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Friday, February 28, 2014

‘THE MUSIC MAN” RE-IMAGINED IN CONCERT @ NJPAC AND TWO RIVER THEATER COMPANY

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THE MUSIC MAN
A CONCERT VERSION OF A BROADWAY CLASSIC RE-IMAGINED
Book, Music and Lyrics by Meredith Willson                 
Story by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey
Concert Adaptation by Evans Haile
MUSIC DIRECTION BY KENNY J. SEYMOUR
DIRECTED BY ROBERT O’HARA

PRESENTED BY NEW JERSEY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER AND TWO RIVER THEATER

WHEN: March 14-23
WHERE: TWO RIVER THEATER, 21 Bridge Ave., Red Bank: MARCH 13-16; Thursday, March 13 at 8 PM; Friday, March 14 at 8 PM; Saturday, March 15 at 3 PM and 8 PM; and Sunday, March 16 at 3 PM and 7 PM
TICKETS:
starting at $20 are available from 732.345.1400 or www.tworivertheater.org. $20 tickets may be partial view. The co-Lead Sponsors of this production are Brookdale Community College and WBGO.

WHERE: NJPAC IN NEWARK, MARCH 21-23; Friday, March 21 at 8 PM; Saturday, March 22 at 3 PM and 8 PM; Sunday, March 23 at 3 PM
TICKETS: $
59.50 and $69.50 and can be purchased at www.njpac.org, by calling 1-888-GO-NJPAC or by visiting the box office at One Center Street in Downtown Newark. These performances have been made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, by funds from the National Endowment for the Arts and by Discover Jersey Arts.

America’s favorite musical about big brass bands and small-town spirit will be performed by an African-American cast. The River City, Iowa setting will be based on historical accounts of black communities established during the Great Migration as former slaves moved across the U.S. following the Civil War.

The Music Man won the 1957 Tony Award for Best Musical and the first Grammy Award for Best Original Cast Album. Winner of Best Musical at the 1957 Tony Awards, The Music Man tells the story of con man Harold Hill, who falls for piano teacher and librarian Marian Paroo in the summer of 1912 as he bamboozles the conservative townsfolk of River City into financing a marching band. “Professor” Hill has to choose between the promise of romance and a quick getaway as his scheme begins to unravel.

The memorable score, which won the first Grammy Award for Best Original Cast Album, includes “Seventy-six Trombones,” “Ya Got Trouble,” “Marian the Librarian,” “Goodnight, My Someone” and “Till There Was You.”

Isaiah Johnson will play Harold Hill and Stephanie Umoh will play Marian Paroo. Johnson has appeared on Broadway in Peter and the Starcatcher and The Merchant of Venice with Al Pacino. Umoh played Sarah in the 2009 Broadway revival of Ragtime.

Also featured in the cast are Kevin Boseman (A Chorus Line at Paper Mill Playhouse) as Winthrop; Lawrence Clayton (Jean Valjean in the 25th Anniverary US Tour of Les Misérables) as Mayor Shinn; Bernard Dotson (Chicago Broadway revival) as Charlie Cowell; Kevin R. Free (Once On This Island at Paper Mill Playhouse) as Marcellus; Trent Armand Kendall (Into the Woods Broadway revival) as Olin Britt; Destinee Rea (Hairspray with Theatre Under the Stars) as Amaryllis; Myra Lucretia Taylor (Nine Broadway revival, As You Like It at Two River Theater) as Mrs. Paroo; Aurelia Williams (Once On This Island at Paper Mill Playhouse) as Ethel Toffelmier; and NaTasha Yvette Williams (A Night with Janis Joplin) as Eulalie Mackechnie Shinn.

The creative team includes scenic designer Craig Napoliello; costume designer Dede Ayite; lighting designer Alex Jainchill; sound designer Lindsay Jones; and associate sound designer Jake Zerrer. The casting is by Cindy Tolan & Adam Caldwell and the stage manager is David Apichell.