Local actors in ‘The Music Man’ at Clear Space through March 31
The fanfare kicking off Clear Space Theatre’s production of “The Music Man” may not include 76 trombones, but the show itself will feature that very tune! Meredith Willson’s Tony Award-winning show - it won five, including the award for Best Musical - runs through Sunday, March 31.
So strike up the band and join “Professor” Harold Hill (Drew Colegrove) as he works an elaborate con, aimed at relieving the residents of River City, Iowa of their cash - under the guise of saving their youth from demon pool. (“…Ya got trouble, folks. Right here in River City! Trouble with a capital “T” and that rhymes with “P” and that stands for pool!”) And delight in the unexpected course his efforts take as he becomes enamored of Marian, the local librarian and part-time music teacher (Marian Sunnergren).
Says Sunnergren, “Hearing the first few notes of ‘Marian the Librarian’ was a pet peeve of my youth, but this has been one of my dream roles since I discovered I could sing! And it’s the perfect ingenue role for me, because Marian’s a little older and wiser than your average ingenue - say, Cinderella - which makes for a much more complex character.” She adds, “It’s an easy role to fall in love with, because the music is so lovely - the show’s ‘Till There Was You’ is a real classic. When I was a little girl, I used to watch the Shirley Jones version of “The Music Man” on VHS; I was absolutely captivated by her singing ‘Goodnight My Someone.’”
Colegrove is equally enthusiastic about the show: “This show can be a mouthful - full of a con man’s fast patter - in musical form! It’s also a fun and interesting challenge, as Professor Hill is a con man with a good heart - sort of. He isn’t necessarily a bad guy - though at first it may seem that way - but that doesn’t mean he’s a good guy, either.”
Of the show, Colegrove notes, “This musical has a lot of character to it, and there’s a certain absurdity to the plot that I really enjoy. It includes a lot of funny characters who are very well played by my cast mates. It’s just a humorous, quirky show - an upbeat pleaser - that I’m sure audiences will enjoy.”
Sponsored by WMDT TV47, “The Music Man” runs weekends through Sunday, March 31. Friday and Saturday performances are at 7 p.m., and Sunday performances are at 3 p.m. Tickets for all shows are $17 to $32, and may be purchased on-line at www.clearspacetheatre.org, or by calling the box office at 302-227-2270.
