Photo Flash: THE MUSIC MAN At Farmers Branch's The Firehouse Theatre

The Wells Fargo Wagon is a-coming down the street and, from July 25th-August 19th, it'll be parked onstage of Farmers Branch's The Firehouse Theatre in their upcoming production of THE MUSIC MAN. Directed by Bruce Coleman, with music direction by Bryce Biffle and choreography by Bethany Lorentzen, the classic musical is sure to be a hot ticket.

THE MUSIC MAN takes place in July 1912, when a fast-talking traveling salesman, Harold Hill, comes to small-town River City, Iowa. Harold calls himself a music professor, selling band instruments, uniforms, and the idea of starting a boy's band with the local youth. Families begin to order instruments and uniforms, and, in return, Harold begins to teach the boys his revolutionary "Think System": in order to learn the music, simply think about the melodies of the music in order to learn to play it. Marian Paroo, the local librarian, and part-time piano teacher, is not so easily convinced and begins looking for information to prove Harold is a fraud. Will Harold avoid trouble? Will the boy's band succeed? Do Harold and Marion end up making music of their own together?

The musical is packed with Meredith Willson's famous tunes like "Trouble," "Seventy-Six Trombones," "The Sadder-But-Wiser Girl," "Lida Rose," "Marian the Librarian," "Pick-a-Little," and "Til There Was You."

Swarner, Bell, and Soldo to Lead THE MUSIC MAN at The Firehouse TheatreLeading the Firehouse cast as Harold Hill is Actor's Equity member Max J. Swarner (whose first lead role was at age 9 as Winthrop in THE MUSIC MAN at the Kalita Humphreys Theater). Mindy Bell stars opposite Swarner as Marian Paroo, with Sally Soldo as Mrs. Paroo. Parker Niksich and Nicolai Lilly will alternate performances as Winthrop, with Lauren Schovan and Georgia Colclasure sharing the role of Amaryllis. Rounding out the cast is Doug Fowler (Mayor Shinn), Brianna Clancy (Eulalie MacKecknie Shinn), Ally Van Deuren (Zaneeta Shinn), Ella Bonneau (Gracie Shinn), Evan Anderson (Marcellus Washburn), Lance Jewett (Tommy Djias), Alex Krus (Carlie Cowell), Patrick Persons (Olin Britt), Paul Burnam (Oliver Hix), Kris Allen (Ewart Dunlop), Ken O'Reilly (Jacey Squires), Joan Eppes (Alma Hix), April Sayre (Mrs. Squires), Lindsey Yarborough (Ethel Toffelmier), Hillary Evitt Allen (Maud Dunlop), Brooke Riley (Mrs. Britt). The dance ensemble features dance captain Ania Lyons, Taylor Baxter, Declan Brennan, Daniel Philppus, Blake Seabourn and Hannah Smith. Laural Burrer, Alex Lilly and Joe Strohl complete the ensemble cast.

Joining Coleman, Biffle and Lorentzen on the production team are Katie Buck as stage manager, Kim Velten as assistant stage manager, Hope Cox as costume designer and David Walsh as set designer.

Tickets and more information can be found at www.TheFirehouseTheatre.com.

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