The Clinton Area Showboat Theatre's second production of the summer is Meredith Willson's The Music Man , opening June 16th and ending with a special July 4th performance. The musical became a Broadway hit in 1957 winning five Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
With such memorable songs as "Gary Indiana" and "Seventy-six Trombones" the album won the first Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album. Set in the small Iowa town of "River City" in the early1900's, the plot follows Harold Hill, a con man promising to start a kids' band. Hill manages to sell the townspeople instruments and uniforms without ever providing music lessons, but before he can skip town he becomes attracted to Marion, the librarian and piano teacher. The characters are humorous, stubborn and endearing.
The last time the Showboat performed Music Man in 2001, then Artistic Director Jay Berkow played the role of Harold Hill. Now, 15 years later, Berkow returns to reprise his role as Hill. Berkow has served as Director of Music Theatre Performance at Western Michigan University since 2004. Also reprising her role as Mrs. Paroo is Jalayne Riewerts. In her 16th season with the Showboat, Riewerts has appeared on the Showboat stage as Mame, Dolly, Mama Rose, The Princess Puffer and many other roles. Marian Paroo is being played by Mary Beth Coolidge , making her Clinton Showboat debut. She received her B.M. at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and M.M. from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Coolidge made her operatic debut in Arezzo, Italy where she sang several roles. Mary Beth teaches voice and the Alexander Technique (A.T.I.) at Anderson University.
The role of young Winthrop Paroo will be double-cast with Joseph Brune and Jaxson Gerken-Spooner.. Joseph is returning to the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre after appearing as Jojo in Seussical last summer. Recent credits include Ralphie in A Christmas Story with Quad City Music Guild and Gavroche in Les Miserables with Circa '21. Joesph studies theater at the Center for Living Arts and will be entering the 7th grade in Rock Island this fall. Jaxson has been in two holiday Showboat productions: Christmas Carol , and Adam in the recent play Adam’s Gift . He is currently in 3rd grade here in Clinton. Also double-cast in the role of piano student Amaryllis will be Kaitlyn Baker and Lily Leding. Kaitlyn's recent performances include the role of Marta in The Sound of Music at Circa ‘21, Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol at The District Theatre and Young Little Red in Little Red Riding Hood at Davenport Junior Theatre. She has played the piano for five years and is also a member of the Pleasant Valley Band, Choir, and Honor Choir. Lily returns to the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre, having played Gretl in The Sound of Music and Jojo in Seussical . She has also played Young Cosette at Timber Lake Playhouse and Circa '21 productions of Les Miserables. Lily is interested in piano, guitar and singing.
Two local professionals are adding their talents to the cast of Music Man. Rob Engelson will play the role of Mayor Shinn. A Showboat veteran since 2003, and having appeared in 14 previous stage productions, Engelson has served for the past 21 years as the chair of the Music Department and head of the Honors Program at Ashford University here in Clinton. He co-founded and serves as the conductor of RiverChor, Clinton’s own community choir. The role of Charlie Cowell will be played by local Derrick Bertram, a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa with a B.A. in Theatre Arts. Bertram was seen in this season's production of Odd Couple.
Members of the Professional Acting Company for the 2016 season who comprise the barbershop quartet in Music Man include Otis Jeffries as Ewart, Jon Loya as Oliver, Cash Maciel as Jacey and Sam Columbus as Olin. Loya and Columbus are both Music Theatre majors at Baldwin Wallace University. Maciel is a freshman at Western Michigan University in the Musical Theatre Department. Jeffries has a Bachelor of Music Degree in Voice Performance from Anderson University, and will be pursuing a double Master's Degree in Voice Performance and Music Theory. The role of Marcellus is played by Nick Petrelli, a rising senior BFA Musical Theatre Performance major at Western Michigan University. Christian Klepac, also a student at Western Michigan, will play the role of Tommy Djilas.
Eulalie Mackenzie Shinn is played by Lara Tenckhoff (Assistant Artistic Director). Tenckhoff is currently a senior at California State University at Chico completing a degree in Theatre. Holly Moss, a MusicalTheatre Major at Baldwin Wallace University, is playing Zaneeta Shinn. Recent credits include Peter Pan with Timberlake Playhouse. The role of Ethel Toffelmier is being portrayed by Whitney Willard. She is currently pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre at Western Illinois University. Members of the professional company performing in the ensemble of Music Man are Lizzy Stone (Western Michigan University) and Olivia Schaperjohn (Ball State University).
The large cast of Music Man will be filled out with a number of local performers. In her 18th production on the Showboat, most recently as Charlie Davenport in Annie Get Your Gun, Laurel Decker will play the role of Mrs. Squires. Matt Espey will be both the Conductor and the Constable. He is a first-year student at Luther College, pursuing a degree in Theatre. Bella Kuta will play the role of Gracie Shinn. She has had roles at Circa '21, Center Stage Performing Arts, Davenport Junior Theatre, and the Center for Living Arts. Children in the ensemble include Hannah Asay (Clinton Middle School), Jillian Frye (5th grade), Paige Lower (5th grader at Fulton Elementary), and Piper Wiesner (a 6th grader at Northeast Middle School). Members of the Showboat Intern Company include Emma Van Zuiden as Alma Hix, Cassie Van Zuiden as Maud Dunlop, and ensemble: Nathan Hopkins, Zoe Replinger and Kate Struble.
Music Man is being directed and choreographed by Alexandria Barnett. She holds her B.A. in Theatre Performance from Whitworth University and her MFA with an emphasis in Directing and Theatre for Young Audiences from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. A director, choreographer, performer and teaching artist from Seattle, WA., Barnett is currently the Family Theater program coordinator and director of plays for Family Audiences at Tacoma Musical Playhouse. Serving as Music Director, Alyssa Kay Thompson is a rising senior studying Music Direction at Baldwin Wallace University Music Theatre Program. Originally from Connecticut, Thompson studies under David Pepin at BW and has most recently worked on The Theory of Relativity and Saturday Night Fever. Stage Management is provided by James Kyle Davis, assisted by Kyrsten Goodrich. Technical Director is Aaron Kennedy with Steven P. House as Scenic Designer. The Lighting Designer/Electrician is James Morrison. Cameron Hoffman is Sound and Projection Designer. Costume Design is provided by All Dressed Up Costumes, with assistants Carolyn Hopkins and Mattaea Reeves. Property Master is Catherine Pratt, who also works as Carpenter with Jared Hansen. Stage Crew for Music Man are Showboat Interns Audrey Simpson, Allison Winkel, Danica Smith and Kayla Zeimet.
The Music Man may be seen on the Showboat stage from June 16 to July 4. Clinton Area Showboat Theatre continues its "Season of American Classics" with the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic South Pacific (July 8-17), Grease ! (July 21-31), and Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie (August 4-13). Theatre for Young Audiences will showcase the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre Intern Company. You're a Good Man Charlie Brown may be seen June 18 and 25 and July 9 and 13. The second Theatre for Young Audiences production is A Year with Frog and Toad on July 23, 27, 30 and August 6. Camp "America Sings" will take place June 20th to July 2nd. Students entering grades 1 through 4 will meet from 8am to 10am. Students entering grades 5-8 will meet from 10:30am to 12:30pm. reservation forms are available online ( www.clintonshowboat.org ) and at the Showboat Box Office.
Two special Gala Events will be held this summer. A picnic is being held before the June 18th and 22nd performances of Music Man and a luau is being held before the July 9th and 13th performances of South Pacific. Contact the Showboat Box Office for more information and reservations. For tickets and information on all shows and events, visit the Showboat Box Office, www.clintonshowboat.org, or call 563-242-6760.
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