CB South’s spring musical is quickly approaching. This year, The Music Man, one of South’s few productions of a classic show, will be performed by the Titan Thespians on Friday, April 19th at 7:00 PM and Saturday April 20th at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM.
Actors and actresses, stage crew, and staff involved in the musical have worked tirelessly to perfect the production. Although, we should extend a special thanks to our music department’s efforts to really bring the production to life with The Music Man’s arrangement of over forty songs.
Members from both the band and orchestra have rehearsed together since January in preparation for the show. “It’s a lot of very quick learning of music,” Mr. Hensil, South’s orchestra conductor and the conductor of the pit orchestra, said.
After learning their music separate from the actors and actresses, before rehearsing in the pit in the auditorium, there were combined rehearsals with the cast and musicians in the band room.
The collaboration between the two musical ensembles has been an exciting process for the musicians and the conductor. “I find it fun”, said Mr. Hensil, “There’s a large group of kids that I don’t usually get to conduct that I can now work with!”
A violist in the pit orchestra, Madison Stott, said, “Being a string player, I don’t get to interact with the band much. But being a part of pit, I get to interact with many different musicians, and I have been able to get to know some great people!”
This process hasn’t gone without hurdles. The group has had to face some issues within rehearsals. “The musicals we perform are professional musicals; we aren’t doing student arrangements of them, so one of the biggest challenges is not only learning a lot of music, but a lot of very challenging music,” the conductor said.
The Music Man is filled with a diverse range of music. Every audience member is bound to fall in love with a few pieces that fit their music taste. “I always like the big show-stopping numbers,” said Mr. Hensil, “The whole cast is singing and the whole pit is playing and it’s highly energetic. We have a couple of those in this show!”
In the final week before the show the cast, crew, and musicians are dedicating long hours on weekdays and weekends to polishing their performance. “We come in on the weekends and spend seven, eight, or nine hours running through things,” Mr. Hensil said, “This week is very busy, lots of rehearsals, lots of very long rehearsals.”
Before opening night, there will be a senior show on Wednesday where the Thespians will be performing for seniors in our community. Mr. Hensil thinks it is “super fun to perform and do that musical service for people.” It is also a final opportunity to add any final touches that pull the musical together.
For many involved, this isn’t just a musical, but an outlet to connect with others. “With any kind of ensemble work…anything we do in the theater and music world, one of the best parts is the community it builds,” said Mr. Hensil.
Buy tickets to The Music Man using this link! As Madison said, “The cast, crew, and pit have been working really hard; we are excited for everyone to watch the show!”
