THE MUSIC MAN COMES TO JOCKEY HOLLOW MIDDLE SCHOOL

Shows are March 9th & 10th at 7:30 PM March 11th at 2 PM and 7:30 PM

MONROE – 48 Monroe area students are using their talents, imagination and getting some help from “76 Trombones” to transform their present-day hometown into 1912 River City, Iowa when they put on Meredith Wilson’s classic, “The Music Man,” on the Jockey Hollow Middle School Stage for four performances from March 9th through March 11th.

The plot centers on “Travelling Salesman, Harold Hill, (Nolan Downey), a con man using his wit and charm to convince the local townsfolk to fund a boys' band complete with instruments, music books and uniforms. With the aid of his old friend, Marcellus Washburn, (Andrew Babson), Hill sets out to sell his “band” and to do so, he must protect himself by seducing the local town librarian and music teacher, Marian Paroo, (Elizabeth DeRosa). Along the way, Hill must keep Mayor George Shinn (Colin Jarnutowski) and the School Board, (Will Gallant, Jude Bailey, Tyler Jordan, Tyler Lampley) off balance as they seek to get his “credentials.” Hill befriends Marian’s mother, Mrs. Paroo (Luisa Friend) and develops a relationship with Marian’s shy, lisping brother (Fawn Hollow third-grader, Ryan Sokira).

The play is directed by David and Susan Halliwell and features some of the most memorable music in Broadway history, including, “(Ya Got) Trouble,” “76 Trombones,” “The Wells Fargo Wagon,” Shipoopi” and “Till There Was You.”

Downey has been a part of the Jockey Hollow drama for the last three years and has found this production to be the most challenging one yet. “Producing the character of Harold Hill is a lot of work and I put in a lot of time singing, dancing, and acting but the satisfaction at the end is quite incredible. Every day I am memorizing lines, going over music, practicing my dances. It's like taking a whole other subject at school except it is a lot of fun.”

Marian has some complicated and difficult songs to sing. DeRosa, who takes regular singing lessons, is working overtime on the role. “I watched the movie a few times to get familiar with Marian and the other characters,” DeRosa said. “I practiced the songs during my voice lessons and my voice teacher described the character of Marian to me. This help me to better understand the character when I was learning her lines and songs.”

Co-Director, David Halliwell has been producing and directing shows for the Monroe school system, starting at Chalk Hill, since 1976. His wife, Susan, came on board in 1995. He was effusive in his praise of his cast and crew. “’The Music Man’ is such a beloved piece of theater and movie history. When people come to see it, it’s so well-known that the expectation level is higher than with some of the lesser known productions that we’ve done over the years. At the same time, it’s also one of the most complicated productions to do with any group of actors because there are so many moving parts to put together. Susan and I are so thrilled in the effort and the talent we’ve seen from these young actors. We’re very proud of our cast and crew because they’re all very positive and giving us 110%. This will be a terrific show that everyone is going to love.”

Babson has prepared by watching the movie twelve times, and has been moved by the entire experience. “It is awesome working with the Halliwells because they are truly awesome directors…and the most rewarding part of this musical is how close (the cast) all are right now.”

For Friend, after screaming when she learned that she got the part, she’s been hard at work listening to the soundtrack constantly and learning about the level of teamwork it takes to put on a production of this scope and size. But for Friend the biggest challenge awaited her. “(I) had to learn to put on an Irish accent and that was very challenging.”

Showtime for March 9th and 10th is 7:30 pm. There are two shows on Saturday the 11th, 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm. Tickets are $12 for students/seniors and $15 for adults. They can be purchased online by searching “JH Music Man” at www.ticketleap.com or they will be available at the door.

About Jockey Hollow Middle School Drama Department: Jockey Hollow Middle School also includes STEM Academy which is housed at Masuk High School in Monroe, CT. The drama department, under David Halliwell’s direction since 1976 and with his wife Susan Halliwell assistance since 1995, every year produces a musical in the Winter and a drama in the Spring.