This year’s high school musical was a classic from the height of Broadway entitled “The Music Man”, which originally premiered in New York in 1952 with a script and score written by Meredith Willson, Franklin Lacey. Two films have since been adapted, and were released in 1962 and 2003. A truly compelling story with sensational music and style of the 1950’s was brought to the stage here at West Milford High School this spring. Performances were held on Feb. 26, 27, and 28.
“The Music Man” spins the tale of the quick-thinking and savvy business man Professor Harold Hill, played by senior Micheal Galioto, a con man who travels the countryside in 1912, looking for a place to instruct young and eager children on the performing arts and start a boy’s marching band.
The only problem? Professor Hill can’t play one lick of music for his life. And so, along with his co-conspirator, he plans to outsmart the naive people of the run-down River City in Iowa with his charming wit and false pretenses. Professor Hill’s plan becomes complicated as he falls in love with the local librarian with no interest in him at all, an uptight young woman named Marian Paroo, played by junior Megan Johnson. And as the story unfolds and he begins to know the townspeople, he begins to wonder how he will be able to leave them behind when his business is finished and they understand his true reasons for being in River City.
The main cast also features Joe Bellina as Charlie Cowell, Matt Van Alstyne as Oliver Hix, Chris Sansone as Olin Britt, Zach McIntyre as Ewart Dunlop, Peter Osleador as Jacey Squires, Craig Todd as Marcellus Washburn, Nicholas Quince-Gorman as Tommy Djilas, Jordan Barry as Mrs. Paroo, Lilly Rodek as Amaryllis, Aiden Becker as Winthrop Paroo, Veronica Fuhrmann as Eulalie Shinn, Lindsey Renna as Zaneeta Shinn, Kayli McGraw as Gracie Shinn, Allyson Romer as Alma Hix, Nicolette D’Angelo as Maud Dunlop, Danielle Zanoni as Ethel Toffelmier, Valerie Pellington as Mrs. Squires, and Noah Rodums as Constable Locke.
As always, the cast was truly impressive and passionate about the exciting musical. The music kept everyone in the audience excited and everyone had a wonderful time on opening night. Classic numbers such as “Ya Got Trouble”, “Seventy SIx Trombones”, and “Goodnight My Someone” were exceptionally remarkable.
The sets were wonderful, as the stage crew brought the little run down River City to life on the stage. The crew put together a lovely little city, a beautiful library with a second floor, a car to deliver adorable little marching band outfits for the young children of River City, and a lovely picturesque cottage for Miss Marian and her family. The sets were very impressive for the high school production.
The lively music had the entire audience clapping along at the end of opening night, and was truly a high school event that was not to be missed. If you didn’t catch this year’s performance of “The Music Man”, make sure to purchase tickets the next time our high school puts on a new production next year!
