Annika Khurana, Executive Editor
@akhuranacourant
The theater department will be putting up four exhibits to showcase its hard work and talent with its winter musical, The Music Man, with shows running from March 9-11. Based on a 1957 book and hit Broadway show developed by Meredith Lacey, The Music Man is a classic with memorable songs such as “Seventy-Six Trombones” and “Marian the Librarian”.
The musical is set in the summer of 1912, with a plot centered around charismatic con man Harold Hill, played by senior Andy Dooley, who poses as a music professor in River City, Iowa. Harold persuades the townspeople to invest money towards a marching band for local boys and intends to run away with the funds, however, his plan becomes complicated after he falls in love with the town librarian, Marian Paroo, played by Annabelle Murphy. Ultimately, the town uncovers Harold’s scheme, however, he puts himself back in the town’s favor after directing the boys in an impromptu performance.
As a well-seasoned actor, Andy has found himself putting in considerable preparation into his role. “It’s been one of the most difficult roles I’ve had to play,” Andy said. “There’s a lot of memorization and rhythmic work that has gone into the role because there’s a large amount of ‘speak-singing’ songs and lines.”
With the musical being set in the past, the cast has worked hard to embrace the period, making slight adjustments to their traditional mannerisms. “Everything from how we sit, to how we interact, to how we grab our partner’s hand is tweaked slightly to fit the period,” junior and Dance Captain Kole Bavoso said.
While the cast has found success in making aspects of the musical sound and look less contemporary, there have been some challenges. “There are so many words in the songs and there is a lot of scenework,” Director and NCHS alum Kate Simone said. “The cast has really been fine tuning how to use the language of the script.”
The show is heavily centered around dance numbers, with scenes such as “Marian the Librarian” telling parts of the story through dance. “Marian the Librarian is a dance with Zaneeta, Tommy, and the teen ensemble with Harold trying to get Marian to fall for him,” Kole said. “I love the number because of all the small details our choreographer, Chris, added. The timing is very difficult, but it makes the number look very satisfying from the audience perspective.”
Apart from the hard work that is showcased underneath the spotlight, the musical requires substantial behind-the-scenes efforts in terms of constructing and moving sets. “The audience will never see or hear me, but I am always backstage where I’m calling the show,” Stage Manager Maylis Pabon said. “The biggest reward is to see everyone so proud of themselves and happy with their work.”
Considering the amount of movement throughout the show in the form of dances and quickly shifting scenes, there is a lot of organization that must take place backstage. “Our stage management team is exceptional, they are on top of everything and I don’t know what we would do without them,” Ms. Simone said. As the theatre department reaches its final stretch in presenting Music Man to an audience, cast and crew members have reflected not only on their progress, but also the friendships they’ve fostered throughout the production process. “We are all really supportive of each other,” Kole said. “Relationships form so naturally because everyone is really nice and so willing to spark a conversation with you. I wouldn’t trade these friends for the world.”
