The Music Man is traditional musical with plenty of toe-tapping numbers and memorable characters. It tells the story of con-man Harold Hill, who poses as a band leader and sells band instruments and uniforms to naïve townsfolk before skipping town with the cash. In River City, Iowa, prim librarian and piano teacher Marian Paroo sees through him, but when Harold helps her younger brother overcome his fear of social interactions due to his lisp, Marian begins to fall in love with Harold.
The show became a hit on Broadway in 1957 and went on to win 5 Tony Awards, including 'Best Musica'l. It's soundtrack was also very popular, winning the first Grammy for 'Best Original Cast Album'.
It has been adapted to film twice, once in 1962 starring Robert Preston and again in 2003 starring Matthew Broderick.
The show became a hit on Broadway in 1957 and went on to win 5 Tony Awards, including 'Best Musica'l. It's soundtrack was also very popular, winning the first Grammy for 'Best Original Cast Album'.
It has been adapted to film twice, once in 1962 starring Robert Preston and again in 2003 starring Matthew Broderick.
The Cast
Harold Hill - Matthew Austin
Marian Paroo - Megan Abbott
Winthrop - Cameron Lewis
Mrs Paroo - Rachel Marshall
Marcellus - Matthew Kerslake
Mayor Shinn - Steve Brooks
Olin Britt - Ian Ding
Oliver Hix - Mike Cooke
Ewart Dunlop - Hugh Pearce
Jacey Squires - James Golder
Charlie Cowell - David Brammer
Eulalie - Irene Whitehouse
Alam Hix - Gemma Laing
Maud Dunlop - Jenny Lewis
Ethel Tofflemier - Jane Pearce
Mrs Squires - Monica Aubrey-Jones
Tommy Djilas - Daniel Wagg
Zaneeta Shinn - Amy Kent
Gracie Shinn - Georgia Smith
Amaryllis - Jenny Read
Conductor - Bertie Ellison
Mrs Britt - Karen Girdwood
Constable - Mark Girdwood
River City Townspeople
Hayley Hewitt
Leslie Judd
Brian Turner
Julie Turner
River City Teens
Katy Beeton
Lucy Beeton
Tigger Ellison
Ellie Fradley
William Johnson
Emily Marshall
Kathryn Marshall
Anna Pearson
Ethan Robsinson
Sophie Sharp
River City Children
Emma Aubrey-Jones
Lucy Bearpark
Cerys Brooks
Kyle Elflett
Dominic King
Alice Oakley
Ella Webb
Lucy White
The Crew
Director - Penny Cooke
Choreographer - Penny Cooke
Musical Director - Kate Mould
Production Assistant - Debbie Hiles
Light and Sound Technician - Barry Ayres
Set Designer - Matthew Austin
Stage Manager - Seamus Power
Backstage Crew - Richard Bennett, Mark Girdwood and Debbie Hiles
Publicity - Megan Abbott
Adverts - Kate Oldfield
Box Office - Kate and Chip Carpenter
Transport Manager - Terry Cook
Front of House Manager - Cyril Pike
Front of House Team - Friends and members of the society
Bar - Nerys Brooks
The Orchestra
Piano - Kate Mould
Reed 1 - Lisa Verrinder
Reed 2 - Gary Bearpark
Trumpet - Malcolm Green
Trombone - Tammy Horscroft
Drums - Colin Mason and Katrina Barrow
Harold Hill - Matthew Austin
Marian Paroo - Megan Abbott
Winthrop - Cameron Lewis
Mrs Paroo - Rachel Marshall
Marcellus - Matthew Kerslake
Mayor Shinn - Steve Brooks
Olin Britt - Ian Ding
Oliver Hix - Mike Cooke
Ewart Dunlop - Hugh Pearce
Jacey Squires - James Golder
Charlie Cowell - David Brammer
Eulalie - Irene Whitehouse
Alam Hix - Gemma Laing
Maud Dunlop - Jenny Lewis
Ethel Tofflemier - Jane Pearce
Mrs Squires - Monica Aubrey-Jones
Tommy Djilas - Daniel Wagg
Zaneeta Shinn - Amy Kent
Gracie Shinn - Georgia Smith
Amaryllis - Jenny Read
Conductor - Bertie Ellison
Mrs Britt - Karen Girdwood
Constable - Mark Girdwood
River City Townspeople
Hayley Hewitt
Leslie Judd
Brian Turner
Julie Turner
River City Teens
Katy Beeton
Lucy Beeton
Tigger Ellison
Ellie Fradley
William Johnson
Emily Marshall
Kathryn Marshall
Anna Pearson
Ethan Robsinson
Sophie Sharp
River City Children
Emma Aubrey-Jones
Lucy Bearpark
Cerys Brooks
Kyle Elflett
Dominic King
Alice Oakley
Ella Webb
Lucy White
The Crew
Director - Penny Cooke
Choreographer - Penny Cooke
Musical Director - Kate Mould
Production Assistant - Debbie Hiles
Light and Sound Technician - Barry Ayres
Set Designer - Matthew Austin
Stage Manager - Seamus Power
Backstage Crew - Richard Bennett, Mark Girdwood and Debbie Hiles
Publicity - Megan Abbott
Adverts - Kate Oldfield
Box Office - Kate and Chip Carpenter
Transport Manager - Terry Cook
Front of House Manager - Cyril Pike
Front of House Team - Friends and members of the society
Bar - Nerys Brooks
The Orchestra
Piano - Kate Mould
Reed 1 - Lisa Verrinder
Reed 2 - Gary Bearpark
Trumpet - Malcolm Green
Trombone - Tammy Horscroft
Drums - Colin Mason and Katrina Barrow
NODA Review
Without sounding overly evangelical, I have to report that the standard of the shows I have seen this year has been remarkable. Every time I take my seat, I seem to be blown away by what is presented to me and I was therefore trembling with excitement as The Watlington Players laid out an impressive cast for its 2013 musical, Meredith Wilson’s evergreen classic, “The Music Man”.
The very first thing to say is that, once again, the Village Hall had been made to look completely appropriate with a centrepiece that consisted of musical instruments various, as if in a shop window. In addition, the impressive raked seating was back, and it made this beautiful venue look every inch a theatre. Secondly, and ahead of any future comments about this show, I have to say that the colourful set (Matthew Austin and Seamus Power), superb costumes (Judy Parsons) and complimentary lighting (Barry Ayres), combined with so many excited enthusiastic cast members made this one the most uplifting amateur theatrical experiences in my recent memory.
… and so to the detail. The chorus were simply remarkable! Every single one, with a special mention for the “River City Teens” who just looked so at home I truly believed they were there! It is a tribute to them that my take home song was (and still is) “ Marian the Librarian” with the Beeton Sisters omnipresent and the excellent Sophie Sharp working tirelessly. I name a few, but that is by no intent to diminish the rest, because there was not a weak link in any part of this ensemble.
Of the supporting cast there was good work from Jane Pearce as Ethel Tofflemier, Jenny Lewis as Maud Dunlop, Monica Aubrey-Jones as Mrs Squires and Gemma Laing as Alma Hix. However, all completely overshadowed by the hilarious (and I really mean hilarious) Irene Whitehouse as the Mayor’s wife, Eulalie, who very nearly stole the show! The juvenile romantic leads Daniel Wagg as Tommy Djilas and the wonderful Amy Kent as Zaneeta Shin were very watchable and it is good to see Mr Wagg growing stronger with every show. Amy Kent simply oozed charm with that legendary smile, easily capable of lighting up most of Iowa. Nice work also from Steve Brooks as the Mayor, and I take my hat off completely to the barbershop quartet of James Golder as Jacey Squires (high), Hugh Pearce as Ewart Dunlop (not so high), Mike Cooke as Oliver Hix (low) and Ian Ding as Olin Britt (ludicrously low!), who just made me smile every time they came on. A special mention for David Brammer who was on top form (and probably some form of medication) delivering a caricature that proved (once again) there are no small parts, just small perfomances. As Charlie Cowell, disgruntled salesman, he was just sublime!
Of the leads, there was another good characterisation from Matthew Kerslake as side-kick, Marcellus and a fine piece of pathos acting from Cameron Lewis as Winthrop, who managed to show the development of the character to great effect. I don’t recall being conscious of Rachel Marshall in previous productions, but at Mrs Paroo she gave a warm and delightfully subtle characterisation even if her Irish-American accent did wander around a bit.
It is never a chore to watch the incredibly talented Matthew Austin in any production and he was confident and charismatic throughout this particular one, but I must confess, I did leave the car park wondering if his singing voice was really musical lead quality. No such doubts about Megan Abbott who, as demure romantic lead Marian Paroo, was simply delightful. Miss Abbott put her heart and soul into this part and I don’t think I have seen her better cast for some considerable time.
Amongst the many innovations noticeable in this show I was very impressed with the use of the video screen to allow the cast to see Musical Director, Kate Mould at the back of the auditorium, as they do in the West End, and, whilst I am on that subject, Miss Mould and her seven piece orchestra executed their duties with some considerable style.
It is a pre-requisite of this job that you have to single out people or incidents for specific criticism or congratulations, but in the case of this production the relative success or failure of the individual parts was completely overshadowed by the spectacle of the whole. Going back to my opening comments regarding the quality of recent productions it has been as much the quality of the directing (set, costumes and hair etc.) than the performances and on this night Penny Cooke should be proud, very proud of herself and her entire
cast.
Stephen Hayter (He doesn’t know the territory !)
8th July 2013
The very first thing to say is that, once again, the Village Hall had been made to look completely appropriate with a centrepiece that consisted of musical instruments various, as if in a shop window. In addition, the impressive raked seating was back, and it made this beautiful venue look every inch a theatre. Secondly, and ahead of any future comments about this show, I have to say that the colourful set (Matthew Austin and Seamus Power), superb costumes (Judy Parsons) and complimentary lighting (Barry Ayres), combined with so many excited enthusiastic cast members made this one the most uplifting amateur theatrical experiences in my recent memory.
… and so to the detail. The chorus were simply remarkable! Every single one, with a special mention for the “River City Teens” who just looked so at home I truly believed they were there! It is a tribute to them that my take home song was (and still is) “ Marian the Librarian” with the Beeton Sisters omnipresent and the excellent Sophie Sharp working tirelessly. I name a few, but that is by no intent to diminish the rest, because there was not a weak link in any part of this ensemble.
Of the supporting cast there was good work from Jane Pearce as Ethel Tofflemier, Jenny Lewis as Maud Dunlop, Monica Aubrey-Jones as Mrs Squires and Gemma Laing as Alma Hix. However, all completely overshadowed by the hilarious (and I really mean hilarious) Irene Whitehouse as the Mayor’s wife, Eulalie, who very nearly stole the show! The juvenile romantic leads Daniel Wagg as Tommy Djilas and the wonderful Amy Kent as Zaneeta Shin were very watchable and it is good to see Mr Wagg growing stronger with every show. Amy Kent simply oozed charm with that legendary smile, easily capable of lighting up most of Iowa. Nice work also from Steve Brooks as the Mayor, and I take my hat off completely to the barbershop quartet of James Golder as Jacey Squires (high), Hugh Pearce as Ewart Dunlop (not so high), Mike Cooke as Oliver Hix (low) and Ian Ding as Olin Britt (ludicrously low!), who just made me smile every time they came on. A special mention for David Brammer who was on top form (and probably some form of medication) delivering a caricature that proved (once again) there are no small parts, just small perfomances. As Charlie Cowell, disgruntled salesman, he was just sublime!
Of the leads, there was another good characterisation from Matthew Kerslake as side-kick, Marcellus and a fine piece of pathos acting from Cameron Lewis as Winthrop, who managed to show the development of the character to great effect. I don’t recall being conscious of Rachel Marshall in previous productions, but at Mrs Paroo she gave a warm and delightfully subtle characterisation even if her Irish-American accent did wander around a bit.
It is never a chore to watch the incredibly talented Matthew Austin in any production and he was confident and charismatic throughout this particular one, but I must confess, I did leave the car park wondering if his singing voice was really musical lead quality. No such doubts about Megan Abbott who, as demure romantic lead Marian Paroo, was simply delightful. Miss Abbott put her heart and soul into this part and I don’t think I have seen her better cast for some considerable time.
Amongst the many innovations noticeable in this show I was very impressed with the use of the video screen to allow the cast to see Musical Director, Kate Mould at the back of the auditorium, as they do in the West End, and, whilst I am on that subject, Miss Mould and her seven piece orchestra executed their duties with some considerable style.
It is a pre-requisite of this job that you have to single out people or incidents for specific criticism or congratulations, but in the case of this production the relative success or failure of the individual parts was completely overshadowed by the spectacle of the whole. Going back to my opening comments regarding the quality of recent productions it has been as much the quality of the directing (set, costumes and hair etc.) than the performances and on this night Penny Cooke should be proud, very proud of herself and her entire
cast.
Stephen Hayter (He doesn’t know the territory !)
8th July 2013
Lynn News Review
Singing the praises of the Music Man
The Music Man was an explosion of music, dance and comedy in a rollercoaster of fun at Watlington Village Hall with the Watlington Players. From the moment the audience sat down, the band serenaded them with early 20th century music hall tunes.
The Music Man is a feel-good tale of mischief, redemption and forgiveness delivered expertly by a group of dedicated actors, directors and back of house crew. Director and choreographer Penny Cooke did a fantastic job of blocking the performance into a well-drilled military exercise.
Matthew Austin, playing The Music Man, Harold Hill, was on fine form, with an unfaltering American accent throughout. It is clear that he has had good stage training previously. Although, at times I think Matthew was concentrating on maintaining his accent, and this led to some of his expression being lost. His counterpart, Megan Abbott, playing Marian Paroo, was also a confident performer, and a very talented singer.
Throughout the entire performance the ensemble work was the soul of the piece, the whole cast gluing together well to deliver numbers that deservedly received applause from the audience.
Joe Rawnsley - Lynn News
7th June 2013
The Music Man was an explosion of music, dance and comedy in a rollercoaster of fun at Watlington Village Hall with the Watlington Players. From the moment the audience sat down, the band serenaded them with early 20th century music hall tunes.
The Music Man is a feel-good tale of mischief, redemption and forgiveness delivered expertly by a group of dedicated actors, directors and back of house crew. Director and choreographer Penny Cooke did a fantastic job of blocking the performance into a well-drilled military exercise.
Matthew Austin, playing The Music Man, Harold Hill, was on fine form, with an unfaltering American accent throughout. It is clear that he has had good stage training previously. Although, at times I think Matthew was concentrating on maintaining his accent, and this led to some of his expression being lost. His counterpart, Megan Abbott, playing Marian Paroo, was also a confident performer, and a very talented singer.
Throughout the entire performance the ensemble work was the soul of the piece, the whole cast gluing together well to deliver numbers that deservedly received applause from the audience.
Joe Rawnsley - Lynn News
7th June 2013