Holmes Center for the Arts branching out to present 'The Music Man'

Holmes Center for the Arts branching out to present 'The Music Man'
File

River City's boy band will come to Holmes County later this summer, courtesy of Holmes Community for the Arts. The venture into the realm of musicals is a new step for the center, and several directors will bring their expertise to the time-honored magic of "The Music Man."

Holmes Center for the Arts branching out to present 'The Music Man'
File

Holmes Community Center for the Arts will host auditions for the many roles of the time-honored musical, "The Music Man," from starring roles like Professor Harold Hill to the cast of characters. Auditions will be at the center May 7-9, and sign-ups are currently online at www.HolmesCenterfortheArts.org.

                        

Holley Johnson, director of the Holmes Center for the Arts, is ready to start stirring up some trouble with a capital “T,” but that is a very good thing.

Coming this June 30 and July 1, the Holmes Center for the Arts is branching out into new territory as the company sets its sights on performing one of the most beloved musicals ever, “The Music Man.”

Johnson said the move to musicals was one that seemed to make sense, and in doing so, she acquired the aid of a pair of seasoned musical professionals in former Hiland High School music director John Harris and singing teacher Jaime White. In addition the show will be choreographed by professional dancer Lydia Fedor, who is fresh off a stint with Walt Disney.

“We have always talked from the beginning about branching out into musicals,” Johnson said. “We did ‘Our Town,’ which is a play; we performed ‘The Nutcracker,’ which is a dance; and we did 'Young Messiah,' which featured vocal talents, so this is basically combining all three aspects of what we have done to date and mixing them all together.”

All of the directors involved have myriad experience in the world of preparing for musicals, and Harris himself has put on “The Music Man” twice during his tenure at Hiland.

Harris said he has worked a lot with high school-aged performers in his musicals, so this venture will be a new challenge as he works with more seasoned adult voices among his cast.

“Doing musical theater was a logical next step for the center,” Harris said.

Coming off his recent retirement from Hiland High School, Harris' interest was piqued by Johnson, who was able to lure him back into the directing realm in a completely new way.

“I’ve got a lot of experience in the musical field, and Holley wanted to do a really special musical that was a real crowd-pleaser,” Harris said.

Harris didn’t have to think long and went to the tried and true, “The Music Man." He said that while “The Music Man” does have meaty roles for some younger talent such as the boys band, Tommy Djelis, Winthrop, Amaryllis and others, the major roles center around adults.

With a musical featuring plenty of rollicking numbers both in solo and ensemble form and including a couple of beautiful barbershop quartet numbers, some active and lively dance numbers, and a fantastic story line, “The Music Man” should present plenty of opportunities for actors, singers and dancers.

Harris said practices will be two times every week for the chorus while the main roles will be open to scheduling around conflicts for the actors.

Johnson said the collaboration — with each of the directors bringing their own expertise and knowledge to the show — should make it an exciting two-day, three-performance weekend this summer.

“Everyone involved is real professional, and they are all great teachers, and this is truly going to be a great collaboration and a team effort,” Johnson said. “I know all of us are very willing to do whatever it takes to make this a very professional production, and our biggest desire is that it continues to grow the arts in Holmes County.”

Harris said it is Johnson who is the glue who will bind it all together. “I am a proponent of the arts, but Holley, this is her passion, and it is why she started the center for the arts,” he said.

As usual Johnson will seek local talent to fill both the starring roles and the smaller roles for "The Music Man."

Tryouts for the musical will take place at the Holmes Center for the Arts building, located in Millersburg at 164 N. Washington St. Tryouts will take place Monday through Wednesday evenings, May 7-9. Anyone wishing to apply for a part may do so by visiting the center’s website at www.HolmesCenterfortheArts.org and clicking on the theater page at the top bar.

Once on the page, performers may register to audition for speaking parts of their choice as well as auditioning for special dance roles. Anyone wishing to register to be part of the chorus need not addition but just sign up. There is much more information about auditions linked to the webpage. If someone has trouble, be it with a capital "T" or not, they may call Johnson at 330-473-2879.

“We are looking for people who are passionate and love to entertain,” Johnson said, “whether that is for a major role or as part of the cast. We are looking forward to seeing a lot of new faces as we continue to grow.”

Having a professional crew of directors on board is exciting, but what will make this undertaking even more unique is that the company was able to secure the stage at the Ohio Star Theater in Sugarcreek. The beautiful new theater will provide a wonderful stage for the lush sets of “The Music Man,” and Johnson and Harris were excited to land such a great venue for their inaugural journey into a new arena of performance art.

The ability to hang realistic backdrops with ease along with the sound system and the Ohio Star production people will only add to the allure of the musical.

“It is so fun being able to put on shows there,” Johnson said. “Having everything that Ohio Star Theater offers at our disposal is so amazing. The atmosphere it presents will really add to the ambiance of the musical.”

The Holmes Center for the Arts began in March of 2015. Since that time the company has put on many various forms of arts and entertainment, and Johnson said that while they had big dreams when they first began, seeing all of the success come to fruition goes beyond their wildest dreams.

“When you dive into something like this, you have all of these big dreams and visions, and it is nice to see that we really have done it," Johnson said. “But what really excites us the most is that we have provided an avenue for the people of Holmes County and the surrounding area with a place to be creative and share their gifts and talents. It has been a real blessing.”

Get ready for River City, Iowa to come to life this summer, and should anyone want to be a part of the show on the big stage, joining the team is simply a click or two away by logging on to the website above, clicking on the theater listing and registering.


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