The Music Man
at Falls Church High School

Reviewed on December 5, 2014

Lydia Gompper
George Mason High School
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Fairfax

Get your horns blazing, folks, because "The Music Man" has come to the Falls Church High School stage. The production was a foot-tapping, dancing-in-your-seat good time. Its large cast, clad in brightly colored period clothing of the early twentieth century, encompassed the stage with small town charm and catchy musical numbers. The audience left the theater smiling.

"The Music Man," based on writer Meredith Willson's own childhood in Mason City, Iowa, made its Broadway debut in 1957, followed by a West End production in 1961 and two separate Broadway revivals in 1980 and 2000. The story revolves around the titular music man himself, Harold Hill, a fast-talking, charismatic con man who travels from town to town, tricking unsuspecting people into paying for instruments and uniforms for a boys' band that will never actually be formed. However, Hill's crafty ways run into trouble in River City, Iowa when he meets local librarian Marian Paroo, a poised and intelligent piano teacher who ultimately steals his heart.

The production rested squarely on the shoulders of senior Mark Zubaly, who performed the role of Harold Hill with all its necessary swagger, pizzazz, and inherent magnetism. Zubaly started the show off strong with his opening number "Ya Got Trouble," showing off his perfect diction and fantastic physicalization of the character. Zubaly stayed on top of things throughout, displaying great chemistry with Hill's old friend Marcellus, played by sophomore Gulet Isse, and portraying his emotional side in his relationship with Marian Paroo, performed by junior Keely Greene.

Greene's greatest strength was her voice. Lovely and clear, it rang out in ballads such as "Goodnight My Someone" and "Till There Was You." Greene also showed particularly well-developed acting chops in her scenes with her character's younger brother Winthrop Paroo, a quiet, socially challenged boy played by a seventh grader from Luther Jackson Middle School.

Although the ensemble's energy was a bit lacking in the beginning of the show, they quickly picked it up, ending the first act with a wonderful rendition of "Wells Fargo Wagon" and upholding their enthusiasm throughout the rest of the performance. They executed complicated choreography with only a little difficulty, and were infinitely enjoyable to watch. Specific featured subsets of the ensemble, such as the Pick-a-little Ladies and the Barbershop Quartet, showed excellent skills with harmonization and added great reinforcement to the show.

Generally, the show was technically well done. The sets were simple but effective, and certain pieces, such as the Wells Fargo Wagon that rolled on stage at the end of the first act, were exquisite. The early-1900s Midwestern garb used for costuming was similarly enchanting, completing the picturesque production.

Falls Church High School's "The Music Man" was a night well-spent. A jubilant performance filled with jaunty tunes, gossipy wives, adorable children in marching band uniforms, and young lovers, it could hardly have been better. The actors and actresses should be commended on a pleasant execution of a classic musical, and congratulated on all of their hard work.

Maggie Hardy
Hayfield Secondary School
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Fairfax

Seventy-six trombones led the parade at Falls Church High School, where the magic of music came to life in the drama department's production of The Music Man. Based on a story by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey, the musical production opened on Broadway in 1957 with book, music, and lyrics by Willson. The production went on to win five Tony Awards, from choreography to best musical, and ran for 1,375 performances. The cast recording also won the first Grammy Award for "Best Original Cast Album."

The story follows the hijinks of conman Harold Hill (Mark Zubaly), who decides to take the tiny town of River City as his next victim. By promising the locals an improvement in their city and behavior of their children through music, he cons money out of them through purchases of instruments and uniforms, then darts away before they realize there are no items coming. He begins this pattern in River City until he meets the cold and reserved Marian Paroo (Keely Greene), the librarian and piano teacher who clearly has suspicions about him, along with Mayor Shinn (Benjamin Clock). Because of this, Hill plans to woo Marian into being on his side, but a monkey wrench gets thrown into his elaborate scheme – he actually falls in love with her! As the con gets messier and messier, the audience watches the town react to Harold Hill's action between upbeat musical numbers and goofy dialogue.

One particular vocal standout was Keely Greene (Marian Paroo), whose gorgeous voice and pure tone made for an impressive rendition of Marian the Librarian's solos. Additionally, Katherine Maines won the hearts of the audience with her enjoyable performance of Mrs. Paroo, and notably maintained a passable Irish accent with very few slip-ups.

Many members of the ensemble kept their energy up throughout the duration of the show. Although there were some who slipped in and out of character, a few cast members never seemed out of focus. Gulet Isse as Marcellus Washburn stole the show with his over the top comedic reactions, and Caroline Plummer as Zaneeta Shinn, the mayor's daughter, consistently remained in character whether she was the focus of the scene or standing amidst the crowd. She also shared a likeable chemistry with her bad-boy inventor love interest, Tommy Djilas (portrayed by Connor Hines). Both Isse and Plummer had strong physicality and noticeable control of the choreography, as dance captains.

Finally, two contrasting ensembles within the ensemble helped bring life to the show – the gossiping women and the Barbershop Quartet. When together, the gossiping women had high energy and clearly had fun with their goofy dances and songs, like "Pick-a-little, Talk-a-little." The Barbershop Quartet impressed the audience with their strong vocals and their relatively successful execution of harmonies.

All in all, Falls Church High School's production of The Music Man was an enjoyable show with some true standout performances, making the audience believe in the "Think System," Harold Hill describes – if you think it, you can do it.

Caroline Ortiz
Oakcrest School
Submitted for publication to Falls Church News Press

As the lights dimmed, and as the heartwarming tale goes, those cold, arrogant townspeople of Iowa were thawed by a con artist who came to swindle all their money. This musical, the Music Man written by Meredith Willson, was performed memorably by Falls Church High School cast.

Due to Willson's witty lyrics and script, the musical was performed on Broadway in 1957 and has since been adapted into two movies. As the story is based off of Willson's hometown, Mason City in Iowa, the musical has endured the years as an American classic. Harold Hill, a con man, comes to River City with the noble intention of ridding the town's boys of corruption through forming a band…or so he says. However Marian, a prim librarian, finds evidence that will deflate his elaborate lies. She plans to expose him until Harold befriends her lonely brother, Winthrop and slowly she finds herself to be in love with him.

The evasive ‘band director,' Harold Hill (Mark Zubaly) had crisp diction despite the challenges of talking very fast in several songs. He brought great enthusiasm to the role of Hill in order to complete his persona of a mischievous, confident pickpocket. However behind his cocky demeanor, Zubaly, through authentic facial expressions, revealed Hill's vulnerability concerning Marian. Sharing in the journey, the formerly prim librarian, Marian Paroo (Keely Greene) was a songbird whose voice was consistently pure. Both Zubaly and Greene crafted a strong relationship with Winthrop (Tate Wroblewski) which added depth to all three of their characters who were each struggling to allow others to see behind their many lies and cons.

With her incessant giggling, Zaneeta Shinn (Caroline Plummer) was ditzy and flirtatious with a refreshing amount of energy and commitment to the role. Plummer stood out from the ensemble with her ability to stay in character and consistent comedic acting. Likewise, Marcellus' (Gulet Isse) girlish twirls and mannerisms in the song, A Sadder but Wiser Girl for Me caused laughter to ring throughout the theater. The Barbershop quartet (Sebastian Marulanda, Casey Knepley, Caron Hopkins, and Calvin Zubaly) possessed great vigor and good voices which blended well together. While the cast at times struggled with the songs, and lacked energy, their winning smiles pulled the show together with fine results.

Following the trademark of a good technician, the lighting changes were so subtle so as to be invisible to the audience who were immersed in the story unfolding beneath the bright lights. The originality in the lighting choices, such as the use of red lights during scenes of dramatic moments, however added to the show's clean and beautifully crafted set. Not only was the set well-made but it kept well with the time period of 1912 so that the audience was blissfully engrossed in the town's innocent troubles.

As the stage lights regrettably faded, and the audience turned away with a wistful smile, the cast had performed a challenging script with admirable results while still being true to this American favorite.

Andrew Sharpe
Westfield High School
Submitted for publication to Patch.com - Fairfax

"You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you've collected a lot of empty yesterdays." Harold Hill stated as he cleverly charmed his way into the hearts of the audience and the stubborn town of River City, Iowa, in Falls Church High School's production of The Music Man.

Meredith Willson's The Music Man follows the con man Harold Hill who promises to bring a band to the "troubled" town of River City. Harold plans to skip town before the townspeople want their money back, but he begins to fall in love with the piano teacher Marian Paroo and the town itself. This frequently produced show has won five Tony awards including Best Musical. It prompted a 1962 film and a 2003 television remake due to its simplistic, yet enjoyable story.

Mark Zubaly tackled the role of the cunning con-artist Harold Hill with excellent diction and was easy to understand during the difficult song "Ya Got Trouble." Mark's understanding of the rhythm and craftiness of his character added immensely to the production. On the other side of Harold, Marian Paroo was adroitly portrayed by Keely Greene. Keely's singing voice fit the role of the prim librarian and sounded superb when combined with the Barbershop Quartet.

Another solid performance was given by Gulet Isse, who portrayed Harold's old friend Marcellus Washburn. Gulet had constant energy and delightful physicality throughout the entire show. Mrs. Paroo, played by Katherine Maines, was able to maintain a recognizable irish accent and found the humorous moments in her character. Caroline Plummer as Zaneeta Shin also had the audience laughing with her comical outbursts and movements.

The strongly united cast consisted of several students from Luther Jackson Middle School. Most of the students handled their first time on stage with the look of experienced actors and actresses. The ensemble certainly portrayed the Iowa "chip-on-the-shoulder" attitude. Although at times the energy was low, the cast brought the familiar songs to life with solid overall volume and well-worked harmonies.

The difficult score was played by The FCHS Music Man Orchestra; they rarely overshadowed the singing and were able to play the popular tunes with ease. Despite some transitions being too long, the many set pieces incorporated an impressive Wells Fargo Wagon. There were only a few sound problems in a show with such a large cast with microphones. Promoting the show was done in many ways, including having the character of Harold Hill actually conduct the band at Falls Church High School's Homecoming Game. Although the spotlight at times was unsteady, lighting did an excellent job creating a simple design that reflects the simplicity of the show itself.

The town of River City was never the same when Harold Hill showed up with his "76 trombones" in Falls Church High School's solid production of The Music Man.

Morgan Perigard
Westfield High School
Submitted for publication to Connection

River City, Iowa may seem like a calm, ordinary community, but once Harold Hill enters, it is transformed into an exuberant, vivacious, and lively town. The only problem? Harold is "Trouble with a capital T" in Falls Church High School's Production of The Music Man.

Meredith Wilson's The Music Man debuted on Broadway in 1957, going on to win five Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The story follows Harold Hill, a con man who has shown up in River City to scheme people out of their money by putting together a band. Hilarity ensues as Harold gains fame in the town, and falls in love with Marian, the town librarian, who sees right through his act.

Harold Hill, played by Mark Zubaly, anchored the show with a certain devilish charm and stage presence. Zubaly combined his endearing acting and great comedic timing to capture the audience and pull them along into his connived plot. One particular person that undeniably fell under Hill's spell was Marian Paroo, played by Keely Greene. Greene handled her character arc with simplicity and maturity, easily transitioning between the suspicious, apprehensive woman in the first act to the tender woman, completely entranced by Harold Hill in the second act.

Leading the large ensemble of townspeople was the charming, charismatic barbershop quartet (Sebastian Marulanda, Casey Knepley, Carson Hopkins, and Calvin Zubaly). The boys' voices integrated beautifully and were admirable accessories for other voices, such as Greene's, which was palpable in the song "Lida Rose/Will I Ever Tell You." Other notable performances were Marcellus Washburn and Zaneeta Shinn, played by Gulet Isse and Caroline Plummer, respectively. Both Isse and Plummer played up the comedic sides of their characters, bringing vibrancy and gusto to the production. While the ensemble lacked energy at times, they picked up the pace as the show went on. The enthusiasm was especially laudable in the song, "Wells Fargo Wagon", which left the audience with a smile as they left for intermission.

The standout technical portion of the show was the consistently clear and concise sound. The actors projected well and the audience was able to catch every word that was said on stage. The lighting design was clean and crisp and redeemed the production from some slow scene transitions.

The hard work and determination of Falls Church High School was unmistakable in their enjoyable production of The Music Man. By the end of the night, the comedic vibe and quick-witted actors made sure that you had an answer to the very important question: "Ever met a fella by the name of Hill?"

Jack Posey
McLean High School
Submitted for publication to Fairfax County Times

In the early 20th century in the quaint River City, Iowa, a little "trouble" -- in the form of the charismatic conman Harold Hill -- goes a long way to shake up the town and take its inhabitants and take them on a wild musical ride. The players at Falls Church High School brought sweet sounds and colorful personalities to life in their production of The Music Man.

The Music Man opened on Broadway in 1957, with music and lyrics by Meredith Wilson and book by Wilson and Franklin Lacey. The show received a total of five Tony awards, including the award for Best Musical. The story begins when River City is visited by Harold Hill, who devises a scheme to sell band instruments to the town's families, collect down payments for music lessons from the families, and then skip town with pockets full of the townspeople's money. However, when he meets the austere, yet intelligent and kind, Marion Paroo, love throws a wrench in the works and ends up changing Hill and River City for good.

As The Music Man (Harold Hill) himself, Mark Zubaly took the stage with a natural yet strong presence, executing the dauntingly difficult spoke-sung number "You've Got Trouble" with absolute ease. His slick and happy-go-lucky sensibility humorously contrasted with the gruff, short-fused nature of the town's Mayor Shinn (Benjamin Clock). Keely Greene showcased her lovely soprano voice through the role of Marion Paroo, which rose to lofty heights with clear tone in songs such as "Goodnight My Someone" and "Lida Rose." In the latter song, Greene was joined by the town's barber shop quartet (Ewart Dunlop, Oliver Hix, Jacey Squires, and Olin Britt), which provided enjoyable moments of harmonic a cappella singing as a lovably cohesive unit.

With the respective roles of Mrs.Paroo and young Winthrop Paroo, Katherine Maines and Tate Wroblewski painted an endearing family portrait with Marion. Maines, who maintained an impressively consistent Irish accent, embodied the role of the understanding, wise mother figure with aplomb, and Wroblewski was truly adorable to watch; his interactions with Marion were precious, and made the audience more sympathetic to her initially stand-offish and cold character. Gulet Isse was a joy to watch as Hill's friend Marcellus Washburn; his strong sense of stylized physicality was apparent in dances such as the hilarious duo with Hill, "The Sadder But Wiser Girl For Me," and his lively presence helped pick up the energy and pacing of many scenes. Finally, as the mayor's flirty daughter, Zaneeta Shin, Caroline Plummer crafted sharp moments of comedy through her romantic follies and executed her dances with great polish and energy.

The shows settings, transitioning between locations such as a train car, a library, and a school gym, were created with a central upstage wall and doorway altered by roll-on flats and platforms. One standout element of the show's technical features was its quality of sound; the body mics on stage made even those with projection issues easy to understand and kept a tone that sounded like natural amplification of volume throughout the entire show.

From "The Wells Fargo Wagon" to "You've Go Trouble," the cast and crew of Falls Church High School did justice to a beloved classic with their production of The Music Man.