"The Music Man" is coming to Marion

There are still good seats left for the Marion High School Musical Department's presentation of The Music Man. Tickets for both nights, March 13, 14, at 8 p.m. will be sold from 9 a.m. until Noon, Monday, March 2, through Friday, March 6, in the hall outside the auditorium at the Marion High School.

Nate DePoint and Alicia Weeks head a talented cast of young people as Professor Harold Hill and, Marian Paroo, the local librarian. Pam White and John Compton are the first couple of the town as Mayor Shinn and his wife Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn. Veteran musical participant, Nate Lent, is Professor Hill's sidekick, Marcellus.

Theatergoers have a treat in store for them as they listen to the quartet of Ken Stoker, Jason Haak, Marc Roos and Kyle Haak. Peter Stevens will appear as Tommy, while Joey Bovet and Ben Tuma will take the parts of Charlie and the conductor.

Leading the cast of elementary school students this year will be Cynthia Zalone as Amaryllis and Ryan Mulhern as Winthrop.

Marian the Librarian's mother will be represented by Elizabeth Fino-Radin, while Zaneeta, Gracie and Alma will be played by Crystal Wheeler, Melissa Wilson, and Tara Schinsing. Jenny LaFlam will take the part of Maud Dunlop, Jessica Lammers, Ethel Toffelmaier, Laurel Stanton will be Mrs. Squires and Ahlea Howard, Mrs. Britt. The part of Constable Locke will be portrayed by newcomer Jeff Beagle.

Chorus members are: Jennifer Aylesworth, Aaron Barber, Amanda Boardman, Jessica Boise, who will have solo singing lines, Nick Boise, Lindsey Brower, Christine Brown, Erin Bushart, Karissa DePoint, Elizabeth Faulkner, Roy Franks, Sarah Gardner, Adam Graham, Tyler Hares, Katie Harris, Caitlyn Hart, Brandi Holloway, Hollie Hubright, also with solo singing lines, Justin Hutt, Rachel Hutt, Morgan Jackson, Ben Kittle, Carla Lee, Jacquie lent, Shari McKay, Hollie Metcalfe, Shannon Miller, Scott Mooney, Amanda Morton, Drew Palermo, Brandi Pollot, Sulee Thepchai, Christina Trunzo, Sarah VanCamp, Amanda VerPlank, solo dancing, and Emily Wemesfelder.

The Town Girls are Melissa Cummings, Molly Perry, Cara Thomas, Lindsey Wheeler, Cory Walker and Emily Boerman, and the Boys Band are: Brad Reiss, Kevin Ide, Matt Wilson, Jordan VerPlank, Matt Wilder, Josh Messinger, David Goodridge, Chad Jackson, Zach Klaver, Steve Brannon and Andy Gardner.

Appearing as Wan Tan We Girls are: Karissa DePoint, Amanda VerPlank, Brandi Pollot, Jacquie Lent, Katie Harris, Melissa Wilson, Emily Wemesfelder, Hollie Metcalfe, Morgan Jackson, Lindsey Brower, Crystal Wheeler, Sarah VanCamp, Shari McKay, and Christine Brown. Ladies of the Town are: Jennifer Aylesworth, Erin Bushart, Brandi Holloway, Amanda Morton, Holli Hubright, Amanda Boardman, Carla Lee, Elizabeth Faulkner, Sulee Thepchai, Jessica Boise, Rachel Hutt, Shannon Miller and Christina Trunzo.

The Library Dancers: Ben Kittle, Aaron barber, Crystal Wheeler, Rachael Denosky, Cara Thomas, Jessica Lammers, Laurel Stanton, Tyler Hares, Hollie Metcalfe, Kyle Haak, April Denosky, Melissa Cummings, Ahlea Howard, Jennie LaFlam, Nick Boise, Peter Stevens, Shari McKay, Melissa Wilson, Pam White and Tara Schinsing.

Marion High School To Present "Music Man" March 13, 14

The word is out that there's Trouble right here in River City, or is it Marion, NY? The Marion High School music department has been preparing for weeks now to bring their presentation of the Meredith Wilson hit musical, The Music Man to the public.

The cast headed by Nate DePoint, as Professor harold Hill, and Alicia Weeks, as Marian the Librarian have been practicing familiar tunes such as Seventy-Six Trombones, 'Til There Was You, and Gary, Indiana. This cast and chorus of over 75 people, including many elementary students promises to give theater goers a night of musical delight as they sing and dance their way across the stage at Marion High School.

Tickets for the show will go on sale in the hall outside the high school auditorium on Monday, February 25, at 7:30 AM.

Plan to attend this wonderful evening of entertainment and support the Marion Music Department.

'Music man' is a top notch productionBy Linda Lee-Courier Journal Correspondent

MARION-From the opening scene-on a train, with all passengers rocking and bouncing in perfect unison to the train's motion-through the magnificent "76 Trombones", a sweet "Till There Was You", and concluding with the sweeping finale number, Marion's production of "The Music Man" upheld with pride the longstanding reputation for excellence on the Marion High School stage.

This year's two shows were nearly sold out, a testimony to the public's well-earned trust that they are going to get their money's worth-and that trust continues to be rewarded.

The show starred Nate DePoint as Harold Hill and Alicia Weeks as Marian Paroo. The pair made a fine team, starting out as the slickster salesman manipulating the one expert who had the potential to expose him and the prim, off-putting spinster lady, and moving later into the shocked-to-find-themselves-in-love, us-against-the-world couple. Direcoter Shelly Thompson had a challenge: to find a leading man who could hold up the starring role opposite the incredible talent of the Eastman-trained Weeks, but in DePoint she had her man. Such big talent in such a small town, and Thompson and vocal director Rebecca Borden certainly know how to use it.

Of the duo, DePoint's role caled for more comedy and dance, with "Trouble", "76 Trombones" and "Marian the Librarian" demanding-and displaying-his fine gifts. Weeks, on the other hand, had the more beautiful, lyrical role, and her fabulous "My White Knight" and "Till There Was You" left the audience breathless.

Also, her duet with fourth-grader Cynthia Zalone (as Amaryllis), "Goodnight, My Someone", was a real treat. Zalone, along with fifth-grader Ryan Mulhern (Winthrop) should definitely be placed in the "remember-the-name" category, in hopes that we'll hear much more from them in the future. Mulhern especially shone in "Wells Fargo Wagon" and "Gary, Indiana".

The Shinn family would be called the dysfuctional in real life, but in "The Music Man" one could only call them uproarious.

John Compton as Mayor Shinn runs his ship tighter that a mainsail in a gale, both as mayor and as the head of his home, and his womenfolk have just enough rebellion in them to make him work at keeping the lines trimmed. Pam White as Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn carried hokey to new heights of hilarity, and daughters Zaneeta and Gracie (Crystal Wheeler and Melissa Wilson) gave a touch of teenage challenge to the mayor's administration.

Once again this year, Thompson tapped some non-student talent for the show, with Ken Stoker, Jason Haak and Marc Roos making up 3/4 of the barbershop quartet. Along with student Kyle Haak, the group did a more than admirable job of harmonizing on the music, and disharmonizing everywhere else.

The opening train scene consisted of not only precise choreography, but the characters had to spit out their dialogue in perfect rhythm-no room to stumble over lines here!-and Joey Bovet as Charlie Cowell, along witht he rest of the ensemble, had all the aspects of the scene down beautifully.

Thompson and the entire cast are also to be complimented on the large, ensemble scenes: the aforementioned "Trouble" and "Seventy Six Trombones", as well as "Pickalittle"(how do they fit all those lyrics into so few measuers?) and the toe-tapping, all-out fun "Shipoopi".

Kudos also to the set construction and stage crews, many of whose names we've seen year after year on the musical programs. They have never failed to produce elaborate, beautiful sets and they did it again this year.

The choice of next year's show has yet to be announced, but Marion can hardly wait!

Students deserve a Tony award

I just went to a "Broadway" play. It was spectacularly produced and performed. The play I am referring to was at Marion High School. It was a very difficult play with a lot of action and huge cast. Preparation of the scenery must have taken hours of students' free time. The devotion to practice by every cast member was apparent.

The dedication of the parents who dropped off and picked their children up during rehearsals is to be applauded. They deserve praise and credit along with their children for the perfect presentation watched by those lucky enough to attend.

I am the grandmother of one of the perormers. I am proud of him and all his classmates from seniors to the little people who gave the play an endearing quality. They deserve a Tony for best performance of the year! Mary M. Beagle-Walworth