The Music Man tells the story of a traveling salesman named Harold Hill and his visit to the town of River City, Iowa. Harold Hill, a con man who tries to pass himself off as a band director, is confronted with a challenge as he faces opposition to his creation of a kids’ band. The music and the story are well-known and well-loved by theatre-goers and actors alike.
Harold (Zac Barnaby) and Marcellus (Frank Thomas) banter during the jazzy and upbeat “Sadder But Wiser Girl”. Thomas said he loves the part of Marcellus because “he’s a really funny and goofy character.”
“It’s an amazing show,” said Hampstead student Ella Burroughs, 14, who plays Marian Paroo. “Even if you don’t know it, it’s such a great story to know.”
Fellow cast members agree, saying the story is “amazing,” “heartwarming,” and “funny.” Derry student Maggie Stone, 15, who plays Ethel Toffelmeier, says she grew up on this show and has loved it ever since.
“The show has been around for so many generations, and it’s been loved throughout,” she said. “It’s so funny, and it’s so much fun to do.”
Burroughs says she also grew up with this show. She had the opportunity to perform in a production of The Music Man at her elementary school in fifth grade.
“I paid no attention to it,” she said. “So this came along and I thought, ‘Oh, Music Man, I’ll do that,’ so I watched it, and I thought ‘This is amazing, I have to do this!’ It’s just a heartwarming story.”
Several LHS students will be performing in The Music Man as well, including junior Eric Bourque and freshmen Maycie Gentiluomo, Maya Lincoln, and Betsy Brown. Brown, who has been a part of previous KCT productions including The Addams Family and Beauty and the Beast, will be playing the roles of Mrs. Paroo and Alma Hix. She enjoys the humor in The Music Man.
Harold Hill (Zac Barnaby) informs the citizens of River City of the serious trouble in their town. Barnaby said that his lines, particularly in this song, were difficult to learn because there were so many of them. “My scenes just go on and on,” he said.
“It’s really funny in very unexpected ways,” she said. “We put a lot of funny twists on things.”
Meg Gore, the director of The Music Man, has enjoyed working on the show, and she says she has loved working with the cast.
“They are very talented, but even more than that, they’re just really fun kids,” Gore said. “They’re polite and great to be around.”
This is not Gore’s first time working with children in theatre. She is the director and producer at the Matthew Thornton Drama Club in Londonderry, where she works with fourth and fifth graders to put on an annual show. This is her first time working with Kids Coop Theatre, which is open to children ages 8-18.
Marcellus (Frank Thomas) sings and dances the “Shipoopi”, a lively dance number. Katy Hill, who plays one of the River City teens, said that this song was difficult to learn. “A lot of the dance moves were hard,” she said.
In her many experiences in working with children, Gore has learned to have high expectations for the cast.
“Sometimes, people write off the younger ones and don’t expect a lot from them. I hold them to a higher standard, and they always meet or surpass that standard,” she said. “This group is no exception to that. They have really taken direction well, and all of them are doing a great job.”
The River Citizens react to Harold during “Trouble.” Sandown student Logan Young, pictured at the far left, plays Ewart Dunlop. Young said this song is his favorite part of the show because “Harold Hill is extremely talented.”
Gore also said that the cast has made her love the show even more with their hard work and dedication.
“After working on it with this group for a couple months now, I have grown to love some of the songs in the show when I see how they present them, how they perform them, and how they enjoy them. It just makes me love the songs and the story,” she said. “That’s a testament to the work that the kids have done and the talent that they have.”
Click HERE for a sneak peak of KCT’s The Music Man.
