Artist Statement

The Music Man is a fascinating piece of musical theatre. Its sonic variety and the deftness with which it moves from between dialogue and song is best in class for musicals of its vintage and it still captivates today. The lighting design for this production balances the expected River City and the audiences view of it with a flare that energizes along with the inciting spark from the titular Music Man.

Harold Hill ignites the sleepy Iowa town and the dusty gold of “Iowa Stubborn” gleams anew in “Seventy-Six Trombones.” But Hill, while a catalyst, is just one of the lively members of this community. The barbershop quartet crooning “Lida Rose,” Marcellus and the teenagers in “Shipoopi,” and, of course, Marian Paroo, all of these people show the more colorful side of River City and it is all of these moments combined that the fullness and richness of the community truly shine.