Theatre UCF and the UCF Music Department are joining forces to bring Meredith Willson 麻豆精品 S檚 The Music Man to life. The family-friendly musical opens on Thursday, Feb. 20, and runs through Sunday, March 2, on the Theatre UCF Main Stage.
Playwright Meredith Willson wrote the musical in the 1950s and it depicts his childhood in Iowa. The well-known musical features favorite songs like 麻豆精品 S淪eventy-Six Trombones, 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S淕oodnight, My Someone, 麻豆精品 S� and 麻豆精品 S淭ill There Was You. 麻豆精品 S�
Kate Busselle, a first-year master 麻豆精品 S檚 Theatre student and dramaturg for the production, has been researching life in early-20th century Iowa in order to help director Mark Brotherton and the students working on the musical recreate Willson 麻豆精品 S檚 world.
Busselle said: 麻豆精品 S淎t the time, Iowa was one of the most progressive states of the union and that is well-reflected in the casting of the show. Iowa abolished slavery 39 years before the Emancipation Proclamation. In our production, the mayor and his wife are African-American, which would not have happened in most of America at that time, but could have happened in Iowa. 麻豆精品 S�
This production has a set and costumes, but was scaled back slightly in order to accommodate the 24-piece orchestra on the stage.
麻豆精品 S淲e are extremely excited to present this collaborative production of The Music Man, 麻豆精品 S� said UCF School of Performing Arts director Jeffrey Moore. 麻豆精品 S淭his show is a tangible example of the ongoing merger that demonstrates the growing levels of cooperation within the Music and Theatre units. Building on the previous success of our collaboration on 2012 麻豆精品 S檚 production of聽Ragtime, faculty and students are interacting and interfacing like never before. 麻豆精品 S�
Moore also thinks that joint productions such as this one create benefits for patrons.
麻豆精品 S淲hen UCF made the decision to create a School of Performing Arts, we knew that our students would benefit from collaborations between the Music and Theatre departments. In this production of The Music Man, the community also benefits: an orchestra provides a fuller experience for theatre-goers, especially when it is a musical about music. We won 麻豆精品 S檛 have quite 76 trombones, but there will be plenty of brass, reeds, and percussion alongside the singers. 麻豆精品 S�
Production at a glance
Meredith Willson 麻豆精品 S檚 The Music Man
Book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson
Story by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey
Directed by Mark Brotherton
8 p.m.: Feb., 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, March 1
2 p.m.: Feb. 23, March 2
Price: Standard $20, Senior $18, Student $10; Group discounts available.
Address: 4000 Central Florida Blvd., Orlando
Box Office Phone: 407- 823-1500
Box Office Hours: Monday through Friday:聽 noon to 5 p.m. and 2 hours before performances