Bergen County Players Open THE MUSIC MAN Tonight, 9/8

Celebrating 80 Years, The Bergen County Players (BCP) presents The Music Man, a musical comedy and treasured piece of theater by Meredith Willson.  Under the direction of Larry Landsman, The Music Man will be performed at the Little Firehouse Theatre in Oradell from tonight, September 8th through October 6th, 2012. Shows will be on Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 2pm. Tickets can be purchased online at www.bcplayers.org, by calling 201-261-4200 or by visiting the box office at 298 Kinderkamack Road in Oradell during regular box office hours.

Meredith Willson's musical comedy is one of the most beloved shows in American theater. Its story of how love changes the lives of a fast-talking salesman, a small town librarian, and the good folks of River City, Iowa, is a comedy that has entertained audiences since 1957. As the New York Times has noted, The Music Man is ?as American as apple pie and a Fourth of July oration.  BCP is thrilled to be kicking off its 80th season with this family favorite.

The Music Man is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill (John Ade of New City, NY) who poses as a boys band organizer and leader and sells band instruments and uniforms to naive townsfolk before skipping town with the cash. In River City, Iowa, prim librarian and piano teacher Marian Paroo (Katie Weigl of Ridgewood) sees through him, but when Hill helps her younger brother overcome his fear of social interactions due to his lisp, Marian begins to fall in love with Harold. Harold, in turn falling for Marian, risks being caught to win her over.

In 1957, the show became a hit on Broadway, winning five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and ran for 1,375 performances. The cast album won the first Grammy Award for "Best Original Cast Album" and was number one on the Billboard charts for 245 weeks. The show's success led to revivals and a popular 1962 film adaptation and a 2003 television remake.

The Music Man is directed by long-time BCP member Larry Landsman of Wyckoff, who has amassed numerous acting and directing credits with BCP, directing musicals The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Full Monty and Into the Woods and appearing most recently on the BCP stage as The Cat in the Hat in Seussical the Musical, Ira in Laughter on the 23rd Floor, Ivan in Art and Fagin in Oliver!  He also served as BCP president for two years.

The talented cast of The Music Man includes: John Ade (New City, NY),  Andrew Bacalakis (Hawthorne), Victoria Buchner (Hawthorne), Darren Carfano (Suffern, NY), Janica Carpenter (Old Tappan), Rosella DeVincenzo (Oradell), Brian Eller (Wyckoff), Elisabeth Erdmann (Nutley), Christopher Heffernan (Wyckoff), Gregory Houldsworth (Wyckoff), Neil Kahn (Maywood), Rob Kopil, (Suffern, NY), Oren Korenblum  (New York, NY), Justin Landsman (Wyckoff), Kate Larsen (Glen Rock), Arianna Lionetti (Westwood), Nina Lionetti (Westwood), Olivia Lionetti (Westwood), James Lugo (Congers, NY), Larry Marino (Tappan, NY ),  Andrea McIlroy (Montvale), Sarah McIlroy (Montvale), Nicholas McRae (Glen Rock), Shari Mendelson (Fort Lee), Emily Mills (Oradell), Tiggy Morley (Ridgewood), Paula O?Brien (Park Ridge), Joseph O?Connor (Fair Lawn), Jeff Peiper (New Milford), Samantha Popek (Garfield), Michael Puglia (Guttenberg), Alan Shearer (New CIty, NY), Jimmy Spadola (Bloomfield), Christian Spinella (Rutherford), Jenna Miles Stewart (Hillsdale), Andrew Van Buskirk (Ridgewood), John Weidemann (Montclair), Katie Weigl (Ridgewood), Priscila Zortéa (New York City).

The production team includes Larry Landsman (Director), Steve Bell (Musical Director), Vanessa Garrabrant (Choreographer), Kathie Robitz (Producer), Alyson Cohn (Stage Manager), Paul Reitnauer III (Assistant to the Director), Jennifer Robbins (Assistant to the Producer), Priscila Zortea (Dance Captain), Rob Ward & Chantale Bourdages (Set Design/Construction), Chantale Bourdages (Set Décor), Paul Reitnauer III (Construction Liaison), Ruth Morley (Costume Design), Kathleen Ruland & Bunny Mateosian (Costume Assistants), Allan Seward (Lighting Design), Rob DeScherer (Sound Design), Larry Braverman, Julie Steckler-Kopil & Pat Bain (Properties), Michele Roth (Lighting Operation), Kathleen Ruland (Sound Operation), Brian Eller (Crew Chief), Bellezza Salon & Spa, Dana Robitz (Hair), Helen Boyadjian, Sharon Podsada & Jean Marie Garver (Makeup), Patty Erdmann (Dresser), Jennifer Cottone & Matthew Rofofsky (Publicity), Alan Zenreich & Steve Mintz (Photography), Staci Block (Team Building Coach), Joe Lanteri, Melissa Welz, Jim DeBlasi & Gabe Hernandez (The Music Man Band Project Coordinators), Marci K. Weinstein (Program Notes), Leigh Adel-Arnold & Chris Nelson (Programs), and Jeff Muller (Member-at-Large).

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