The Music Man Plays at the Candlelight Pavilion This Summer
CLAREMONT, CA— An affectionate tribute to Smalltown, U.S.A. of a bygone era, Meredith Willson’s The Music Man, follows fast-talking traveling salesman Harold Hill as he cons the people of River City, Iowa. His plans to skip town with the cash are foiled when he falls for Marian the librarian. Familiar songs include “76 Trombones”, “Till There Was You” and “Ya Got Trouble.” The Candlelight Pavilion, where fine dining and musical theater meet, is proud to present Meredith Willson’s The Music Man, running June 8th-July 22nd. One of the Greatest American Musicals, Perfect for the Family This Summer!
The Music Man centers on River City, Iowa, a small rural town in which Harold Hill, a traveling con man, has set his sites on, but little does he know the affect of the town and the people within it will have on him.
While the story of The Music Man centers around con man Harold Hill and his endeavors at conning small naive towns into purchasing band equipment, and then skipping town with the money before giving them the skills to use said equipment, the story is loosely based on events that happened in Meredith Willson’s life, including the town he grew up in and people that he had interacted with throughout his life. The story takes place in River City, Iowa which is based on Willson’s childhood town of Mason City, Iowa. This town was in fact the inspiration for Willson to create The Music Man, his first musical. Marian Paroo, the town librarian, was based on Marian Steely from Utah, who Willson met during World War II. Steely had been working as a medical records librarian. Willson approached multiple television stations in order to produce a television special, but with a few unsuccessful attempts, he approached Franklin Lacey who then helped him to flush out the musical and simplify the libretto.
The original production began in 1950, but after many changes and forty drafts of the musical, the original Broadway production opened in December of 1957, the same year as West Side Story. The Music Man ran for nearly three years with 1,375 performances in total. The musical went on to receive 5 Tony Awards, beating out West Side Story for Best Musical.
The 2012 production of Meredith Willson’s The Music Man will mark the 4th time that Harold Hill and the town of River City will grace the Candlelight Pavilion’s stage. Heading up this fantastic American Musical is Ray Limon as both Director and Choreographer. Limon has choreographed multiple shows for the Candlelight Pavilion including, The Sound of Music, Guys and Dolls and Pirates of Penzance and of course was seen last year in Singin’ in the Rain. Martin Green is making his Candlelight Pavilion debut as Music Director after performing in the Candlelight Pavilion productions of Ain’t Misbehavin and Suds.
This summer, Candlelight Pavilion is proud to offer “Think Theater Thursdays”. Give your children the experience of live theater. When you mention this, you will receive one complimentary child’s ticket with each full-priced adult ticket purchased. Restrictions apply.
This wonderful cast includes Allen Everman (Harold Hill), Caralee Hill (Marian Paroo), Brenda Liebeskind-Haines (Mrs. Paroo), Kevin Blackley (Charlie Cowell), John Lynd (Mayor Shinn), Jenny Wentworth (Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn), Jason Oles (Marcellus Washburn), Hannah M. James (Zaneeta Shinn), Michael Milligan (Tommy Djilas), The Quartet includes Jonathan Arana (Jacey Squires), John Blaylock (Ewart Dunlop), Robert Meyer (Oliver Hix), and Robert Hoyt (Olin Britt), with Daniella Painton (Alma Hix), Megan Cherry (Maud Dunlop), Sarah Rae Jackson (Ethel Toffelmier), Mirna Carbajal (Mrs. Squires), Wyatt Larrabee (Winthrop, Red Cast), Grant Palmer (Winthrop, Blue Cast), Brennley Brown (Amaryllis, Red Cast), Jaidyn Young (Amaryllis, Blue Cast), Jillian Batt (Gracie Shinn, Red Cast), and Katherine Minano (Gracie Shinn, Blue Cast). The Ensemble cast includes Tim Martin, Chantz La Grant Ward, Matt Edgerton, Nick Gardner, Anne Arreguin, Justin High, Autumn Thomas and Emily Relph. The Children’s Ensemble Cast is split between two groups; the Red Cast includes Thalia Atallah, Joseph Banuelos, Kaitlyn Boyd, Kellen Ford, and Jamie Hernandez. The Blue Cast includes Kaylee Hernandez, Nathan Lightfoot, Ryan Lightfoot, Faith Teuber and Rhys Teuber.
Meredith Willson’s The Music Man opens June 8th at the Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theater. Tickets are available by calling (909) 626-1254, ext 1. Regular ticket prices range from $48-$68 which includes both dinner and show, $25-$30 for children 12 and under. The Candlelight Pavilion is proud to announce its flexible payment plans to all Season ticket holders; save 10% on season tickets when you book as few as four shows. For more information regarding the 2012 season line-up and ticketing, please visit us online at www.thecpdt.com.