Wednesday, July 2, 2003
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Wednesday, July 2, 2003 |
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"The Music Man" marches on to stage at Sams By MICHAEL
BOYLAN Last summer audiences packed the Willie Duke Auditorium at Starr's Mill High School to take in Fayette Players and Community Theatre's production of "The Sound of Music." This summer the local theatre group will present another beloved musical classic, "The Music Man," at Sams Auditorium in Fayetteville and those associated with Fayette Players are sure audiences will be as enchanted with this show as they were with "The Sound of Music." "When limited to a summer-only production we chose 'The Music Man' for several reasons," said Fayette Players and Community Theatre President Joan Velsmid. "The show has a wide appeal, uses all age groups and is very family-oriented. It is not unusual that we have many cast members from one family." This production of "The Music Man" is unique in that the stars have built-in chemistry. The roles of Professor Harold Hill and his love interest, Marian Paroo, the town librarian, will be played by Stephen and Miranda Davis, who are husband and wife. There are also several father/ daughter and mother/daughter/son combinations on stage as well as backstage. The cast is fairly large but three special women are keeping everything in order. The show is being directed by Kathy Andersen, a drama teacher at Sandy Creek High School. Others may remember her for her turn as Miss Hannigan in Fayette Community Theatre's production of "Annie." She directed five shows at Sandy Creek High School over the past year and has also been involved with Clayton Alliance for Summer Theatre and the Georgia Youth Ballet in the past. One of Andersen's partners in crime for this show is Mille Turek, the founder of the Fayette Youth Chorale and the director of music at Sandy Creek High School. She and Andersen have worked on a number of shows at Sandy Creek together and know each other styles and personalities, making this show all the easier for cast and crew as well as each other. "The Music Man" is the fourth show that Turek has done with Fayette Players. She has also introduced the Virtual Orchestra to the group and is one of the first musical directors to use it for a community theatre. Virtual Orchestra is a computer program that provides the full sound of an orchestra. The choreographer for the show is Jonsie Pollock, who is also very familiar with both Fayette Players as well as Turek and Andersen. She is co-director of Georgia Youth Ballet and has choreographed shows for both Sandy Creek High School and Fayette Players. She received her dance training in Connecticut with Ballet Etudes Repertory Company, achieving the rank of soloist, and in New York at the Joffrey Ballet and American Ballet Theater. Pollock was also a member of the ballet corps at Radio City Music Hall and danced the role of Graziella in American Musical Theater's production of "West Side Story." With Andersen, Turek and Pollock at the helm, the show has come together. The cast has worked hard, rehearsing some weeks up to four nights a week. "The Music Man" has also had a very dedicated crew of between 25 and 30 people that have built sets, created costumes, accumulated props and will help the show run smoothly during its run. For those unfamiliar with the show, "The Music Man" focuses on a con man, Professor Harold Hill, who arrives in River City, Iowa in 1912 and convinces the town to support and pay for his idea for the River City Boys Marching Band. While in town, Hill falls for a librarian, Marian Paroo, but when Hill's character and credentials come into question, he must prove himself to the town and to Marian. Some of the more famous song to come from this musical are "Ya Got Trouble," "76 Trombones," "Shipoopi," "Gary, Indiana," and "Til There Was You." "The Music Man" was written by Meredith Willson and serves in part as a tribute to his hometown. It is a patriotic, fun-filled, family oriented show that has been in the hearts of audiences around the world since it opened on Broadway in 1957. It has been made into a successful film as well as a recent television special starring Matthew Broderick. "The Music Man" will run at Sams Auditorium tonight and tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. for a special preview price of $5. Regular performances will take place Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m. through July 19. There will be one Sunday matinee, July 6 at 2:30 p.m. Ticket prices are $8 for children and $12 for adults. Phone 770-631-8568 for tickets.
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