“The Music Man” is a beloved musical that first debuted in 1957 and has remained popular ever since. Following the budding romance between traveling con man Harold Hill and local librarian Marian Paroo, as well as a growing affinity between the fictional town of River City, Iowa and Harold, the swindler eventually grows to care for Marian and the rest of the town’s residents, deciding to start a new life as an honest man.
Just over a week before opening night, the cast and crew of the Little Falls Theatre Company’s production of “The Music Man” is in full swing. Rehearsing the musical’s second act, actors leap and spin across the stage in impressive dance numbers while others put their hearts into singing beautiful songs. Crew members make the rehearsal run smoothly, playing the rehearsal music tracks, adjusting the lighting and occasionally yelling out directions for the cast.
Leading this operation is Emma Ahlin, the director of the Little Falls Theatre Company’s production. Ahlin oversees every aspect of the show, from the intricate choreography to the vibrant set design.
Ahlin’s connection to “The Music Man” runs deep. She first experienced the show as an 8-year-old, when the Little Falls Community High School put on a production. That early exposure sparked a lifelong love of theater, and now, years later, Ahlin finds herself at the helm of her own interpretation of the beloved musical at the very same theater, the Charles D. Martin Auditorium.
“The music is really what makes the show, I think, especially all the choreography,” Ahlin said. “It’s a golden age musical, so the story is pretty minimal, but the core of the show is being able to transport us to this other-worldly, crazy place where people are more different than we are.”
Ahlin’s passion for the material is evident in the way she describes the show’s vibrant, almost fantastical aesthetic. She and her team have worked tirelessly to create a visual experience that is both true to the original work and uniquely their own.
“We really tried to build something that was extremely other-worldly in terms of the colors and how everything is built,” Ahlin explained. “It’s not like realism at all, and I think that’s really important.”
One of Ahlin’s favorite scenes is the lengthy, dance-heavy “Marian” number, which she described as a “complete dance number” that lasts a full eight minutes. She was also excited about the show’s comedic moments, particularly in the second act, which features the iconic “Shipoopi” dance.
Ahlin acknowledged the challenges of working with a larger-than-usual ensemble, but she’s confident that her team is up to the task.
“This cast has put so much work in, and I’m so very excited to see it,” Ahlin said. “Choreography has been extremely hard, but in the way that they’re taking it, it’s really, really good. We have a lot of really strong dancers.”
The music of “The Music Man” was also challenging, especially the different harmonies present in the recurring barbershop quartet singers, but thanks to music directors Holly and Garrett Lathe, it was a challenge everyone was well equipped to meet.
One of the most unique aspects of the show is the inclusion of the barbershop quartet, a style of singing that is not often seen in modern musical theater.
“We have four singers who are not barbershop quartet singers, taking on that genre that’s really, really specific,” Holly Lathe said. “And it’s just really a difficult style of singing. They’ve been amazing to see their start point and ending point. Even the tightness of that group has been so cool. We’ve had some people that when they auditioned, they said, ‘I want to be part of the quartet,’ just because it’s such a unique experience.”
A sense of camaraderie and belonging is a central theme of the production. Lathe explained that the show is “about differences and accepting,” exploring how a community learns to appreciate the quirks and idiosyncrasies that make each person special.
Ahlin isn’t the only person involved with the show who has had a close connection to “The Music Man” from a young age, as Lathe also loved the show since her childhood.
“When I found out that this was the show that we’re going to do, I just almost cartwheeled,” Lathe said. “It’s my first musical that I fell in love with, that I remember growing up with. It’s the first one where I could sing every song along to. I just remember watching it over and over and over, any chance that I could get. I loved it so much. It was just funny and charming and romantic, and all of the things that you want from a show.”
Playing the romantic couple of Harold and Marian are Michael Kalpakoff and Abby Schnobrich. Schnobrich said it’s been fun to show how Marian opens up to Harold and the rest of the town over the course of the play, not just through acting but also in the way that she sings and dances and even in the costumes that she wears.
“(Marian) is a very uptight character,” Schnobrich said. “She doesn’t have a lot of friends in the town. She’s very well read, and she’s taken it upon herself and tried to bring in culture and some literature to the town because she’s a librarian, but they’re not super receptive.”
This character development is also reflected in the costumes, which start out more buttoned-up and dark in color before becoming “lighter and softer” as Marian loosens up. The set design also evolves, with the Little Falls Theatre Company utilizing a variety of setpieces, including a bridge in the hallway that is brought in and out as needed.
The cast and crew have all pitched in to help build the set and props, with Schnobrich herself painting a number of items.
“Emma and the production team, they’re all just here all day every day, basically, painting stuff. So everyone’s had a hand in part of it,” Schnobrich said.
As for the music, Snow Brick particularly enjoys the big dance number “Shipoopi” and the quartet’s renditions of songs like “Lida Rose.” She notes that the quartet’s music has been one of the most challenging aspects of the production, as they have to be completely self-sufficient in their parts.
The cast of The Music Man spans a wide range of ages, from an 8-year-old to those in their late 60s. Schnobrich said this was similar to the cast of “The Sound of Music,” another classic musical that the Little Falls Theatre Company produced in 2023.
Beyond the production itself, the Little Falls Theatre Company is also partnering with the nonprofit organization Playing it Forward, which collects and refurbishes used instruments and donates them to schools. Audience members who bring in an instrument receive a free ticket to the show, and the band kids in the production are using donated instruments from Playing it Forward.
This connection to the importance of music education ties into the overall message of the show, which Schnobrich described as being about “the power of words and the power of music and the power of persuasion,” and how one person can have a positive impact on a community.
As a foil to Marian’s initially closed-off demeanor, Harold is friendly and larger than life, even though he hides deceptive intentions. This makes the two an unlikely but ultimately irresistible couple. Kalpakoff described how he worked to bring his titular character to life onstage.
“There’s always a point in the show where you have to find that moment of change,” Kalpakoff said. “There’s certainly that moment where he kind of decides to stop fighting it. He does fight. He resists these feelings that he has for a while. He doesn’t even know that they’re there. When he realizes they are there, he resists for a while and then eventually he gives in and he realizes that it’s over. He has changed and he has to face the consequences of that, for better or for worse.”
Kalpakoff is particularly looking forward to showcasing the banter between Harold and Marian, as well as the dynamic between Harold and his former associate, Marcellus Washburn, played by Micah Alm.
Ultimately, Kalpakoff hopes that audiences will leave the show feeling uplifted and charmed.
The Little Falls Theatre Company’s production of “The Music Man” runs from Thursday, July 25 through Saturday, July 27 at 7 p.m., Friday, Aug. 2 and Saturday, Aug. 3 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 4 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 for students and seniors, $12 for adults or free with a donation of a gently-used musical instrument in collaboration with Playing It Forward. All performances are at the Charles D. Martin Auditorium of the Little Falls Community High School. Tickets can be bought at the door or online at lftheatre.org.
Most Popular
Comments / 0