Opening Night started off with a bang, captivating the audience with bright scenery, a live band, and energetic songs. The audience was brimming with excitement and cheering was heard after every song. “The Music Man” is Titan Theatre’s last main production of the year.
The musical takes place in River City, Iowa in 1912, where Harold Hill, played by Eli Quinones, a con man travels town to town and plots new money-grabbing schemes. He poses as a boy band’s leader and convinces the residents to pay for uniforms and instruments, so that their children could be in the band. He plans to skip town as soon as he gets the money, but things get complicated when he falls in love with the town librarian, Marian Paroo, played by Avery Bunker.
The musical kept the energy going with song after song, each with unique music, scenery, and lots of emotion. Titan Theatre also brought in four guest artists into the cast to play as the barbershop quartet. This included Zak Sandler as the lead singer, Mireille Kouagou as tenor, Joel Golden as baritone, and Calvin Schnure as bass.
The songs were especially impactful because of the live band, known as the pit orchestra, that played during the entirety of the show. Having the combination of actors singing and the pit playing music was really unique and the songs felt more vibrant. The pit was led by band director Gary English, and had several students as well as three guest musicians. The pit alongside the barbershop quartet played a total of 42 songs.
Brennan Pecorino, a junior in the pit, said, “Seeing everything come together with the extremely hard music and the great visuals on the stage was so satisfying.” Pecorino plays the soprano, tenor, and alto saxophone for the Music Man.
“Every second of the show has character, and I think that what really ties it together and makes it a once in a lifetime experience,” Quinones said.
If you haven’t seen the Music Man yet, the show continues May 1st and 2nd at 7:00 pm and May 3rd at 2:00 pm. Tickets can be bought ahead of time on their website at $5 for students, $10 for senior citizens, and $15 for everyone else. Make sure to check out this remarkable musical before the curtains close!
