Capital Region Performance Gallery

by Dick Frantzreb

(Reviewer’s note: In what follows I’m reporting one person’s opinions and recollections of this performance. Honestly, there was too much to see and take in to even begin to do justice to the thought and work that went into this masterpiece of a show.)

Last night, I attended the debut of El Dorado Musical Theatre’s The Music Man at Oak Ridge High School in El Dorado Hills. Perhaps you’re aware that this American treasure of a musical is currently in a revival on Broadway in New York City. Trust me: you needn’t feel bad that you can’t jet off to New York to take in that show (if you could even get tickets). El Dorado Musical Theatre (EDMT) has put on a dazzling production that is an authentic presentation of everything you remember about the first time you saw The Music Man.

(Click here to open the program in a new window.)

The show I saw is full of talent, creativity, and over-the-top energy ─ and it’s bound to delight you. Certainly I was, from the very first scene. The curtain opened, and you were in a railroad passenger car, with 8 actors talking about how tough being a traveling salesman had become. For me, it was great to hear Meredith Willson’s dialog again, and it was delivered with a machine-gun-fire pace. I couldn’t help but marvel at each person’s mastery of his lines. And they fired off those lines with perfect timing. It almost felt like a professional ping-pong match ─ no hesitancy and no mistakes. The audience was as impressed as I was, and as the scene closed, they showed their appreciation with a full 30 seconds of applause and cheers. That was only the beginning of a fast-moving, eye-popping production.

Of course, this show is all about the music ─ one memorable song after another. And the performers did beautifully, backed up by an excellent, frequently rousing soundtrack. The opening scene in the railroad car is more rap than song, so the first songs were “Iowa Stubborn” and “Ya Got Trouble.” And as I listened to the lyrics of both, there was no question that I was getting the songs that impressed me and became part of my personal history so long ago. In the first of his many excellent solos, Zach Wilson spit out those lyrics with precision and speed, as if he had just invented them. I’ve seen Zach perform brilliantly in many, many roles, but his mastery of the dialog and lyrics given to Prof. Harold Hill surprised me. But then, I’ve seen so many examples of Zach’s command of intricate speech and lyrics that I shouldn’t have been surprised.

So what do you get in an EDMT production? Every community theatre group that runs this show rents the same soundtrack and script. But EDMT brings a special magic to that raw material. Of course, there’s the talent, experience and hard work of the actors. But the “special sauce” is the excellence of the key staff members, starting with the Director-Choreographer team of mother and daughter, Debbie and Anjie Rose Wilson. Thanks to their inspiration and experience, every major number is full of action that you can’t turn away from: clever staging and high-energy choreography ─ to accompany the good singing and engaging acting.

A good example is “The Sadder-But-Wiser Girl,” the duet between Harold Hill and pal Marcellus Washrurn. It could be a cute number in an ordinary production. But Braydon Bambino and Zach Wilson, accomplished EDMT veterans as they are, turned it into an entertainment spectacular. I wish I had a video of it because I would watch it again and again. And if it were on video, I bet it would go viral.

But what made that number so effective ─ the fast pace and intensity, and the creative, dazzling choreography and staging ─ all that was in one big number after another: Ya Got Trouble, Seventy-Six Trombones, The Sadder-But-Wiser Girl, Marian the Librarian, The Wells Fargo Wagon, and Shipoopi.  For all these numbers, as well as those that were more sedate, it was the performers who brought genuineness to the show.

I’ve watched Emily Hobbs since she appeared on the EDMT stage as a young dancing phenom. Over the years, with increasingly demanding roles, I’ve seen her acting and voice blossom, and all of it was on display tonight ─ singing, dancing, acting ─ as she nailed the role of Marian (“the Librarian”) Paroo. There were many other standouts. Apart from what I’ve already said about Brayden, I found his singing stellar. The same was true of Alayna Fredianelli as Mrs. Paroo, who brought a good Irish accent along with good singing. Then there is Jack Gregory, standing tonight in for Joey Baciocco, who kept us all on edge as the permanently irascible Mayor Shinn.

One of my favorite characters was Mayor Shinn’s wife, Eulalie. Madeline L’Engle brought a great character voice and shameless overacting to this role ─ and the combination was perfect. And the Pick-a-Little Ladies (Abbie Waymire, Alex Peer, Bailey DiMeola & Stella Miller) brought precision and energy to their part. And they were just fun to watch. I felt the same about the school board quartet (Cameron Renstrom, Nathan Hansen, Andrew Neal & Bruno Szegedy). They had such an important role, and it was especially fun to see them interact with the Pick-a-Little Ladies in “Goodnight, Ladies.” The acting of both groups really sold that scene.

I have to comment on something else that I noticed. Zach and Emily are excellent dancers, and it seems to me that once a person is trained as a dancer, they don’t move on stage like other actors. I thought I caught several moments when each of these people turned the simple act of walking a few steps into an act of grace.

Over the years I’ve seen young people mature as performers in EDMT musicals, and it’s always exciting to observe those who are experiencing a breakthrough. Tonight, that would include Adam Kosciuk and Tori Turo, whose graceful dancing was featured at numerous points throughout the show.

I especially love watching the youngest performers, faces beaming with excitement. Here’s an example: I don’t know her name, but I caught the twinkling eyes of the little girl who kept poking Eulalie Shinn’s backside with the barrel of a rifle. She had a smile that went beyond her role. It was more like, “You mean I really get to do this without being scolded?”

But it’s not just the youngest who radiate joy as they follow the choreography, react to the dialog of the principals, or sing their lines. Take the “Seventy-Six Trombones” number. Predictably, the stage was full of smiles. But they weren’t smiles for the benefit of the audience. I’m sure those smiles came from inside, thrilled by the opportunity to be part of something important and to show what they can do. And from the audience’s perspective, it was clear they were all having so much fun: how could we not have fun watching?

All EDMT shows are double-cast, and on this opening night, I saw the River Cast perform. Quite a few actors are performing in both casts, but I’m sorry for those in the City Cast whom I wasn’t able to include in this review. I’m sure they will be performing as beautifully as those I saw tonight.

(Click here to open a photo montage in a new window.)

Be sure to notice the biographical profiles on pages 20-21 of the program. These young people are guided and supported by professionals ─ and it is evident in every aspect of the show. I’ve already pointed out the excellent work of Director and Choreographer, Debbie and Anjie Rose Wilson. Then there’s Costume Designer, Karen McConnell, who has performed that role over many years. She has perfected the art of giving young performers something to put on their bodies that helps them become someone else. And Zach Wilson, the complete practitioner of the art of theatre, has provided technical direction, including sophisticated projections, without which the theatre magic would not be quite so magical.

One special aspect of this production is the return of Chris Meissner ─ an EDMT alumnus ─ to serve as Vocal Director. Since his last performance as an EDMT cast member in 2011, Chris has graduated from UCLA in Theatre Arts and had a decade of professional performing, making him a uniquely valuable member of the key staff for this show.

So what was the effect of all these elements of excellence? A delighted audience. I’d be amazed if there was anyone who left this performance without a smile on their face and singing ─ or at least humming (even if subconsciously) “Seventy-Six Trombones.”

This show runs through May 1, 2022. Visit www.edmt.info for details and tickets. And be sure to put July 9-17 on your calendar. Those are the dates when EDMT will perform Disney’s Newsies at Harris Center.