Shuler Hensley to Direct THE MUSIC MAN at City Springs Theatre Company

Broadway's beloved musical, The Music Man, will kick off The 2024 - 2025 season for City Springs Theatre Company, this weekend, and will star Atlanta's-own Billy Harrigan Tighe as the iconic flim-flam man Harold Hill. The production will run September 6-22 at the Byers Theatre in the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center in Sandy Springs, Georgia.

Composer/lyricist/writer Meredith Willson's six-time, Tony Award-winning musical has been charming audiences since 1957 with its energetic tale of a traveling con-man, the small-town citizens he's attempting to swindle, and the piano teacher with whom he unexpectedly falls in love. This quintessential American musical features such memorable songs as "Till There Was You," "Ya Got Trouble," "Goodnight, My Someone," "The Wells Fargo Wagon," "Shipoopi" and "Seventy-Six Trombones." This production is suitable for all audiences.

After having helmed its own productions of The Sound of Music and Fiddler on the Roof, City Springs Theatre Company (CTSC) welcomes its Tony Award-winning artistic director Shuler Hensley back to the stage. "After starring in The Music Man for a year in New York," says Hensley, "it's exciting to return to the material while it is still fresh in my mind and put our own stamp on it for our wonderful theatre company here in Sandy Springs." In addition to Hensley, CSTC's production will also feature new choreography by another veteran of the recent Broadway production, Sara Edwards. Edwards also previously directed and choreographed both Anything Goes and Irving Berlin's White Christmas for CSTC. Fresh off the company's hit run of Jersey Boys this summer, Miles Plant returns to music direct the cast and orchestra for The Music Man.

"The Music Man is one of those shows that in more than 60 years has never once gone out of vogue with audiences," said Natalie DeLancey, executive director of City Springs Theatre Company. "We're not only thrilled to have Shuler back in the director's chair, but also to have some of New York and Atlanta's finest talents coming together to create what will hopefully be an iconic production of our own."

The cast of The Music Man will be led by Atlanta-native Billy Harrigan Tighe, who has previously played memorable roles in CSTC's Anything Goes, Into The Woods, and Monty Python's Spamalot. Tighe appeared on Broadway in Pippin, and in the West End production of The Book of Mormon, and most recently finished a successful run in the Broadway musical The Heart of Rock and Roll. In the role of Marian Paroo, also returning to CSTC is leading lady Scarlett Walker, who co-starred in Irving Berlin's White Christmas last December and is a veteran of Broadway's Carousel. Returning performers also include Googie Uterhardt (CSTC's Monty Python's Spamalot) as Marcellus Washburn; Brian Kurlander (CSTC's Irving Berlin's White Christmas, Broadway's A Little Night Music) as Mayor Shinn; Courtenay Collins (CSTC's Fiddler on the Roof, Broadway's The Prom) as Mrs. Shinn; and Pamela Gold (CSTC's Billy Elliot, Broadway's How To Succeed.., and Once Upon a Mattress) as Mrs. Paroo. Other CSTC alumni starring in The Music Man include Alec Beard, Ruby Calamia, Kyle Robert Carter, Galen Crawley, Kate Fahrner (Broadway's Wicked), Trevor "TJay" Groce, Gabe Hardin, Gigi McClenning, Brian Montemayer, Mallory Nolting, Ryley Perry, Claudio Pestana, Zac Pritts, Jordan Sam Rich, and Zach Shanks. Making their debuts with City Springs Theatre Company are Jackson Arthur, Mia Bolash, Lyndsey Cole, Kammie Crum (Broadway's The Music Man), Bella Dole, Evan Hamilton, Dayne Joyner, Nick Morrett, Joseph Quintana, Megan Sell, Benjamin Tippens, and Jose Zepeda.

Beginning in 1957, The Music Man ran on Broadway for more than four years and won six Tony Awards, famously beating out West Side Story for Best Musical that year. The show catapulted its original star Robert Preston to instant fame, and since then the lead role of "Harold Hill" has been portrayed onstage and onscreen by such names as Dick Van Dyke, Eddie Albert, Bert Parks, Matthew Broderick, Norm Lewis, and Hugh Jackman. Songs from The Music Man have been recorded countless times by artists such as Henry Mancini, Peggy Lee, Jack Black, and Seth MacFarlane; and the song "Till There Was You" was the only "showtune" ever recorded by The Beatles.

CREATIVE AND PRODUCTION TEAMS

Director: Shuler Hensley

Choreographer: Sara Edwards

Music Director/Conductor: Miles Plant

Lighting Designer: Mike Wood

Sound Designer: Anthony Narciso

Scenic Designer: Jacob Olson

Props Designer: Azahn Billins

Costumes by Maine State Music Theatre

Wigs by: Alycia Berry

Production Stage Manager: Gina Barone

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Friday, September 6 @ 8:00pm
Saturday, September 7 @ 2:00pm & 8:00pm
Sunday, September 8 @ 2:00pm
Wednesday, September 11 @ 7:30pm
Thursday, September 12 @ 7:30pm
Friday, September 13 @ 8:00pm
Saturday, September 14 @ 2:00pm & 8:00pm
Sunday, August 15 @ 2:00pm

Wednesday, September 18 @ 7:30pm

Thursday, September 19 @ 7:30pm

Friday, September 20 @ 8:00pm

Saturday, September 21 @ 2:00pm & 8:00pm

Sunday, September 22 @ 2:00pm

Individual tickets to see THE MUSIC MAN are on sale now ($42 - $108), with discounts for seniors, students, groups, and active and retired military personnel. Call 404-477-4365 or visit www.CitySpringsTheatre.com for more information. Gift cards and discounts for groups of 10 or more are available by calling the Box Office at 404-477-4365. CSTC's Box Office is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Live performances of THE MUSIC MAN are at the Byers Theatre in Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center, 1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs.

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