Storrs: Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) will present The Music Man, starring NCIS Los Angeles’ Barrett Foa as Harold Hill and Courtney Balan as Marian Paroo, as the final production of the Summer Nutmeg Summer Series, July 11 – 21 in the Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre, Storrs. For tickets and information, call 860-486-2113 and visit www.crt.uconn.edu
CRT will finish its summer season with Meredith Willson’s timeless Broadway musical classic The Music Man. Starring Barrett Foa, who stars as Eric Beale in the hit TV series NCIS: Los Angeles, as Harold Hill. Full of heart, wit, and oceans of beautiful music, the story opens on the 4th of July, 1912, in River City, Iowa. Oh, there is trouble my friends, right here in River City, and Professor Harold Hill has the antidote—an all-boys marching band. But Marian the Librarian sees through his schemes, at least until she falls in love with the irrepressible con artist and he becomes the one thing he fears the most: a respectable citizen! Overflowing with a parade of tunes including “Goodnight, My Someone,” “Gary, Indiana,” “Till There Was You” and, of course, “Seventy-Six Trombones,” The Music Man is thrillingly and tunefully nostalgic.
The Music Man
July 11 – 21, 2013
Book, Music & Lyrics by Meredith Wilson
Story by Meredith Willson & Franklin Lacey
Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre
For tickets and information call
860-486-2113, Mon. – Fri., noon – 5 p.m.
Tickets available online at www.crt.uconn.edu
River City, IA will never be same. Professor Harold Hill is a fast-talking, super-smooth con artist but he may have unwittingly met his match in the form of an attractive librarian and the warm, inviting community she lives in. Meredith Wilson created this unforgettable love story, and gem of Americana, in 1957 and it has been a significant part of American culture ever since.
Presented in the intimate Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre on the UConn campus in Storrs, every seat is close to the energetic dancing, lush orchestrations and vocals, and lead performers Barrett Foa as Harold Hill and Courtney Balan as Marian Paroo.
THE CAST
Barrett Foa (Harold Hill)* is thrilled to be back on stage in one the best written musicals of all time, The Music Man. After playing a dancing teen in three other productions, Barrett is happy to graduate to the role of Harold Hill opposite his former University of Michigan classmate, Courtney Balan, as Marian. Barrett plays Eric Beale on the hit CBS crime drama NCIS: Los Angeles, which after four seasons is still the #2 scripted drama on television behind the original NCIS. The show also stars Chris O’Donnell, LL Cool J, and Oscar-winner Linda Hunt. Other TV: recurring roles on Entourage and NCIS. Guest stars on Numb3rs, Six Degrees, and The Closer. Broadway: Avenue Q as Princeton/Rod, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee as Leaf Coneybear. Original cast of Mamma Mia!, Jesus in the 30th anniversary production of Godspell (and recording). New York: Playwrights Horizons (Adam Bock’s The Drunken City),The Public Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop,The York,The Houseman, and solo shows at The Duplex and Ars Nova. Regional: Paper Mill Playhouse (Camelot and Pirates!), Bay Street Theatre (The Lady in Question), Hartford Stage and The Shakespeare Theatre Company, D.C. (as Claudio in Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing), TheatreWorks in CA,The Muny, North Shore, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, Maine State, and Music Theatre of Wichita, and Weston Playhouse. New York City native. Interlochen Arts Camp, Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, BFA in Musical Theatre from The University of Michigan. Twitter: @BarrettFoa Facebook: OfficialBarrettFoa
Courtney Balan (Marian Paroo)* Broadway: [title of show], Cry-Baby and In My Life. Off-Broadway: The Marvelous Wonderettes, I Love You Because, Rated P for Parenthood and I Love You,You’re Perfect, Now Change. Favorite regional productions include: Fanny Brice in Funny Girl (Riverside Theatre), Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods (Alliance), and Ado Annie in Oklahoma! (OKC Lyric).Workshop: Beth in Barry Levinson’s and Sheryl Crow’s new musical Diner. Graduate: University of Michigan Musical Theatre where she played Hope in Anything Goes and the Old Lady in Candide both opposite Barrett Foa. www.courtneybalan.wordpress.com.
Mary Cadorette (Mrs. Paroo)* holds a BA in Dramatic Arts from UConn and is a faculty member of the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts Musical Theater Department. She has worked extensively in theater, television and film. Notable credits: 42nd Street directed by Gower Champion (Peggy Sawyer) and co-starring opposite John Ritter in the Three’s Company spinoff Three’s A Crowd. Regional theater: South Pacific (Nellie Forbush), Twelfth Night (Viola), Bell, Book and Candle (Gillian Holroyd), Last Summer at Bluefish Cove (Eva); and the CRT production of Our Town (Mrs. Gibbs). Other projects: Chapeau Rouge Dance Project (founder); Wesleyan’s Center for Creative Youth (annual guest artist); Director/Choreog. (Hairspray, 42nd Street & Wizard of Oz).
Steven Hayes (Mayor Shinn)* is an award-winning comedian, actor, writer and host of the YouTube show: STEVE HAYES:Tired Old Queen at the Movies. His one-person show, STEVE HAYES: Hollywood Reunion, has been presented around the country. In films, he starred in Trick with Tori Spelling and The Big Gay Musical. He recently played Edna in Hairspray at The Red House Performing Arts Center in Syracuse. CRT credits: Horton in Seussical:The Musical,The Barber in Man Of La Mancha and Modern Major General in The Pirates of Penzance. In NYC, he recently played the title role in a revival of Charles Ludlam’s Camille.
Lynn McNutt (Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn)* comes to CRT fresh off a run as Patricia Fodor in the Alhambra Theatre production of Crazy For You. Credits include – My Fair Lady, The Pirates of Penzance (CRT); Cabaret, Christmas Carol 1943, Damn Yankees and Pulitzer author Nilo Cruz’s Bolero (Arena Stage); National/international tours and 20th Anniversary of Annie (Goodspeed); The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Maid’s Tragedy (Shakespeare Theatre Co.); Katie Couric’s A Brand New Kid, Hot or Cold (Kennedy Center); A Moon for the Misbegotten, Crimes of the Heart, Major Barbara (Charlotte Rep); She Loves Me (Indiana Rep); The Spitfire Grill (Regional Premiere, Florida Stage).
Richard Ruiz (Marcellus Washburn)* Nutmeg Series: Sancho (Man of La Mancha), Alfred Doolittle (My Fair Lady). Off Broadway: Two Gentlemen of Verona for the Public Theatre. National tours: Sweet Charity, Urinetown, Man of La Mancha and Jesus Christ Superstar. Regional: Cyrano (Folger Shakespeare, DC), The Winter’s Tale (Yale Rep), Tis Pity She’s a Whore (Baltimore Center Stage), Guys and Dolls (Long Wharf Theatre), Moby Dick: Rehearsed (Berkshire Theatre Festival), Candide (Arden Theatre, PA), Romeo and Juliet (CRT), Treasure Island (People’s Light and Theatre, PA), A Midsummer Nights Dream (Two Rivers Theatre, NJ), The Music Man (Lyric Theatre, OK), and Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Theatre Virginia).
Joey Barreiro, Brandon Beaver, John Bixler*, Rebecca Flanders*, Alex Gibson, Khetanya Henderson, Kevin Jones, Hannah Kaplan, Nick Lawson*, Adam Maggio, Zach Miller, Coles Prince, Scott Ripley*, Alanna Saunders, Claire Saunders, Trent Saunders*, Temar Underwood*, Sarah Wintermeyer, Gianna Yanelli, Kate Zulauf.
* Member of Actors’ Equity Association
The cast also features six child actors: Jason Mack (13, Young Resident), Rebecca Mack (11, Amaryllis), Elijah Saddlemire (8, Winthrop Paroo), Andreas Tolis (11, Young Resident), Annie Tolis (11, Young Resident) and Madison Young (11, Gracie Shinn).
THE CREATIVE TEAM
Cassie Abate (Director, Choreographer) Regional and University directing and choreography credits: Guys and Dolls and Seussical at CRT, Pirates of Penzance at the Stephen Sondheim Center, Cabaret, Guys and Dolls, Music Man, Moby Dick: the Musical, Little Women, and Zanna, Don’t!. Regional and Tour performing credits: Sophisticated Ladies at Arena Stage starring Maurice Hines, National Tour of Urban Cowboy (Bubbles), My Fair Lady at CRT, 42nd Street at North Shore (Lorraine), West Side Story (Maria u/s), Pirates of Penzance (Mabel), Singin’ in the Rain (Kathy Selden), The Boyfriend (Polly) and Little Women (Beth). Cassie will begin in the fall as Head of Dance in the Musical Theatre Program at Texas State University. AEA & SDC (assoc.).
NDavid Williams (Music Director) is thrilled to return this summer to CRT after serving as musical director for last summer’s shows. He is the head of and the music director for the University of Miami Department of Theatre Arts and the Jerry Herman Ring Theatre, as well as the music director of the Adirondack Lakes Summer Theater Festival. Mr. Williams is a well-known classical pianist and accompanist who works throughout the world. His professional musical theatre credits include: Sunday in the Park With George, Rent, A New Brain, The Music Man, Guys and Dolls, etc. He has served as guest pianist with the San Francisco Ballet, Florida Grand Opera, the Miami City Ballet, Maximum Dance and is the founder of several international theatre summer programs.
Michael Anania, Scenic Designer; Lisa Loen, Costume Designer; Michael Cybowski, Lighting Designer; Nathan Leigh, Sound Designer.
INFORMATION
Single tickets are on sale now. Please call 860-486-2113 for tickets or for more information. Please call or visit the box office for specific show dates and times because performance schedules vary and are subject to change.
Single ticket prices range from $10 to $45. Tickets available online at www.crt.uconn.edu.
Weeknight evening performances start at 7:30 p.m. Weekend evening performances start at 8 p.m. Matinee performances start at 2 p.m. Single ticket prices range from $10 to $45.
The intimate Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre is located on the campus of the University of Connecticut in Storrs and offers air-conditioned comfort and convenient nearby parking (free parking is in Lot 9 across from the Jorgensen Center, paid parking is available in the North Garage). Please call 860.486.2113 or visit www.crt.uconn.edu for tickets and additional information. Follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/CTRepTheatre and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/connecticut.repertory.theatre.
CRT is the professional producing arm of the Department of Dramatic Arts at the University of Connecticut, Storrs. CRT productions are directed, designed by, and cast with visiting professional artists, including Equity actors, faculty members, and the department’s most advanced student artists. The synergy between professional and advanced student artists creates extraordinary theatre and a unique learning environment.
