by erin thursby scopes1925@msn.com
What: The Music Man
When: November 15th-17th
Where: Jacoby Symphony Hall at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts
When I first heard about The Music Man collaboration between the Alhambra Dinner Theatre and the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, I was immediately intrigued. Collaborations like this need to happen more often. Performance artists in the community need to realize that they’re in this together, and it’s better to work together, offering each other new artistic ideas and different strengths in collaboration.
“This is our 40th Anniversary and we just wanted to do something special for it.” says Executive Director Tod Booth of the Alhambra. “We thought this would be an ideal way to provide something…out of the norm for our regular operation.”
Also, since the Symphony has experienced recent cutbacks in funding from the government, Booth says that this will “open up a new door for them, with a larger audience.” Booth is excited to have the musical brought to life with a full orchestra.
Booth has worked with the Symphony many times, providing vocal narration to set off musical pieces. Fabio Mechetti, Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, says that he and Booth had “always talked about doing something together, joining their expertise in theater with our strength as a symphonic organization… We believe that the success of this joint presentation will guarantee other projects like this in the future.”
They definitely picked a very popular musical to work with. The Music Man’s tunes such as ‘Till There Was You,’ ‘Marian the Librarian’ and ‘Gary, Indiana’ are known throughout the country. It features the redemption of Harold Hill, a small time con man who gets parents to believe he can teach their children to play musical instruments. He takes money for instruments and uniforms, skipping town once he’s milked the population dry. But when he reaches River City, Iowa, Hill falls in love.
The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra will play on stage with a full cast of actors and singers from the Alhambra Dinner Theatre, performing the full storyline and complete set of musical numbers. Costumes, set pieces and theatrical lighting are all part of the production.
JSO’s newest Associate Conductor Morihiko Nakahara will be taking the podium for these performances. “As a symphony conductor, it is not often that I get to conduct a Broadway musical,” says Nakahara, “so I’m very excited about this collaboration.”
The lead actors, Roy Alan (as Harold Hill) and Laura Hodos (as Marian Paroo) are from Orlando, where they performed these roles in a successful joint production with the Orlando Philharmonic and Mad Cow Theatre in March of this year.
JSO is working on having 76 actual trombones in the orchestra for the piece ‘76 Trombones.’ They’ll be pulling from area high schools and other music organizations.
The Music Man collaboration will be staged in Jacoby Symphony Hall at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts. Performances are Thursday, November 15 at 7:30 pm, Friday, November 16 and Saturday, November 17 at 2 pm and 8 pm. The Saturday matinee is sponsored by MPS Group. The Saturday evening performance is sponsored by Omni Jacksonville Hotel. Tickets and information are available through the JSO Box Office at (904) 354-5547 or online at jaxsymphony.org. Ticket prices range from $25 to $65.
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