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METROPOLIS PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE PROUDLY ANNOUNCES
THE MUSIC MAN
IN CONCERT WITH THE SCHOOL OF THE PERFORMING ARTS
Recommended for Ages 6+ | Children under the age of 3 will not be permitted
(The cast of The Music Man in Concert from left to right: Amelia Holly, Ava Chanpong, Barry Irving, Brennen Martinez, Brian James, Brielle Horwitch, Elijah Warfield, Elise Daly, Genevieve Jane, Jackson Mikkelsen, Jade Marder, John Benischek, Jemma Lebenson, June Marzo, Josh Frink, Kara Rivera, Korey White, Lauren Miller, Lifan Deng, Lila Beck, Leighton Tantillo, Mason Wang, Miles Wendt, Matthew Post, Molly Hamada, Nancy Greco, Morgan Medina, Olivia Mulder, Patrick Sylvia, Patrick Johnson, Rachel Carreras, Piper Laskey Terry, Sophie Smekens, Rylee Sahl, Tessa Mae Pundsack, Sophie Tucker, Zoya Martin, Tyler James Gillespie, and Carolyn Michael.)
Metropolis Performing Arts Center proudly announces the upcoming production of The Music Man in Concert in collaboration with the School of the Performing Arts. Presented as a concert with a 25-piece orchestra, Meredith Willson’s six-time Tony Award-winning musical comedy has been entertaining audiences since 1957.
The Music Man runs in the Metropolis Theater from February 2, 2024, through February 11, 2024. Tickets are available for purchase now at metropolisarts.com or through the Box Office at 847.577.2121.
“The Music Man has one of the most engaging and spirited scores in the Golden Age canon. It is instantly relatable, and still charms audiences today as much as it did when it debuted,” says Artistic Director Brendan Ragan.
Metropolis will present the acclaimed musical as a concert reading, backed by the JAM Orchestra. Featuring all of the musical's quintessential songs like “76 Trombones”,” Ya Got Trouble”, “Shipoopi”, and “Goodnight, My Someone”, the production will also include much of the original dialogue. "The story we all love will be fully told," says Ragan, "and without the usual costumes, props, or scenery, we can hone in on this robust and gorgeous music with a large ensemble of musicians and performers we'd never be able to stage in a typical production. That is really the benefit of presenting the show as a concert reading. The size and scale of the music will be a true delight.”
The Music Man in Concert will star Barry Irving as fast-talking salesman Harold Hill, and Brennan Martinez as the eponymous Marian the librarian. The concert will be produced in collaboration with Metropolis School of the Performing Arts. Brendan Ragan states, “Our School of the Performing Arts excels at not just providing access to artistic opportunities, but preparing young performers for a potential career in the performing arts. Intermingling with professional artists on stage will be a wonderfully rewarding opportunity for these talented young performers, and many will have trained for this opportunity in this very building.”
The Music Man in Concert February 2–11, 2024 Ideal for Ages 6+ | Children under the age of 3 will not be permitted. Duration: 2 hrs and 25 mins with a 15–minute intermission
Book, Music, and Lyrics by MEREDITH WILLSON Directed by AARON REESE BOSEMAN Music Directed by AARON KAPLAN Staged Managed by BRIDGET KEARBEY Co-produced with the SCHOOL OF THE PERFORMING ARTS
Assistant music direction by Kevin Zhou, lighting design by Evan Kicman, sound design by Commedore Clark, casting direction by Robin Hughes, production management by Alexis Nau, and technical direction by Victor Gutierrez.
ABOUT THE SHOW
The Music Man follows fast-talking traveling salesman, Harold Hill, as he cons the people of River City, Iowa, into buying instruments and uniforms for a band that he vows to organize – despite the fact that he does not know a trombone from a treble clef. His plans to skip towns with the cash are foiled when he falls for Marian, the librarian, who transforms him into a respectable citizen by the curtain’s fall.
“The concert reading format will allow us to bring the music to life in a larger, more appealing way than a traditional production,” Ragan says. “Our ensemble will feature 16 adult performers, 25 youth performers, and 25 orchestra members. Having as many as 65 artists on stage will provide for a thrilling and unusual musical experience.”
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Aaron Reese Boseman is a graduate of Columbia College Chicago with a BA in Theatre Direction. Boseman serves as co-founder/artistic director of Pulse Theatre Chicago, an adjunct professor at Columbia College Chicago, a board member of Downstage Arts, and an Ensemble Member of Invictus Theatre. Boseman has been nominated for a Jeff Award and multiple BTAA and Black Excellence Awards for his contributions as a director, actor, and designer. Acting credits include Ragtime, Hair (Metropolis Performing Arts), Blue Heaven (Black Ensemble Theater), Ruined (Invictus Theatre), Little Shop of Horrors (Skylight Music Theatre/Citadel Theatre), In the Heights (The Miracle Center), Balm in Gilead, Violet (Griffin Theatre/Loyola University), Big River (TATC). Directing credits include upcoming productions of Topdog/Underdog (Invictus Theatre) and Fairview (Theatre at Cedar Rapids), Once on This Island (Pulse Theatre/The Drama Group), Detroit '67 (Columbia College Chicago) The Mountaintop, A Raisin in the Sun (Invictus Theatre), American Son (The Ghostlight Theatre) In the Blood, The Colored Museum, Fabulation; or The Re-Education of Undine, and A Streetcar Named Desire (Pulse Theatre).
Metropolis thanks the following sponsors: Title Show Sponsors: Tom & MaryAnn Deming; Supporting Show Sponsors: Lynn & Doug Steffen, Peggy Kinnane's Irish Restaurant & Pub; Season Costume Storage Sponsor: Jennifer Burnidge, State Farm, CLU, CHFC; and Season Paint Sponsor: Marc Poulos Painting & Decorating.
For more information, visit https://www.metropolisarts.com/event/the-music-man-concert-2324-season/.
UPCOMING SHOWS AT METROPOLIS
Hooked on a Feeling
February 23–March 3, 2024
9 to 5: The Musical
May 2–May 26, 2024
Million Dollar Quartet
June 11–August 4, 2024
ABOUT METROPOLIS SCHOOL OF THE PERFORMING ARTS
“Access to the arts is a critical element of a well-rounded education,” Ragan says regarding the upcoming SOPA collaboration, “Given the immense proliferation of digital design, content creation, and artistic expression in non-artistic industries, I hope that we continue to realize how fundamental artistic training is for both the individual and society.”
Metropolis School of the Performing Arts enriches the lives of thousands of students ranging from toddlers to seniors. Metropolis curates arts curriculum for students of all ages and abilities including those with special and different needs. SOPA’s programming focuses on multiple performing arts disciplines including musical theatre, drama, music, improvisation, dance, and more. SOPA’s Community Engagement programs bring the arts to other organizations that work with senior citizens, students with disabilities, displaced youth, and more. Metropolis proudly holds a mindset of "arts for all" when creating programming for the community both inside of the Metropolis building and out in the surrounding neighborhoods.
ABOUT METROPOLIS PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE
Metropolis is a not-for-profit arts and education organization. Led by Artistic Director Brendan Ragan and Executive Director David Victor, the theater offers inspirational live entertainment, imaginative arts education, and impactful community partnerships, delivering artistic excellence, shared multi-generational connections, and inclusive experiences that engage the community.
By creating a space of belonging for the Metropolis’ broad and diverse community, the organization is actively building a community of patrons, students, supporters, artists, and staff through strengthening and nurturing the relationship between the artistic community and the organization that cultivates lifelong appreciation and involvement in the arts.
As an arts and community hub dedicated to the vibrancy of equity, diversity, accessibility, and inclusion, the Metropolis School of the Performing curates arts and theater curricula for students ages two–65+ through a variety of educational programming.
Metropolis was founded in 2000, and in January 2005, the Village of Arlington Heights purchased the Metropolis theater space, a portion of the lobby (now known as the Whisler Family Lobby), second-floor classrooms, and a dance studio, 13 music studios, and administrative offices. This promising partnership reinforces Performing Arts at Metropolis’ proud leadership role in the community and the community’s great expectations of the institution, which Metropolis will continue to strive to meet and Surpass. All proceeds benefit Metropolis’ theatrical arts and education programs. Metropolis is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Metropolis Performing Arts Centre acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
