The Music Man
at Thomas S. Wootton High School

Reviewed on April 14, 2018

Sarah Chopko
Bishop Ireton High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News

Although River City, Iowa was in lots of "Trouble", Wootton High School most certainly was not. Their charming production of Meredith Wilson's "The Music Man" was a fun time from start to end.

Opening on Broadway in 1957 but set in the summer of 1912, "The Music Man" tells the story of traveling salesman Harold Hill (Max Ramsay) who runs a scam in the Midwest where he sells instruments and uniforms then skips town with the money in tow. However, in River City, Iowa, he has more difficulty winning over the "Iowa Stubborn" townsfolk, especially town librarian and music teacher, Marian (Taylor Litofsky), who, upon the realization that Hill's scam brought hope to the town, falls in love with him and protects his secret. Hill, in love with Marian, decides to remain in town and is finally accepted when the band comes out and plays Beethoven's "Minuet in G."

Wootton High School took some chances with this production, such as the use of children of all ages in the town ensemble. While it is difficult to integrate children into a large high school production, they added a new element that made the show more special to watch, especially with Winthrop's rendition of "Gary, Indiana", sung by the adorable and very young Colin Cope. The interactions between the cast and the young children made the production more endearing and was a unique take on the show.

Despite occasional tech issues as well as the infrequent rogue child, the actors overall were great at adapting to their environment. This was made possible by the excellent framing of the scenes by the lighting team, which was creative in their use of the double shadows from the spotlights during solos and duets, the colorful background lights during big ensemble numbers, and the fading and brightening in conjunction with the lyrics of "Marian the Librarian". But the most impressive technical aspect was the student pit orchestra, which despite the large size, had a consistently beautiful sound and was able to adjust to an appropriate balance. They demonstrated great professionalism in continuously acting even in the background.

The leads were all great: Mayor and Mrs. Shinn's (Zack Cassidy and Hannah Bruckheim, respectively) timing and interactions kept the audience continuously giggling at their charades, Charlie the anvil salesman (Kyle Hermary) was an unexpected source of humor, and the chemistry between Hill (Ramsay) and Marian (Litofsky) was electrifying. Julia Bergel as ensemble "Pick-a-Little" lady, Alma Hix, took a small character and made her special, and could always be counted on to be heard above the intense harmonies that often accompanied her lines. Charlotte Bergel did the same with her character of Gracie Shinn, who despite having one line, was incredibly humorous and enjoyable to watch throughout the entire show. The barbershop quartet's harmonies were fantastic and a definite highlight, blending seamlessly with Litofsky's pleasant soprano voice in "Will I Ever Tell You/Lida Rose".

But it was Alyssa Herman and Sean Klein, as Zaneeta Shinn and Tommy Djilas, respectively, who stole the show. The chemistry of their characters and acting of their subplot was most fascinating, leaving the audience wanting more, especially from their phenomenal dancing.

All these different aspects made Wootton High School's production of "The Music Man" a "Sincerely" good show that will leave the audience smiling.

Isabella Diaz
Bishop Ireton High School
Submitted for publication to Cappies News 2

The house lights dim, the opening notes of the overture swell up from the pit, and the audience is instantly immersed in the "golden age" of musical theater as the cast of Thomas S. Wootton's production of "The Music Man" dance to classic musical numbers to bring the story of Prof. Harold Hill and the town of River City, Iowa to life.

Meredith Wilson's classic musical tells the story of Harold Hill, a traveling salesman who goes from town to town swindling people out of their money by creating a need for a kid's marching band and hightailing it out of town before the band plays a single note. His plans in River City, however, are derailed when he meets Marian Paroo, a stubborn librarian who isn't fooled by his charming exterior and way with words. As they warm up to each other, River City is transformed for the better by Hill's presence.

One of the best parts of this production wasn't what was onstage, but just beyond it - the student pit orchestra was fantastic. Keeping the energy up, adjusting to working with soloists who had quieter voices or trouble with pacing, and bringing the vibrant score of the musical to life, the pit managed to highlight and support the songs onstage while still shining on their own. The orchestra may have had fewer than 40 people, but during numbers such as "Seventy-Six Trombones," the energy and delight was so palpable from the music that it almost felt as if there could be a whole marching band triumphantly leading the number.

The two lead actors gave worthy performances; Max Ramsay artfully brought to life Harold Hill's silver tongue and effortless charisma, leading high-energy numbers and staying in rhythm without sounding robotic. Taylor Litofsky gave a lovely performance as Marian Paroo, exchanging sharp, witty remarks with Ramsay during scenes they shared and shining as a soprano on her own in musical numbers such as "Goodnight, My Someone." The two had excellent chemistry and gave convincing performances that demonstrated character development.

Other notable performances included Sean Klein and Alyssa Herman as Tommy Djilas and Zaneeta Shinn; thought their roles were minor, they were constantly engaged and had apparent chemistry, causing them to steal a lot of the scenes and musical numbers they were in. Zack Cassidy and Hannah Bruckheim fed off each other's energy as Mayor Shinn and Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn, making audiences laugh throughout the show. The audience favorites, however, appeared to be the barbershop quartet, made up of Ameya Deshmukh, Aidan Wilbur, Tejas Iyer, and Matthew Sachs. The four were a charming group despite having little dialogue, and their harmonies didn't disappoint.

This performance was an endearing trip to the golden age of musicals and a reminder to the audience why it has been so well-loved for such a long time. You really ought to give "The Music Man" a try - you'll walk away charmed.

Kristen Waagner
McLean High School
Submitted for publication to Patch.com

When traveling con man Harold Hill comes to the small town of River City, Iowa, only trouble (with a capital T!) can ensue. Paired with a fantastic orchestra and a talented cast, Wootton High School's "The Music Man" will have everyone wishing they could be marching alongside Harold Hill's big brass band.

With book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Wilson, "The Music Man" has been the quintessential Broadway musical since its opening in 1957, for which it garnered five Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The smash hit has been frequently produced ever since, and it received a Broadway revival in 2000, headed by famed choreographer Susan Stroman. The story of "The Music Man" follows the crafty salesman Harold Hill, who sells band instruments and uniforms to towns with the promise of music lesson and skips town before it is shown that he is a fraud with no musical knowledge. Everything changes when he comes to River City, Iowa, where Marian Paroo, the town music teacher, and librarian, sees right through his scheme.

The titular music man was played with magnetic stage presence by Max Ramsay; in each one of his scenes, he embodied the charisma of Harold Hill, using his rich baritone to master challenging music. As his critic-turned-love Marian Paroo, Taylor Litofsky complemented Ramsay's fast-talking salesman with her sweet, clear vocals and her transformation from indignantly aloof to welcoming as Hill won her over in "Marian the Librarian."

Litofsky's Marian possessed a charming family dynamic with her mother (Rachel Kerschenbaum) and her younger brother, Winthrop (Colin Cope). Though only in elementary school, Cope gave a wonderful performance, and the family of three shone in "Gary, Indiana." Comic relief was provided by the antics of Mayor Shinn (Zack Cassidy) and his wife, the flamboyant Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn (Hannah Bruckheim), as the former tried to stop Hill's plan and the latter fell right into Hill's hands. Their eldest daughter, Zaneeta Shinn (Alyssa Herman) and her boyfriend from the other side of the tracks, Tommy Djilas (Sean Klein) had believable chemistry and were notable as dancers, especially in the "It's You Ballet."

One of the most impressive aspects of "The Music Man" was the prodigious and incredibly well-rehearsed orchestra, made up of over 30 student musicians. From the overture, the orchestra continuously amazed as they tackled the difficult score, even perfectly adjusting to account for actors changing tempos. The stage crew admirably handled scene transitions, keeping them short, and stage management tackled the task of wrangling a large ensemble of school-age children backstage, no small feat. Though there were some sound problems, overall, the technical elements of the show contributed to creating a believable world.

Wootton High School has presented a marvelous adaptation of "The Music Man," reminding audiences of the power music can have to change a person's life.

Samuel Intrater
Albert Einstein High School
Submitted for publication to Maryland Theater Guide

You really gotta give Wootton a try! This charming production of "The Music Man" from Thomas S. Wootton High School captured the quirky, unforgettable character of Meredith Willson's classic.

Meredith Willson based the tale of self-proclaimed Professor Harold Hill on his own hometown of Mason City, Iowa when writing the music, lyrics, and book (alongside his friend Franklin Lacey). The plot revolves around a con man coming to quiet old River City to scam the residents into putting together a young boy's band but unexpectedly finds love along the way. The musical opened in 1958 to huge success, winning 5 Tony Awards, including Best Leading Actor in a Musical and Best Musical (beating out West Side Story). Film adaptations include the iconic 1962 film starring Robert Preston and a 2003 TV-movie with Matthew Broederick

Thanks to the efforts of the unbelievable Wootton Pit Orchestra, the well-balanced ensemble, and lovely solos, the show sounded superb. Mic cut-outs at the beginning were quickly fixed and allowed the audience to enjoy timeless show tunes like "Pick-a-little (Talk-a-little)", "Seventy-Six Trombones", and "Shipoopi".

The show's central romance between Harold Hill and Marian "The Librarian" Paroo was developed delicately and fabulously by a very likable duo of Max Ramsay and Taylor Litofsky. Both had pleasant vocals and winning chemistry as they slowly tore down each other's barriers to find the gentle center hidden inside each character.

Rachel Kerschenbaum portrayed Marian's Irish mother Mrs. Paroo with vigor, while the stuck-up couple of Mayor Shinn (Zack Cassidy) and Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn (Hannah Bruckheim) provided several of the best laughs of the night. Other notable show-stealers include the Barbershop Quartet (Ameya Deshmukh, Aidan Wilbur, Tejas Iyer, Matthew Sachs) and the young lovers Tommy and Zaneeta (Sean Klein and Alyssa Herman).

Perhaps the most fun the audience had throughout the night was when the young children of River City got their time to shine. The kids themselves were, of course, adorable, but much credit is due to the cast and crew of Wootton High School for keeping the potential chaos down to a minimum ensuring that their presence in the show was organized and tight as an ensemble.

From a technical standpoint, set pieces were simple but classy, as River City should be. There are several different buildings and locations that the characters must travel to within the town, and scene transitions were remarkably fast whenever one of these big shifts came into play. The lack of age make-up made it somewhat difficult to distinguish between which characters were supposed to be young adults and which were supposed to be older, but otherwise, everyone on stage looked well made-up, well lit, and well costumed.

Thomas S. Wootton's "The Music Man" was carefully crafted and well-composed. With the trend of Broadway nowadays being to cover heavy subject matter and tell grand stories, productions like these are cathartic reminders of the golden age of musical theatre.