TOWAMENCIN-  It may take 76 trombones to make a hit parade in River City, Iowa, but it took only three trombonists of the Student Orchestra, Paul Carter, Rebecca Lamb, and Brett Slifer, to make North Penn High School Theatre’s spring musical, The Music Man, a hit for nearly sold out crowds.

Airing on April 26, 27, and 28 at 7:30 pm, with a matinée performance at 2:00 pm on April 28, North Penn’s presentation of Meredith Wilson’s The Music Man proved to be yet another success for Thespian Troupe #5464, adhering to its “41 Years of Excellence.” Co-Director and Choreographer Ms. Debra Buckner and Co-Director and Producer Ms. Andrea Roney attribute the “excellence” of the production to “supporting families and teachers, hard work, and the inspiration that comes from the students themselves.”

The Music Man tells the story of a swindling Harold Hill (Gabe Quinodoz) who comes to the small, stubborn town of River City, Iowa, run by the hilarious Mayor Shinn (Mitchell Yetter).  As Hill attempts to manipulate the townspeople into believing he is music professional, come to take boys from the street and train them to be in a marching band, librarian and music teacher Marian Paroo (Jessica Arnold) remains suspicious of the newcomer’s activities. Meanwhile, her mother, played by DianaRose Weiler, encourages her “old maid” of a daughter to take a liking to Professor Hill.

Revolving around the influence and power of music, The Music Man allows students to showcase their musical abilities while also reminding audiences of a major impetus behind the production: the love of music. Leads Gabe Quinodoz and Jessica Arnold executed their respective roles with excellence, and the harmonizing of Quinodoz and Arnold’s pitch-perfect voices wowed audiences with such songs as “Till There Was You.” The actors captured the tension and humor behind their unlikely romance, attesting to their skill.

“Playing Harold Hill has been a wonderfully stressful adventure for me. I’ve never played such a happy-go-lucky, witty, outgoing, positive character before. My previous parts, Herr Zeller and Mr. Darcy have been somewhat bitter characters, which melded well with the personality I had before entering Theatre (which was a shy and angry one). However, as I’ve explored this character and let him come alive within me I have learned a lot about myself. At first it was hard and awkward to attempt to force such a sly charm from within me but eventually I began to understand from my own perspective how and why someone could behave the way Harold Hill does. This new character type gave me the privilege of experiencing something new within myself that has thankfully expanded the threshold of my own personality. Once again, what I have taken from Theatre expands far beyond the stage,” said Quinodoz.

With more than 120 students taking part in making The Music Man come to life, North Penn outdid itself this year; the quality of the performances, stage management and design, and costume design reached a new level of professionalism. Especially impressive were the multiple changes in scenery, all equally well-crafted, innovative, and realistic.

Adding to the authenticity of the play, students incorporated knowledge learned about time period in which The Music Man is set, 1912, in every aspect of the performance, from speech to costumes. As Principal Burton T. Hynes suggests in his greeting to the audience featured in program, “Opportunities for ‘teachable moments’ have always been at the core of our theatre productions – some have practical applications and others widen a student’s perspective on life and humanity.”

“This year, being a senior, and bringing my high school Theatre career to an end has been an amazing experience. Last night was my last student performance at North Penn and the show was a great success. But aside from that minor detail, it was simply awesome and exhilarating to step back and realize that this was the last time I would do this show with these people that I respect so much. Realizing this helped me to loosen up and enjoy the final product of my hard work. Yet, the outcome of the play itself has nearly no standing in my mind compared to the life lessons I’ve learned along the course of my time in Theatre. I’ve learned to respect the people I love and also the people I don’t. I’ve learned how to open up and appreciate everything around me in the moment and afterwards, and this, in turn has helped me to enjoy and respect myself. Everyone and everything in Theatre has left a great mark upon me that I will carry with me forever. Thinking back, Theatre is the best thing that could have happened to my life,” said Quinodoz, attesting to Mr. Hynes’s sentiment.

All those involved seemed to learn from and love the process and the people with whom they grew friendships along the way. For seniors, The Music Man marks the end of their career on the North Penn stage, but leads Jessica Arnold and Gabe Quinodoz plan to keep theatre a part of their lives as they move forward with their education.

“It still hasn’t hit me yet that an activity to which I have devoted my entire high school career has come to an end. It’s a very bittersweet feeling: I am relieved to have a little more free time but extremely sad that this show is done. The entire company: cast, crew, orchestra, was such a great group of people and I thoroughly enjoyed spending every day with them putting this show together,” said senior Jessica Arnold.

The incorporation of elementary school students into the cast served to both introduce young, talented students to the stage and to create an accurate portrayal of the town of River City as portrayed in the Broadway production of The Music Man.

Entertaining and impressive seemed to be the overwhelming sentiment of audience members after the show, proving that the hard work, dedication, and passion of everyone involved made this year’s spring musical reach new grounds.

“When something matters, when you see the worth of it, when you find a way to express yourself, you are willing to totally invest in the experience. Our company gives their all because they experience something that is really beyond words. The community that forms in collaborating to create a living, breathing play, and then share it with all of you, well, that’s priceless,” said Buckner and Roney in the Director’s Greetings.