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The Music Man by Carlsbad Community Theatre  River City has hardly ever sounded so good as it does in
Carlsbad right now, with Carlsbad Community Theatre and Director Andrea Schuck
bringing together an impressive group of singers and comedians for this big
slice of Americana. Meredith Willson’s perennial classic features such
memorable tunes as Seventy-Six Trombones, Ya Got Trouble, The
Wells Fargo Wagon, Gary, Indiana, and Till There Was You,
while the entertaining story draws you in as slick traveling salesman/conman
Harold Hill tries to sell himself to intelligent Marian the Librarian just long
enough to make a buck, and ends up getting his foot stuck in the door.
Rising young talented singer and actor Eric Hellmers plays the charismatic Professor Harold Hill, channeling the great Robert Preston from the film version with his talking style and personality while throwing in several hilarious little touches of original humor (such as giving an inattentive bystander a wet willie to get his attention in the midst of Seventy-Six Trombones). Complementing him is the polished musical actress Sara Elliott as Marian. Her gorgeous, mesmerizing vocals are intoxicating as she sings Goodnight My Someone (joined by the adorable Aliea Clark as Amaryllis) and the beautiful romantic ballad Till There Was You, though sadly her My White Knight song was cut. Original staging and Sara’s performance allow you to really see Marian’s development from being deeply suspicious of Harold, to being frustrated and confused as she sees the good and bad effects Hill has on the community, to falling in love. Elsewhere in town, Vicki O’Gara delivers an amusing performance as Marian’s mother, and Jamen Nanthakumar is delightful as little brother Winthrop whose infectious excitement over getting a solid gold coronet changes the entire course of the story. Harold and his sidekick Marcellus Washburn (John Cardenas) turn in a diverting Sadder but Wiser Girl song and dance. The four formerly bickering members of the city school board make for a marvelous barbershop quartet. And finally, the ensemble of River Cityizians makes all the big dance numbers truly shine. Those numbers include an amusingly choreographed (courtesy of Mary White) Marian the Librarian scene featuring Harold, Marian, and the River City Teens. The Pick-a-Little ladies are a hoot. And led by an especially effervescent Zaneeta Shinn (Jordy Lievers) along with boyfriend Tommy Djilas (Jonathan Moss), the ensemble really gets a chance to demonstrate their dancing prowess in Shipoopi and Seventy-Six Trombones, all after getting visibly shaken by spellbinder Hill when he warns them of the “Trouble” their city has with the introduction of a POOL TABLE in their quiet Iowa town…Performs through July 31, 2005.
~ Cast ~
Traveling Salesmen: Jason Perales Salvatore Manna Joe Pleuss Paul Fenner Eric Fernandez Charlie Cowell: Tom Schuck Conductor: Mark Powers Harold Hill: Eric Hellmers Newspaper Readers: Jonathan Moss, John Cardenas Farmer and Wife: Eric Fernandez, Emily Stocking Mayor Shinn: Barry Steinman The Quartet: Jason Perales Paul Fenner Salvatore Manna Joe Pleuss Marcellus Washburn: John Cardenas Tommy Djilas: Jonathan Moss Marian Paroo: Sara Elliott Mrs. Paroo: Vicki O'Gara Amaryllis: Aliea Clark Winthrop Paroo: Jamen Nanthakumar Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn: Charlene Buhlert Zaneeta Shinn: Jordy Lievers Gracie Shinn: Lirenza Gillette Alma Hix: Monique H. Ott Maud Dunlop: Jennefer Gillette Ethel Toffelmier: Amanda Grace Platt Mrs. Squires: Lois Swagerty Constable Locke: Marty Weiss River City Ladies & Gentlemen: Sarah Kapp Diane Maple Judy Sperling Penny Steinman Emily Stocking Mark Powers River City Teens: Mallory Arquilla Karina Gillette Lizzy Palmer Eric Fernandez River City Kids: Michael Anderson Russel DeZonia Rory Gallagher Paul Geisterfer Sydney Reed Kasie Shahbaz Havilah Steinman Tzytle Steinman Chelsea Streano Zoe White Director: Andrea Schuck Musical Director & Conductor: Tracey James Marino Choreographer: Mary White Costume Coordinator: Renetta Lehman Set Designers: Tim Martin, Tom Schuck |