City of Fairfax Theatre Company to Present THE MUSIC MAN This July

The City of Fairfax Theatre Company will present Meredith Willson's "The Music Man" July 22-30, 2016. Performances of this family-friendly musical will take place in Sydney Lanier Middle School, 3801 Jermantown Rd, Fairfax, VA 22030.

"The Music Man" won five Tony Awards in 1958, including the award for Best Musical, and has continued to be one of the most beloved musicals in American History.

The musical follows fast-talking "professor" Harold Hill, who arrives in River City, Iowa with a grand plan: to form the finest band America has ever seen! Despite the town's enthusiasm, straight-laced librarian Marian Paroo smells a scam. Professor Hill's lively young musicians work to win over a host of peculiar town characters, while Professor Hill works to win Marian's heart.

The cast is led by Lars Klores and Elizabeth Ferrante as Harold Hill and Marian Paroo. The production team includes Director Lisa Anne Bailey, Producer and Music Director Kirsten Boyd, Choreographers Erich DiCenzo and Katie Tomney, Costume Designer Clara Poteet, Stage Manager Molly Weaver and Technical Director Matt Torres.

Bailey has been active in theatre in the Northern VA/DC/MD area for 40 years as a director,choreographer, and actress. She is the proud owner of 4 WATCH Awards (Washington AreaTheatre Community Honors) and numerous WATCH nominations.

"The Music Man" features several lively full-cast dance numbers, and choreographers DiCenzo and Tomeny have risen to the challenge. "The Music Man is an old school musical with several ballet movements that feature each ensemble," says DiCenzo. "We've highlighted the teens in several of the ballets and have given them athletic choreography and lifts to heighten the energy of the show."

DiCenzo is the Director of Theatre Arts at Fairfax High School and previously worked as an actor and dancer with various theatre companies including the North Shore Music Theatre,Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, Pittsburgh Musical Theatre, and Prather Entertainment Group,with whom he toured in Disney's "High School Musical." Tomney, a former student of DiCenzo, recently won awards for "Best Female Dancer" and "Best Choreography" at the Cappies of theNational Capital Area and is headed to the University of Buffalo this fall on a dance scholarship.

The play is a charming vignette of classic Americana characters - small town Iowans who love their town and traditions," says Bailey. "t's fun to see these eccentric characters come to life through the rehearsal process. Our cast is enthusiastic and has brought great energy and life to these roles."

Klores plays the part of Harold Hill. "He's part con-man, part carnival barker, part sleight-of-hand artist," Klores says, "but like all great magicians there's an element of the supernatural about him. A great magician should leave the audience thinking, 'I know it's not real magic, but what other explanation could there be?!' And that's the feeling that follows Hill around throughout the show." Klores himself is an accomplished magician in his own right. A longtime member of the Society of American Magicians, Klores is able to bring his magician's sensibility to his portrayal of Professor Hill.

Marian, played by Ferrante, "immediately sees through Harold Hill's carnival-like tricks andeventually comes to see the joy, love and life he brings to her beloved family and all of the River City Community."

hanks to the support of The City of Fairfax Parks & Recreation, CFTC is performing for the fourth consecutive summer at Sydney Lanier Middle School. Bailey and Technical Director Matt Torres are bringing the town of River City to life through the use of levels, lights and extravagant set dressing. "Simple is better," says Bailey. "We're going feature our 56 cast members by dressing the set with them and their colorful costumes. We're using period props and furniture pieces to fill out the stage and match the eccentric and lovable characters created by the author."

The City of Fairfax Theatre Company offers high quality theatre experiences to people of all ages through stage productions, summer camps, and workshops. CFTC builds a creative and collaborative environment to encourage artists of all ages and backgrounds to discover and develop their performing arts talents. CFTC believes in providing a multitude of opportunities,including family-friendly performances, camps and workshops for young people and adults in the City of Fairfax and surrounding communities.

The City of Fairfax Theatre Company's production of "The Music Man" follows their sold-out productions of "Hairspray" last summer and is supported by the City of Fairfax Commission on the Arts, Arts Council of Fairfax County, the Virginia Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Tickets for The Music Man are $10 for children aged 12 and under and $15 for adults in advance online. Remaining seats, if available, will be sold at the door one hour prior to each performance at $13 for children aged 12 and under and $18 for adults. Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening performances begin at 7:30 PM. Saturday matinees are at 2:00pm, and theSunday matinee is at 3pm. Group pricing is available for groups of 10+ on Thursday evening, Saturday and Sunday matinees.

All performances will take place at Sydney Lanier Middle School, 3801 Jermantown Rd, Fairfax,VA 22030. Free parking is available. The production runs approximately 2 and 1/2 hours, including one intermission.

Tickets are available online and can be purchased at www.fairfaxcitytheatre.org.

The Music Man is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International(MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIShows.com

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