The Music Man 2014

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El Dorado Musical Theater is presenting The Music Man as a “Main Stage” production at Folsom’s Harris Center for the Arts. EDMT, the youth theater company that features performers from the ages of 6 to 20, always puts on high quality shows with excellent scenery, costumes, makeup, and choreography that far exceed what you may expect at a typical school play featuring performers of similar ages. There are two casts who alternate performances, though the key male roles are played by the same performers in both. (There are plenty of talented young women in EDMT, but the young men are harder to come by.) I saw the opening night “River” cast, starring Julia Adams as Marian Paroo and Andrew Wilson as Harold Hill.

Meredith Willson’s iconic American musical “The Music Man” originally opened on Broadway in 1957, winning several Tony awards, including Best Musical. It’s the story of a shifty salesman coming to the small Iowa town of River City, convincing everyone that the town needs a boys marching band, and selling them instruments, uniforms, and instruction books. His goal is to have a quick fling, collect his cash, and get out of town before anyone realizes he doesn't know the first thing about music. But his plan falls apart as he falls for Marian the Librarian.

Robert Preston played Professor Harold Hill in both the original play and in the 1962 movie. Preston wasn’t a great singer, but Willson felt he could handle such fast songs as Ya Got Trouble, and act the charming con man. Preston owned the part through sheer force of personality, and it became part of his persona—every role he played since seemed to have a bit of Harold Hill in it. Andrew Wilson, who has himself owned many parts in EDMT productions (at only 18, this is his amazing 40th show!) makes a great effort as Harold Hill. His singing voice is terrific—better than Preston’s, but he doesn’t quite have the “Ooomph” to wrestle Harold Hill from Preston’s legacy and make it his own. He never quite conned me into thinking the pool hall was ruining the town, and that they needed band instruments. But he did have some great moments, like in the song Marian the Librarian.

18-year-old Julia Adams, playing Marian, is saying goodbye to EDMT in this show after 12 years. She has had some great parts in the past, notably Laurey in Oklahoma! and Millie in “Thoroughly Modern Millie”. She makes it a grand finale, and is terrific as the small town librarian who wants more for herself and her little brother. He voice is wonderful in songs like Goodnight My Someone and Till There Was You. (Olivia Kaufmann, who stars in the “City” cast, is a great young singer, and will no doubt wow her audiences as well.)

To me, the presence of the Barbershop Quartet in The Music Man is what lifts it from a good musical to a great one. They tie the show together, often enhancing scenes with the other performers. However, barbershop singing is very challenging, and I was very curious to see if the teen singers could pull it off. The quartet, led by Zack Collins, made a great effort, but did struggle with some of the complex harmonies. My favorite scene in the original Music Man is when the quartet sings Lida Rose joined by Marian singing Will I Ever Tell You. While Adams sang her part beautifully, the quartet seemed a bit rushed, and the song never quite blended perfectly.

Countering the quartet are the Pick-a-Little, Talk-a-Little ladies playing the busybody gossips of the town. They were fun, but there are times when one of them needs to sing a solo part over the rest, and the others drowned her out, so hopefully as the shows continue, director Debbie Wilson will coach her performers for a little more balance. Anjie Rose Wilson, as the mayor’s wife Eulalie Shinn, in what must be a record 44th EDMT show, was great as usual as the comic leader of the ladies and the cultural maven of the town.

Ryan Van Overeem does a great job as the blowhard mayor of the town, taking control of the stage whenever he appears. And Dylan Gray as Hill’s friend Marcellus is fantastic. This is a role he made his own, showing off his over-the-top personality and pizzazz. You may remember Buddy Hackett in this part in the movie, but Dylan is nothing like him. He really draws you in when he interacts with Hill, like in the song The Sadder But Wiser Girl. Nick Ribadeneira playing little Winthrop Paroo does a great job with his part, especially when he belts out Gary Indiana with Adams and Jillian Curry, playing the “Widow Paroo”.

Special recognition should also be given to the set designers. The opening scene with a large steam engine, which opens up to the interior of the passenger car is quite impressive, and sets the tone for what’s to follow. The costuming by Christine Martorana is also very good, especially for this large cast, and including marching band uniforms! Director/choreographer Debbie Wilson and vocal director Jennifer Wittmeyer have done their usual great job with these young stars, and will no doubt tweak the shows to make them even better in the two weeks it will run. Some of the sound levels need to be adjusted so the right singers could be heard, and there’s one scene that could be greatly improved at the finale—Harold Hill’s redemption comes when the River City Band finally plays. In the story, they sound awful, but the parents are so overcome by seeing their kids up there, it sounds wonderful to them, and Hill is a hero. That doesn’t quite come off here—a little more punch on the bad music would help!

But this show is well worth seeing, and lots of fun for the whole family. The Music Man by EDMT runs through May 11. Tickets and information available at www.edmt.info and www.harriscenter.net.

Ken Kiunke  4/26/2014 Originally published in the Gold Country Times. Reprintable with attribution to the Gold Country Times and Ken Kiunke

El Dorado Musical Theater is presenting the musical comedy Thoroughly Modern Millie, which was based on the 1967 movie musical, adapted to the theater in 2002. This show is an EDMT “Encore Production”, which means the entire cast had to pass an audition to be in the show, and it features the youth theater group’s top performers. The cast are all 12 to 20 years old, and star many young veterans of local musical theater.

The story of Thoroughly Modern Millie is of a beautiful young woman who arrives in New York from Kansas in 1927, with a “modern” goal of meeting a rich businessman and marrying him. She runs into a streetwise Lothario, meets a lot of other girls at a boarding house, gets a job with an eligible single boss, and helps uncover a white slavery ring. Your typical rags to riches story…

The 1967 film was directed by George Roy Hill, who followed it with Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid, The Great Waldo Pepper, and The Sting. It starred Julie Andrews in the title role, Mary Tyler Moore, and Carol Channing (but no Robert Redford!) In 2002 it was adapted for the stage with some plot and music changes, and met with a great reception, winning 6 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Most of the music was written by Jeanine Tesori and Dick Scanlon.

This new production for EDMT stars Julia Adams in the title role of Millie Dillmount. This is her amazing 35th show for EDMT, and though she has had some great roles, this is her biggest yet, as she sings in 11 of the songs, and appears in most of the scenes. She has a wonderful voice, and shows it off right from the start with the song Not For The Life Of Me all the way to her last solo, Gimme Gimme. She transforms from hopeful innocence, cynical disappointment, to joyous love with great acting and stage presence.

Her two leading men are played by Zack Collins as Jimmy Smith, and Andrew Wilson as Trevor Graydon. Collins was a revelation in this part. He has been with EDMT for four years appearing in ten shows, but this is the first time I have seen him step up to a big role like this, and he nailed it! His singing voice is great, and he really showed it off in What Do I Need With Love? It looked like he, Adams, and Olivia Kaufman may have had a bet on who could hold a note the longest in one of their songs, but I think it was a three-way tie for first. Andrew Wilson has been in just about every show for EDMT in the past nine years, and he just keeps getting better. He has a flair for the leading man/comic roles, and commands the stage when he is on. He was great with Adams in The Speed Test, a highlight of the first act.

Anjie Rose Wilson, in her amazing 43rd EDMT show, is great in her comic role as Mrs. Meers, the fake Chinese boarding house owner who adopts an over-the-top accent in her nefarious schemes, playing off her “real” Chinese helpers portrayed by Zach Wilson and Dylan Gray. Kelly Maur plays Miss Dorothy Brown, Millie’s friend and rival. She, Adams, Collins, and Andrew Wilson perform the highlight of act two, I’m Falling In Love With Someone—Quartet, which features stunning four-part harmonies. Olivia Kaufmann plays Muzzy Von Hossmere, a smaller role, but she makes it count with her amazing performance of Only In New York.

Thoroughly Modern Millie is one of those musicals with great music throughout, but no songs that have a life of their own, like Some Enchanted Evening from South Pacific, or Oh What a Beautiful Mornin’ from Oklahoma. The songs all just go right along with the story, and they are all terrific in that way. So you don’t leave humming a particular tune, you can thoroughly enjoy every bit of it. And the audience certainly appreciated the opening night performance, greeting the cast with a standing ovation.

Director Debbie Wilson, has once again created a terrific show that makes great use of her talented ensemble. Vocal director Jennifer Wittmayer’s efforts are shown in the performances of not only the noted stars, but the entire company. And Christine Martorana has also done her usual great job in costuming the cast in the roaring 20’s and flapper style outfits.

Thoroughly Modern Millie opened at the Harris Center for the Arts at Folsom Lake College on February 14. The show is rated PG for some scenes of drinking and suggestive themes.

It runs for just over one week, Thursdays through Sundays until February 23, so you should act fast to see this show. For tickets and more info, visit www.edmt.info or www.threestages.net.

Ken Kiunke  2/15/2014 Originally published in the Gold Country Times. Reprintable with attribution to the Gold Country Times and Ken Kiunke

El Dorado Musical Theater’s opens the 2013–14 season with the return of a crowd favorite, Peter Pan, which opened Friday at the Harris Center for the Arts in Folsom. The show is of course based on the 1954 Broadway musical, and follows the same basic story of the 1953 Disney movie. If you are not familiar with EDMT, they are the youth theater company that features performers from the ages of 6 to 20. In a “Main Stage” production, everyone who auditions for a show will make the cast, though the key roles are assigned based on the talent shown in the audition, and the younger and less experienced kids fill the roles of background players, though they all sing and dance. Great sponsorship support and a professional production staff allows EDMT to put on high quality shows with excellent scenery, costumes, makeup, and choreography that far exceed what you may expect at a typical school play featuring performers of similar ages. For the large “Main Stage” productions, there are usually two entirely different casts who alternate performances. Though each cast may have its own standout performers, they are generally of equal quality overall – there is no primary and secondary designation. Peter Pan has a “Neverland” and a “Tinkerbell” cast.

The show I saw Saturday featured the Neverland cast. 16-year-old Kiersten Hunter plays Peter in her tenth EDMT show, but in her first starring role. She and the Tinkerbell cast’s Bethany Wheat recently got their long hair cut into a suitable pixie cut for the role of Peter, showing a lot of commitment to the role! This, along with her plucky personality, allowed her to transform from a lovely young lady into a 10-year-old boy. She acted the part quite well, and was convincing as the young leader of the pack of Lost Boys, eternally living an adventure of battling pirates and Indians on their own fantasy island. Peter is happily stuck at the age where he likes girls for what they can be to him – playmates or care givers, but with no romantic feelings at all, which frustrates the women in his life—Wendy, Tigerlilly the Indian princess, and even Tinkerbell. Hunter played this well, showing Peter’s torn feelings whenever one of them gets too close for comfort. And she sang the part well, especially in early songs Neverland and I’m Flying; and then harmonizing with Wendy (Nicole Sevey) in Distant Melody, the touching song that ends act 2.

The other leading role in Peter Pan is of course the villain Captain Hook. The Tinkerbell cast features Alex Levy in his 19th EDMT show, and I wish I could have seen Alex in this role. After seeing him in Legally Blonde, Beauty and the Beast, and as Ali Hakim in Oklahoma!, Hook seems like the part he was born to play, with his over-the-top personality and fine singing voice. However, that is not to say I was the least bit disappointed seeing Andrew Wilson as Hook in the Neverland cast! Wilson has matured as a performer in his amazing 38 shows with EDMT as he emerges as their go-to leading man. His singing voice is strong and he is a generous performer with his fellow cast members, young, and not so young. It is hard to believe Wilson is only 17, and I look forward to seeing him shine in the next few seasons with EDMT.

Other members of the Wilson “clan” also stood out in their roles. Anji Rose Wilson got to show off her ballet skills as Tigerlilly, and Zach Wilson played the Hook’s comic foil Mr. Smee. The three Wilsons are in fact among ten cast members who played roles in the 2006 Peter Pan, EDMT’s first take on the show. Cousins Andrew and Zach Wilson played brothers John and Michael Darling in the show that featured the amazing Hannah Mae Sturges as Peter, and Tyler Milliron as Hook.

The supporting Neverland cast did a fine job, and the group singing and dance numbers came out great, especially Ugh-a-Wug, a rhythm and dance number featuring the Indian dancers and Lost Boys. Of the younger cast members, the stand-out was 9-year-old Ty Rhoades as Tootles, one of the Lost Boys. He showed a lot of personality in his small part, and if he develops a good singing voice as he grows, he could be one to watch for in the coming years with EDMT.

Director and Choreographer Debbie Wilson, along with vocal director Jennifer Wittmayer, have once again shown what a great job they can do nurturing and developing their young casts to put on a terrific show. They managed to take 130 young performers of various skill and experience levels and put on a fun and satisfying show, in two entire casts! Peter Pan plays at the Harris Center for the Arts (also known as Three Stages) Thursdays through Sundays, until November 24. For details, see www.edmt.info or call 916-941-SING (7464). The 2103–14 season will continue with a High Voltage Holiday Celebration, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” in February, “The Music Man” in April, and “The Jungle Book” in July.

Ken Kiunke  11/10/2013 Originally published in the Gold Country Times. Reprintable with attribution to the Gold Country Times and Ken Kiunke

El Dorado Musical Theater opened their production of the 1960 Musical Comedy Bye Bye Birdie on July 12, which runs through July 21, closing the 2012–13 season. The show was inspired by Elvis’ 1957 temporary exit from show business at the height of his young career to join the army for two years. Conrad Birdie, the show’s mythical heartthrob, is leaving, and his manager wants to make the best of it, arranging for him to kiss a young fan, sing a new song, and make oodles of money before his meal ticket is gone. Meanwhile his Latina secretary wants him to settle down with her as an English teacher, and his mother wants none of that. The crew descends on a small Ohio town called Sweet Apple, and hijinks ensure. The show won multiple Tony awards in 1961, and brought us the song Put On A Happy Face, which Dick Van Dyke, who starred in the original show, and the 1963 movie, often used as one of his signature songs.

Bye Bye Birdie is a “Rising Star” production for EDMT, meaning the cast are from 6 to 14-years-old. However, this is no amateur or kids show. Like all EDMT productions, it is of the highest quality, and director Debbie Wilson gets the most out of her young cast. Though it may be the first show for many of the little ones, a look through the program shows that most of the cast have been in several shows. Also, like most EDMT shows, there are two entire casts – the “New York” cast and the “Sweet Apple” cast, though some players are in both. (I saw the opening show with the New York cast, so my comments will be about them.)

Leading both casts is Zach Wilson as Albert Peterson. Zach is a perennial EDMT participant, starring in his 31st show! This is his first “romantic lead” though, and he handled it well. He has a smooth clear voice, which he showed off best in the song Baby Talk To Me in act 2, and he has a nice classic dancing style as well. I asked Zach if this was his favorite role, but he was not sure—being in so many stellar casts gives him a lot of great memories, even at the young age of 13. This should be his last show as a “Rising Star” and it is a good one for him.

Kelly Maur, who stars as Rose Alvarez, is 14 and is in her 14th production. She showed she is ready to move on to leading roles in upcoming Main Stage and Encore productions, which feature the older performers. She shows a real command of the stage in all of her numbers, and really excited the audience with the song Spanish Rose, in which she plays up her background in light of Albert’s mother’s objections to her. (Chita Rivera sang it in the original Broadway show.) Emily Ziegler, in her first EDMT show, did a great comic performance as Albert’s mother Mae. 14-year-old Asten Fallovollita, in his 8th EDMT show, did a scene-stealing job as Mr. Macafee, and shows that he is ready to take on the kinds of roles Alex Levy has done so well in past EDMT productions.

Some of the younger stars stood out as well. 12-year-old Kelsey Fairchild, who played Kim Macafee, will be someone to watch for in the coming years, as she did well in her two big songs, and a nice job acting the part of the young lady growing up. (This was Ann Margret’s role in the movie!) 9-year-old Brenden Jobe, who played the put-upon kid brother Randolph, surprised everyone when he burst out in Kids-Reprise with a terrific lead vocal. And Annika Tamaki was perfectly over-the-top as Ursula, devoted fan and the most insistent of Birdie’s ardent fanclub members.

The show was very well received by the audience, and the most enthusiastic cheers came from many of the older EDMT crowd, who supported their younger brothers and sisters in their big show. Heather Clark, Andrew Wilson, Anji-Rose Wilson, Zack Collins, Julie Adams, and Asher Dubin, among others, were spotted enjoying opening night. Bye Bye Birdie opened July 12 and runs Wednesday through Sunday until July 21. For tickets and more info, visit www.edmt.info or www.threestages.net. The show is rated for all ages. El Dorado Musical Theater will open the next season with Peter Pan in November.

Ken Kiunke  7/13/2013 Originally published in the Gold Country Times. Reprintable with attribution to the Gold Country Times and Ken Kiunke