By Bill Petzold
Editor
SEBEWAING — Thanks to the 35 or so cast members of Thumb Area Community Theatre, director Angie Noah, musical director Lora Aldrich, accompanist Sherry Helmuth and choreographer Jeralyn Harp, the halls of Unionville-Sebewaing Area High School will be alive with the sound of … ‘The Music Man’ beginning Thursday and running all next weekend.
TACT is proud to present its production of Meredith Wilson’s ‘The Music Man.’ Showtime is 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.
The plot centers around con man Harold Hill, who sells band instruments and uniforms to the naive townsfolk of River City, Iowa, with the promise of giving them music lessons and training a town band. The catch is, Hill doesn’t know anything about music, and plans to skip out with the town’s money. Librarian and piano teacher Marian can see through Harold, but when he helps her younger brother overcome a speech impediment and lack of confidence, Marian falls in love with him. Marian’s love becomes more valuable to Harold than the cash he planned to con the people out of.
Ray Phillips of Sebewaing stars as Harold Hill opposite Pigeon’s Bitty Higgins as Marian Paroo. The cast is comprised of people from ages 7 through 68 who hail from all over the Thumb.
The cast includes Benjamin Abke, Sayge Ackerman, Cynthia Beauvais, Tina Beauvais, Allison Buda, Lyvonne Cass, Natalie DeGroat, Ben Engelhardt, Hannah Helmuth, Elizabeth Higgins, Penny Hogan, Michael “Lewie” Karle, Delayne Kazyak, Malakye LaBean, Justin McLaren, Kristen McLaren, Katelyn Meinhold, Lauren Peters, Raymond Phillips, Olivia Schuette, Ally Southgate, Josh Swathwood, Michael Swathwood, Shanae Swathwood, Sue Swathwood, Casey Turner, Jack Turner, Jenny Turner, Katie Turner, Parker VanWormer, Shane Wachowicz, Benjamin White, Daniel White, Joseph White, Serena White and Sarah Zube.
“For me, it is amazing to be a part of this community — and it’s not just this community, it’s communities all over the Thumb,” director Noah said. There’s something different about working in this area as opposed to Saginaw, where I’m from. I live in the Thumb now, and a part of the reason I moved here is because the people are warm and they take care of each other and they love to play with each other and make theatre. It’s just a different kind of magic, and I love making theatre here.”
Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors, and are available at Thumb National Bank in Pigeon, Signature Bank in Sebewaing or at the door. For information email tactdrama2004@gmail.com or call (989) 964-1364.