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'Music Man'
The Bradley Playhouse will present "The Music Man" starting Aug. 3. Left: Dan Healy (Harold Hill) and Chris Almonte (Marcellus Washburn) and right: Zane Baton (Winthrop Paroo). Photos by Chris Atwood.
PUTNAM — The Theatre of Northeastern Connecticut at the Bradley Playhouse on Front Street will present “The Music Man” Aug. 3. It runs for three weekends.
Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 3, 4, 10, 11, 17 and 18 and at 2 p.m. Aug. 5, 12 and 19. Tickets are $24 for adults and $21 for seniors and students. All seats are reserved. Reservations may be made with a major credit card online at www.thebradleyplayhouse.org or by calling 860-928-7887. Tickets may be purchased at the theater box office, either before the performance or at the door if available. Purchasing your tickets ahead of time is strongly recommended.
“The Music Man” is the story of a fast-talking salesman, Harold Hill, who vows to organize and equip a band, but plans to skip town with the money. His plans are foiled when he falls for Marian, the town librarian.
The TNECT performance of “The Music Man” is co-directed by Keri Danner and Joey Almonte. Danner is also the choreographer, assisted by Almonte. The music director is Edward Krauss. Dan Healy appears as con man Harold Hill and Courtney Contente plays librarian Marian Paroo. Jennifer Briere is Mrs. Paroo, Winthrop Paroo is played by Zane Baton and Savannah Bryer is Amaryllis. Mayor Shinn is acted by Roy Simmons, Bonnie Theriault is his wife Eulalie, their daughter Zaneeta is played by Cecilia Stallone and Jordan Renaud is her boyfriend Tommy Djilas. The barbershop quartet members are Martin Reiss, Mark Scribner, Jim Archambault and Brian Healy.
Book, music and lyrics are by Meredith Willson. The Music Man is based on a story by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey, which was inspired by Willson’s boyhood in Mason City, Iowa.
The play opened on Broadway in 1957 and won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The cast album won the first Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. Robert Preston appeared in the original cast as Harold Hill and reprised the role in the 1962 film version. Eddie Albert, Bert Parks and Dick Van Dyke have also appeared on stage in the role.
The Music Man is an American institution with rousing marches, a barbershop quartet and sentimental ballads. Just a few of the songs you’ll remember are “Seventy-Six Trombones”, “Ya Got Trouble”, “’Till There Was You” and “Goodnight My Someone”.
By turns wicked, funny, warm, romantic and touching, The Music Man is family entertainment at its best. It is also brought to you by families – there are two sets of spouses, two sisters and five parent and children groups in the Bradley production.
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