Twenty-five years ago at Indian Lake High School, a slick conman named Harold Hill tried to swindle the good citizens of River City, Iowa, out of their hard-earned money. And now, he’s going to try it again.
Fortunately, it turns out this particular grifter has a good heart, which comes to light when he meets a certain librarian named Marian. The story, of course, is The Music Man, and you’ll have a chance to watch Harold cause all kinds of trouble when Indian Lake once again presents the classic musical at the Wilma Jacobs Performing Arts Auditorium this weekend.
Director Tracey Notestine faced a few challenges with the show, like working with a 56-person cast and producing a story set in 1912. But they had special reasons for choosing The Music Man.
“This is the 25th anniversary of the last time [ILHS] did this,” Notestine said. “And that was the first year after this auditorium was built.”
ILHS also presented the musical in 1972. With that in mind, they’ve invited previous cast members from both of the earlier shows to a reception before each performance.
Local entrepreneur Jason Duff played Harold Hill in the 1998 show and enjoyed interacting with the cast at a rehearsal last week. He also dug through his garage and came across the Professor Harold Hill suitcase he used 25 years ago, which he handed off to this year’s Harold, ILHS senior Beau Young.
“I’m so incredibly proud of the quality and teaching happening in our area music and theatre programs,” Duff said. “Shows like ‘The Music Man’ provide an opportunity for students to explore their creative skills while gaining confidence, team building and leadership.”
Several people helped Notestine put everything together — including early 20th-century costumes for 56 actors. She described choreographer and assistant director, Becky Taylor, as “astounding.” Taylor was also a member of the 1998 chorus.
Like many high school theater directors, Notestine had to deal with busy students involved in many other projects, which required fitting rehearsals around their schedules. But it will all be worth it this weekend.
“It’s a dose of Americana,” Notestine concluded. “It’s fun, funny and a feel-good kind of show.”
With only two performances—at 8 p.m. Friday, Mar. 3, or Saturday, Mar. 4—tickets are going fast. Some are still available and can be purchased at the school’s online box office at ils-k12.org. You can also buy tickets at the door for $10 (credit/debit only) if seats are available.