“Professor Harold Hill” — played by Kian Barker — warned residents of River City that they’ve “got trouble” during a recent rehearsal of the all-school musical, “The Music Man,” which will be performed Thursday, April 17–19, at the Foundry Theater. (Photo by Lauren "Chuck" Shows)
“The Music Man” takes the stage this week
- Published: April 15, 2025
At a recent Sunday rehearsal at YS High School, one thing was abundantly clear: It takes a village to put on a show.
The school’s cafeteria whirled with sound and motion as cast and crew headed into the final days of preparing to present “The Music Man,” the district’s upcoming all-school musical. Performances will be held Thursday and Friday, April 17 and 18, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, April 19, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., at the Foundry Theater.
The production marks the district’s first all-school musical — involving young thespians from kindergarten through 12th grade — since 2019’s “Scrooge: The Musical.”
In the cafeteria, a group of about a dozen middle- and high-school actors gathered around senior Kian Barker. They leaned in closely, with growing expressions of alarm, while Barker — playing “Professor” Harold Hill — pattered:
“A pool table, don’t you understand?/Friend, either you’re closing your eyes to a situation you do not wish to acknowledge/Or you are not aware of the caliber of disaster/Indicated by the presence of a pool table in your community.”
The song marks the beginning of the play’s central “trouble with a capital T” — which is that the “Professor” is a con man known for leading small towns into purchasing musical instruments upon the promise that forming a youth band will keep youngsters away from the pool tables and, thus, moral harm. Trouble is, Harold Hill doesn’t deliver on that promise, disappearing with folks’ money before they know what’s hit them.
But maybe — right here in River City — winning the love of Marian (the librarian) Paroo will make Harold Hill a changed man.
It’s a classic romantic comedy setup, with the expected chaos of a charismatic con coming in and shaking things up, replete with dust-ups, misunderstandings and heartfelt declarations.
Rehearsing a cast that spans a wide range of ages and familiarity with the stage is its own kind of chaos — but it’s kept reigned in by a large pool of dedicated local folks responsible for running the show.
“It’s a big show,” student and Stage Manager Audrey Millhoan said. “There’s a lot of staging; the set has a lot of moving parts — like the iconic Wells Fargo wagon.”
The set — which will feature an arch, changing flats and a circular platform mid-stage — was designed by Technical Director Sarah Amend, who oversees the tech crew; costumes are provided by Kate Mooneyham; and choreographers Jaimie Wilke and Valerie Blackwell-Truitt are working to keep students moving.
“There are some big numbers — ‘76 Trombones,’ ‘Shipoopi,’ ‘Marian the Librarian,’” Blackwell-Truitt said. “Not everything needs to be staged; sometimes you just need to tell the students where to go. But then you’ll have another number where they’re doing cartwheels and round-offs.”
“The Music Man” is, relative to spring productions in recent years, something of a dance-heavy show. Wilke said that’s ideal for some students, who find a place to shine in the dance numbers.
“There are kids who don’t want to act, but they want to do something on stage,” she said. “So we give them a dance and they take off — we see them really utilizing it as their own language.”
As the show’s name and genre make clear, music is also a central language for the show. The Community Band and Orchestra, under the direction of James Johnston, will accompany the musical numbers. Vocal Coach Jennifer Gilchrist has taken the reins on making sure every syllable and harmony are accounted for within the show’s well-known songs.
“It’s been a wake-up call, because I’m used to coaching one-on-one, maybe two — but never 30-plus kids!” she said with a laugh. “But I love these kids, and I love musicals, so it’s been fun — a lot of work, but fun.”
Gilchrist is aided by Producer Caryn Diamond, who — in addition to securing the rights to the show, rehearsal and performance spaces and scheduling, among other things — oversees the show’s barbershop quartet. And longtime Mills Lawn music teacher Jo Frannye Reichert has been rehearsing the show’s youngest stars in their musical pursuits.
Reichert is also part of the cast, playing the mayor’s overbearing, self-important wife, Eulalie Shinn — a role she said she’s “always thought was fun” and has long wanted to play on stage. She plays opposite freshman Carson Funderburg’s Mayor George Shinn — a cast member whom, like many of the young actors, she’s seen grow from the first day he set foot in Mills Lawn.
“In my head, I’m still taller than them, and then I stand next to them, and they’re all grown up,” she said.
Reichert is a kind of triple-threat for the production, providing some choreography in addition to music rehearsal and acting. In particular, she choreographed the show’s comedic “Grecian Urn” scene, which she described as “a combination of ‘White Christmas’ and the ostriches from ‘Fantasia.’”
Overseeing the whole production is Director Lorrie Sparrow-Knapp, who lavished praise on the many folks of all ages who have stepped up to bring “The Music Man” to the stage.
“Everybody here is such a hella good artist in their own right,” she said. “I feel really, really blessed to have this team together.”
During a break in the seven-hour rehearsal, some of the show’s cast mused on their roles as they munched on food provided by parents and Theater Arts Association members.
“It’s a chaotic puzzle,” seventh grader Nia Jones-Graham said, summing up the rehearsal process.
“I really wanted to do a musical this year,” seventh grader Booker Lee said of his motivations for joining the show.
“And I was bored and didn’t have anything else to do,” seventh grader Helen Lowry added, to laughter from her lunch companions.
For the production’s outgoing seniors — most of whom have been a part of the schools’ theater program for their entire middle and high school careers — performing in their final show is bittersweet.
“We auditioned in October, so it’s been a really long process, but I’m excited to finally perform it,” said Tiger Collins, who plays Marian Paroo — a role she shares with eighth grader Lucia Espinosa. “I’ll be sad when it’s over — but in a way, I’ll be glad, because it’s a lot of work!”
Senior Miles Gilchrist — who shares the role of Harold Hill with Kian Barker — had a simple message for potential audiences of “The Music Man.”
“You should be excited,” he said. “Come see it.”
Tickets for “The Music Man” are $15 for general admission, $10 for seniors and $5 for students, and may be purchased online at http://www.cur8.com/15352/project/130383.
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