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| Presented on October 31, November 1, 7, and 8, 2003 (at
8:00 PM) at the Meier Foundation Performance Hall at the
Clay Center for the Arts
and Sciences. A matinee is presented on November 2, 2003 (at 3:00
PM). Tickets go on sale starting October 1, 2003 at the Clay Center
box office (or by calling the box office at 561-3570). All seats are
reserved at $19. The Clay Center accepts cash or Visa, MasterCard,
Discover, and American Express cards. An education system opportunity is planned to introduce area students to
musical theater. These shows are presented on November 5 and 6, 2003.
Contact the Clay Center Educational Partnership for more information:
Lakin Cook (304) 561-3532 or
Kenley Hanna (304) 561-3562. |
Overview
 The Music Man is a comedy
that woos and wins its audience with open emotions and nostalgia for an
old-fashioned American past. The show tells the story of Professor
Harold Hill, a traveling salesman and con-artist who brings the
magic of music to a small town (even though he thinks it's all a scam).
Of course, typical of morality depicted in shows of the era, a wholesome
story line is soon exposed and our beloved and charismatic
"confidence man" is finally
redeemed by the love of a good woman.
The Music Man is a salute to Americana
that uses comedy,
romance, fast-talking flim-flam, high-energy dance, and, of course,
spectacular musical numbers to inflict an infectious joy and energy on all comers.
The Music Man will most certainly send you from the theater with a
smile on your face, a spring in your step, and whistling,
humming, or outright singing the well-known Seventy Six Trombones.
Meredith Willson's All-American
musical opened on Broadway in 1957 to an audience caught by surprise at the
irresistible charm and rousing sentimentality created by the small-town
Iowans of 1912. The razzle-dazzle of Willson's show caused the
opening night Broadway audience to break out spontaneously into applause to
the even rhythm of the music. Nothing like it had ever been seen on
Broadway. The appeal of the charlatan Harold Hill with his
contagious spirit for song and dance is just as strong today as it was in
the 1950s.
The original Broadway production
starred Robert Preston in the title role with Barbara Cook as the heroine
Marian Paroo. The show ran for 1,375 performances and won eight Tony awards...and even beat out West Side
Story for the coveted "Best Musical" award. The movie version,
also starring Robert Preston but with Shirley Jones as the leading lady, won an Academy award for "Best Score." The most recent
Broadway production opened on April 27, 2000 and featured direction and
choreography from five-time Tony award winner Susan Stroman.
The Music Man original
cast album won the very first Grammy award for best "Broadway Musical
Score." The show features such classic songs as: Till There Was
You; Gary, Indiana; Trouble; Lida Rose; Goodnight My Someone; and, of
course, Seventy Six Trombones. Old-fashioned (and
all-American) musical performances also sure to delight audiences are a
school board barber-shop quartet and the Pick-A-Little Ladies.
The Music Man was last
performed by the Guild 16 years ago, in 1987. The show was also
performed in 1976 and 1965.
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Characters
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Character |
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Description |
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Played By |
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Professor Harold Hill |
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A dynamic con-artist turned conductor |
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Dan Henthorn |
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Marian Paroo |
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An attractive music teacher/librarian |
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Cary Lantz |
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WInthrop Paroo |
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Marian's lisping baby brother |
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Jonathan Kishpaugh |
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Mrs. Paroo |
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Marian's Irish mother |
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Sallie Daugherty Sheridan |
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Zanneeta Shinn |
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Mayor Shinn's daffy daughter |
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Mara Stewart |
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Mayor Shinn |
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A blustery politician and River City's Mayor |
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Bob Louderback |
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Gracie Shinn |
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Mayor Shinn's daughter |
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Chandler Younis |
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Eulalie Shinn |
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Mayor Shinn's comedic wife |
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Caroline Chamness |
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Jacey Squires
Ewart Dunlop
Oliver Hix
Olin Britt |
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Four judgmental school board members and barbershop quartet |
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Chuck Young
Steve Waggoner
Stacy Brooks
Mike Grose |
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Mrs. Squires
Maud Dunlop
Alma Hix
Ethel
Toffelmier Mrs. Britt |
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The Pick-A-Little Ladies; gossipy friends of Eulalie Shinn |
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Debbie Spradling
Joan Coleman
Barbara Tabor Utt
Tammy Perkins
Linda Barbera
Reynolds |
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Marcellus Washburn |
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Chummy friend of Harold Hill |
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Bryan Archer |
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Amaryllis |
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Marian's young piano student |
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Sara Hayes |
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Tommy Dmilas |
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A town rebel who falls for the Mayor's daughter and learns to lead the band |
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Jared Brown |
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Charlie Cowell |
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A rival anvil salesman |
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Joe Romagnoli |
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Constable Locke |
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The town constable |
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Jerry Marsili |
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Traveling Salesmen |
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A chorus of fellow traveling salesmen |
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Michael Feldhaus
Craig McKee
Matt Murphy
Tim Whitener |
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Pick-A-Little Ladies |
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A chorus of town ladies |
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Stevie Brigode
Lois Carper
Rutha Chestnut
Anne Marie Haddy
Pam Kessler
Phyllis Sadd
Tauletha Smith |
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Dancers |
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Ballet and musical comedy dancers |
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Kristie Affolter
Micah Atkinson
L. Shawn Coleman
Pete Corbett II
Jared
James
Jada Jenkins
Olivia Morris
Billy Nester
Evie Victorson |
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Ensemble |
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Townsfolk and remainder of large cast |
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Becky Bailey
David Bailey
Timothy Bishop
Marsha Brown
Mike Cox
John
Clancy
Sharon Haught
Pam Higgs
Jeannie Matras
Donna Nester
Eugene Oda
Dennis Pauley
Rex Roberts
Valerie Smith |
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Youth Ensemble |
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Children of the town |
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Ben Adams
Jessie Boardman
Lorin Hutchinson
Seth Skiles
Justin Smolder
Alyssa Quencher |
Scenes and Songs
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Act I
Scene 1 A Railway Coach near River City, Iowa, Morning of July 3, 1912
Rock Island - Charlie and Traveling Salesmen
Scene 2 River City Center of Town Exterior
Iowa Stubborn - Townspeople
Trouble - Harold and Townspeople
Scene 3 A Street Immediately Following
Scene 4 Mrs. Paroo's House Interior
Piano Lesson - Marian, Mrs. Paroo and Amaryllis
Goodnight My Someone - Marian and Amaryllis
Scene 5 Madison Gymnasium, July 4, 1912
Seventy-Six Trombones - Harold and Townspeople
Sincere - Harold and School Board Members
Scene 6 Street in Front of Library Immediately Following
The Sadder But Wiser Girl For Me - Harold and Marcellus
Pick-A-Little - Eulalie and the Pick-A-Little Ladies
Goodnight Ladies - School Board Members
Scene 7 The Madison Library Interior
Marian the Librarian - Harold, Marian and the Teenagers
Scene 8 A Street, The Following Saturday, Late Afternoon
Scene 9 The Paroo Porch Immediately Following
My White Knight - Marian
Scene 10 Center of Town Exterior, The Following Saturday, Noon
The Wells Fargo Wagon - Winthrop and Townspeople
Act II
Scene 1 Madison Gymnasium The Following Tuesday
Eulalie's Ballet - Eulalie, Maud, Ethel, Alma, Mrs. Squires, Mrs. Britt
It's You - School Board Members (Olin, Oliver, Ewart, Jacey)
Pick-A-Little, Talk-a-Little (Reprise) - Eulalie, Maud, Ethel, Alma, Mrs.
Squires, Mrs. Bitt, and Ladies
Scene 2 A Street, The Following Wednesday Evening
Lida Rose - School Board Members (Olin, Oliver, Ewart, Jacey)
Will I Ever Tell You? - Marian
Scene 3 Paroo Porch Immediately Following
Gary, Indiana - Winthrop, Marian and Mrs. Paroo
Scene 4 Madison Park
Shipoopi - Dancers
Scene 5 The Footbridge
it's You (Reprise/Ballet) - Dancers
'Til There Was You - Harold and Marian
Scene 6 A Street, Immediately Following
Seventy-Six Trombones - Harold and Marian
Goodnight My Someone - Harold and Marian
'Till There Was You (Reprise) - Harold
Scene 7 Center of Town, Immediately Following
Finale - The grandest of endings featuring the entire Company
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Production
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Original Broadway Production: Book,
Music, and Lyrics by Meredith Willson; Story by Meredith Willson and Franklin
Lacey.
For the Guild: Directed by Nina Denton
Pasinetti; Musical Direction by John Marshall; Rehearsal and Performance Piano Accompaniment by Mary Ellen
Logsdon; Rehearsal Piano Accompaniment by Melody Rugel-Bias; Assistance to the Choreographer
provided by Paul Shannon; Technical direction by Tom Pasinetti.
Click here
to view
selected production photos.
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