By Jean Sprague

4-17-2008

Playhouse 395, the local community theatre group, has done it again! Its glorious production of “The Music Man” shows off the wealth of local talent in the Eastern Sierra with energy that rivals the best professional productions of Meredith Willson’s beloved musical comedy.

Dave Hardin directs a beautifully cast show featuring Grant Bentley and Michelle Dossey, both newcomers to Playhouse 395, as Prof. Harold Hill and Marian “The Librarian” Paroo. The supporting cast of 45 actors, dancers and singers bring the stubborn Iowans of River City to life with spirit and great humor.

Playhouse 395’s production of “The Music Man” gets it right everywhere it counts – in the acting, costumes, singing, score and choreography. The show ends it run with four shows beginning tonight. Photo courtesy Playhouse 395

The magic created by Kim Frey’s exhilarating choreography, Michelle Allen’s delightful costumes and the beautiful sounds of David Pratt’s Playhouse 395 orchestra transport the audience back to the good old days of 1912.
The story of a con artist who promises to start a boys band teaches about the power of music and dreams. Bickering school board members burst into four-part harmony, gossiping housewives brazenly jump into interpretive dance and children learn the joy music can bring to one’s life. Of course, as in every great musical, there is a love story that transforms not only the good folks of River City, but also the swindler salesman and spinster librarian.
Jeff Pratt, the show’s producer, says that Playhouse 395’s “The Music Man” is the theatre group’s most technically challenging production to date and that the diverse group of dedicated volunteers that make up Playhouse 395 have once again exceeded their consistently high standards of excellence. Audiences who attended last week have high praise for “The Music Man” and can be heard up and down the Owens Valley humming songs from the show such as “76 Trombones,” “Til There Was You” and “Gary, Indiana.”
Get your tickets for the final four performances of “The Music Man” to be held tonight, Friday, and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Bishop High School Auditorium. Call 920-9100 or visit www.playhouse395.com for box office hours or to purchase tickets by phone or online.

(Jean Sprague, a fan and supporter of the arts, lives in Bishop.)