box Girls and Mission Band in Guys and Dolls JR.?
- Use 2–3 area or choir mics along the stage edge and stage group singing downstage. Hand a spare body mic to any ensemble member with a solo line, such as Mimi.
- Do the non-singing roles in Guys and Dolls JR. need mics?
- Not always. Arvide and Lt. Brannigan don't sing, and Cartwright isn't required to. If their lines don't fall over music, area mics can cover them. Give them packs only if channels allow.
- Can we rent mics just for our show week?
- Yes. Stage Gear rentals run Monday to Monday around tech week, so you have mics for rehearsals and every performance. Systems arrive tested with return labels, and school purchase orders are welcome.
Doing Guys and Dolls JR. this year?
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Stage Gear is not a show licensor. Guys and Dolls JR. is licensed through Music Theatre International (MTI); production rights come from them. Stage Gear sells and rents the equipment. See you on stage!
