Pinewood to stage more sinister 'Music Man'
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By JEFF KORBELIK / GZO
Harold Hill is a thief, and some people forget that about one of musical theater’s most famous characters.
But not Courtney Piccoli and Sam Hartley, who plan to give the protagonist a bit of an edge in Meredith Willson’s “The Music Man.”
The beloved musical begins a two-weekend run Thursday at Pinewood Bowl in Pioneers Park.
What: "The Music Man"
Where: Pinewood Bowl, Pioneers Park
When: 8 p.m. Thursday through July 13 and July 17-20
Tickets: $10, $3 children ages 6-12; children age 5 and younger are admitted free
Note: Discounted tickets are available at Russ’s Markets in Lincoln; live video screenings of the show at July 11, 12, 18 and 19 performances
Piccoli is directing “The Music Man,” with Hartley portraying the fast-talking Hill, who attempts to convince the unsuspecting citizens of River City, Iowa, that he’s a music professor and is starting a boys’ marching band in order to milk them of their money.
“Sam is going to play him a little more con-manlike,” said Piccoli, who is directing her third straight Pinewood show. “He’s happy-go-lucky in other productions. I want a little more sinister Harold Hill. He’s a con man, after all, and not a nice guy.”
The 20-year-old Hartley, who played the lovable, light-hearted lead in last summer’s “Crazy for You” at Pinewood,” said he’s up to the task.
“We want to show in this story that Harold is a bad guy of sorts,” Hartley said. “He’s coming to this town and lying through his teeth.”
And by making Hill less likable, his transformation — thanks to town librarian Marian Paroo — will be more convincing, Hartley said.
“Marian is the one person in Harold’s life that can completely wash away all the wrongdoing,” the young actor said. “She turns him around.”
Pinewood is staging “The Music Man” for the third time in its history, with previous productions in 1967 and 1993.
Nearly 150 people are volunteering their time as either performers or backstage technicians to make it happen.
Pinewood is revisiting the classic after staging Disney’s “High School Musical” and the 1992 Tony Award-winning best musical “Crazy for You” last summer.
“It’s a nice show, and people have heard of it,” Piccoli said. “When people asked me what we were doing this summer, they responded with, ‘Cool, I love that show.’”
It also helps that the classic musical has enjoyed a renaissance of sorts.
“South Pacific” currently is the hottest ticket on Broadway. The musical won seven Tony Awards, including one for best revival. Patti LuPone has put “Gypsy” back in the spotlight with her Tony-winning performance.
“I think it’s wonderful and great that people still want to go back and see the old classics,” Piccoli said. “It proves everything doesn’t have to be brand new, and it’s OK to get in touch with history a little bit.”
Allison Frenzel, who plays opposite Hartley as Marian, agreed. She recently played the ingenue in the classic musical “Carousel” this past spring in a University of Nebraska-Lincoln production at the Lied Center for Performing Arts.
“It’s really important we don’t lose sight of going to these classics,” she said.
Plus, performing in them is fun, especially for Hartley and Frenzel, who have a history on stage together.
Both are from Lincoln and have participated in shows together since their early teens, primarily in summer Theatre Arts Academy shows at Lincoln Community Playhouse. Both currently are studying music at UNL under the same voice professor, Alisa Belflower.
“We are the best of friends,” said Frenzel, who turns 21 during the run. Their friendship has made preparing for “Music Man” a little easier.
Almost.
“It was weird being romantic because he’s like my little brother,” Frenzel said, laughing. “It was awkward at first, but it’s fine now.”
Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.
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