February 9, 2004
CONTACT:
LISA WOSKE, 805/756-7110
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
National Touring Company Brings "Music Man" to Campus March 9, 10
SAN LUIS OBISPO -- Fans who have seen past stage productions
of "The Music Man" will find something new to sing about when
the
Broadway revival tour comes to the Christopher Cohan Center on Tuesday
and Wednesday, March 9 and 10, 2004 at 7 p.m.
Cal Poly Arts presents five-time Tony Award winner Susan Stroman’s
dynamic re-invention of Meredith Willson's American classic "The
Music
Man," with the songs and story that bring the lovable con artist
Professor Harold Hill to life and audiences to their feet.
Featuring classic songs such as "Till There Was You," "Gary,
Indiana,"
and "Seventy Six Trombones," Meredith Willson's "The Music
Man" is an
all-American salute to music, romance and fast-talking flim-flam.
The recent Broadway revival of "The Music Man" opened April
27, 2000 at
the Neil Simon Theatre. Variety magazine hailed Stroman’s choreography
as "Impeccable. The choreography is delectable — even intoxicating!"
The New Yorker called the show "Wonderful! It puts music in its
place,
right up there with all the other miracles of life. The audience
practically leaps for joy!"
Ray Roderick, the Associate Director of the 2000 Broadway production,
adapted Stroman’s direction for this current touring production,
keeping
her original choreography intact.
Critics have declared this tour of "The Music Man" to be "...the
most
dance-happy 'Music Man' you’re ever likely to see" (St. Louis
Post-Dispatch). The Chicago Sun-Times declared, "(This) fresh 'Music
Man' still scams with style...the show onstage...is first-rate"
"The Music Man" originally opened on Broadway on December 19,
1957
starring Robert Preston and Barbara Cook. With book, music and lyrics
by Meredith Willson and story by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey,
it
won eight Tony Awards, beating "West Side Story" for the Best
Musical
Award.
In addition, the original cast album won the first Grammy Award for
Broadway Musical Score. The popular movie, starring Robert Preston and
Shirley Jones, also won an Academy Award for Best Score.
A pre-concert lecture will be held by Cal Poly Music professor Alyson
McLamore, beginning at 6 p.m. in the Philips Recital hall.
Tickets for the performance range from $42 - $54, with student discounts
available, and may be purchased at the Performing Arts Ticket Office,
10
a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. To order by
phone, call 805/756-2787; to order by fax: 805/756-6088. Order on-line
at www.pacslo.org.
Sponsored by the Dr. Warren Anderson, Robert and Linda Takken, the Inn
at Morro Bay, the Foundation for the Performing Arts Center, Matrix
Mobile Television, and KCBX 90.1 FM.
For audio and video samples of Cal Poly Arts events, visit
www.calpolyarts.org.
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