Story Synopsis

THE MUSIC MAN opened on Broadway in 1957 and was the Tony Award winner of the season, although West Side Story was one of its competitors. The show was a tremendous success for the first time librettist, lyricist and composer Meredith Willson. A classical musician and radio music director before writing the MUSIC MAN, Willson wrote a delightful score and a book whose greatest charm was its midwestern simplicity. "Willson's music for marching bands and barbershop quartets and his rhythms drawn from the salesman's spiel brought a fresh kind of show music" to Broadway. While orchestrations gave it the sound of Broadway, there was at the same time an "open-hearted quality" which produced a sense of small-town America.
The story, about a con-man and a small-town librarian, begins when "Professor" Harold Hill, a fast-talking salesman, arrives in the little town of River City, Iowa. His con-man formula is a classic - he promises to organize a town band, sells the townsfolk uniforms and instruments, then skips out leaving them equipped, but untrained. Two problems face him in River City: he must convince the town it needs a brass band and he must distract the town's suspicious librarian Marian Paroo to avoid exposure.

He attacks the first problem by whipping the townspeople into a civic frenzy about the dangers of the new pool hall. The answer to keeping the kids moral after school is, of course, a brass band. Marian is another kind of problem. While Hill woos the townsfolk, Mayor Shinn's wife, the Mayor - who is told that his son has the makings of a musical prodigy - and little Winthrop Paroo, who it seems has the jaw of a born cornetist, Marian remains a little suspicious. She decides to research Prof. Hill's background and discovers he does not have a musical degree as he claims. Marian is about to expose Hill to the Mayor and his wife when the Wells Fargo Wagon suddenly arrives, and Hill passes out shiny new band instruments to the children of River City.

The Mayor opposes Hill for other reasons. He is the owner of the pool hall, slandered by the Music Man, and because of Hill, his daughter Zaneeta has taken up with the town's problem boy Tommy Djilas. The Mayor sends the school board members to pin Hill down once and for all as a fraud. But Marian, who knows Hill's secret, is falling in love with him, and now protects him. She even begins to believe in the "think" system. When a travelling salesman comes to town to expose Hill, she diverts him.

The money has been collected, the uniforms are about to arrive, and it is time - according to formula - for Hill to skip town. In a final meeting with Marian, she reveals to Hill that she knows he's not all he has cracked himself up to be, but she loves him and realizes he has brought joy to the children of River City, even without lessons. She begs him to leave while he can, but the fast-travelling Hill has for the first time in his life fallen in love, and he stays.

Exposed at the town's Ice Cream Social, he is musically vindicated as the young disciples of the "think" system struggle triumphantly through the Minuet In G to the surprise and delight of the proud parents of River City!

Cast

Dancers

Musical Synopsis

Olin Britt - Greg Atkinson
Ethel Toffelmier - Vanessa Bodie
Mrs. Squires - Linda Feasby
Winthrop Paroo - Matthew Flecher
Mayor Shinn - Clifford Gardner
Constable Locke - Reid Harrison
Jacey Squires - Robert Herriot
Amaryllis - Carly Holt
Harold Hill - Edward Ledson
Charlie Cowell - Stan Lesk
Conductor - Greg McLean
Maud Dunlop - Celoris Miller
Eulalie MacKecknie Shinn - Joanne Parker-Gibson
Marcellus Washburn - Robb Paterson
Tommy Djilas - Scott Peter
Ewart Dunlop - David Smeltzer
Marian Paroo - Jodie Stenekes
Gracie Shinn - Shannon Tough
Oliver Hix - David Watson
Mrs. Paroo - Melanie Whyte
Zaneeta Shinn - Catherine Wreford
Alma Hix - Diane Wreford

Children
Dorothy Carroll
Cara-Lee Knodel,
Katherine Lee Raymond
Jordan Zalis

Tamara Nahorny
(Dance Captain)
Leslie Drewitz
Scott Drewitz
Ryan Foley

Dancers & Chorus
Carl Kirkpatrick
Jeff Kohut
Christine Moore
Sam Strasfeld
Shannon Tough

Female Chorus
Vanessa Bodie
Linda Feasby
Barbara Hicks,
Jane Karpa
Laura McAlpine
Celoris Miller

Male Chorus
Michael Dunbar
David Gibson
Reid Harrison
Timothy Magas
Greg McLean
Kevin Young

Administration

Carpentry

Stage Management

Janet Remey-General Manager
Harlynn Chuback-Communications Asst
Cathy Clark Wawrykow-Program Editor
Merle Draper-Bookkeeper
Norm Elson-Group Sales Mgr
Heather Goodman-Ticket Coordinator
Jennifer Jensen-Interim Ticket Coordinator
Linda Levesque-Past Development Mgr
Jose Matyus-Administrative Asst
Jerry Shore-Public Relations
Sharon Younger-Communications

Production
Allan Sansom-Prod Manager
Katherine Stolar-Prod Asst
Mike Sigsworth-Driver/Prod Asst
Tracey L. Hunt-Governess
Chris Belcourt-Cleaner

Hair/Makeup
Alice Wiebe - Hair & Makeup Artist
Katrina L. Watson -Asst Makeup Artist

Brent Pollock-Master Carpenter
Brent Letain-Assistant Carpenter
Ken Hart-Swain-Scenic Carpenter
Louis G. Gagne- Scenic Carpenter
Sheldon Johnson- Scenic Carpenter
Robert Mravnik- Scenic Carpenter
Dan Neil- Scenic Carpenter
Rob Rowan- Scenic Carpenter
Chris Tallin - Shop Carpenter
Bert Oja-Stage Carpenter
Brad Newman-Stage Carpenter
Kelly D. Souchereau-Stage Carpenter

Stage Crew
John Shopka-Crew Chief
Kelvin Berg-Head Electrician
Glen Jonatchick-Head of Sound
Barry Heindl-Flyman
Marcel Soulodre-Deck Sound
John Tomiuk-Stage Hand
Martin Williams-Stage Hand

Paul A. Skirzyk-Stage Manager
Michael Walton-Asst Stage Manager
Matthew R. Bates-Appr Stage Managers
Veronica Ternopolski-Appr Stage Manager

Wardrobe
Harlequin Costume & Dance
Costume Builders
Linda Heindl-Wardrobe Mistress
Kayla McSwain-Dresser
Marlene Meaden-Dresser
Marion DeGraves-Dresser
Maara Mulgrew-Dresser
Alana Shewchuk-Set Seamstresses

House Management
Rob Berkowits - Manager
Tracee Billinghurst -Asst House Mgr
Doug Loepp -Asst House Mgr