REVIEW
JOHN BERGER / JBERGER@STARBULLETIN.COM
Marian Paroo (Nicole Sullivan) seems unimpressed by whatever Harold Hill (Dennis Proulx) claims to have in his sack in Army Community Theatre's production of "The Music Man."
Actors breathe romance
into their well-worn roles
The sense that romantic chemistry is percolating between Dennis Proulx and Nicole Sullivan is the key to Army Community Theatre's "The Music Man." If this vintage musical is to come across as more than a Broadway potboiler, the leads must appear to be so in love that they each do the illogical. Proulx and Sullivan -- playing Harold Hill and Marian Paroo -- make it happen.
"The Music Man"
Presented by Army Community Theatre, continues at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through May 24 at Richardson Theatre, Fort Shafter. Tickets: $17 and $14 (children $10 and $8). Call 438-4480 or 438-5230.
Proulx looks like he's having a ball with the role of "Professor" Hill from the first time he opens his mouth, but the details he adds make his performance worth seeing. He's good enough that he might be able to carry the show on his own, but with Sullivan as his co-star, he's spared that responsibility.
In a single sentence: Proulx and Sullivan show us rather than tell us what's really going on. Proulx does this by showing us what traveling con man Hill is experiencing as he finds that his planned scam job on the citizens of River City is becoming gummed up by his emotional ties to shrewish Marian Paroo. Sullivan does the same as Marian. The odds of these two characters falling for each other may well seem slim, but Proulx and Sullivan make it look right on anyway.
Proulx appears to physically expand and shrink as Hill wrestles with his emotions. Sullivan makes Marian's thawing more than a requirement of the plot -- yes, love does make people do illogical things! These emotional undercurrents are essential in making their scene on the footbridge the pivotal moment in the show, and "Till There Was You" more than just another song.
Sullivan sings the song beautifully, and her gorgeous voice adds to the impact of several other musical numbers.
And now for the back story: The year is 1912. Harold Hill is a con man who fast-talks gullible culture-hungry citizens of small towns to invest in expensive musical instruments and uniforms for a town band that he promises to train and lead. The problem is that "Hill" -- we learn that's not his real name -- knows nothing about music and slips out of town as soon as final payment is made. He finds an ally in River City, a former partner in crime now gone straight, who fills him in on the local scene and helps set the con in play.
Hill learns that the local music authority is Marian, the fiercely independent unmarried librarian, and starts pursuing her. It isn't clear whether he sees her as a potential sexual conquest or someone he needs to either distract or win over.
Marian takes an instant dislike to "Hill" when he arrives but finds herself falling in love with him by the time she finds the information that could blow his con.
Behind the impressive performances of Proulx and Sullivan is Broadway veteran Jim Hutchison, who displays his usual fine touch as director and choreographer in restaging this classic. Several ensemble numbers add a strong satirical edge to playwright Meredith Willson's musical portrait of small-town Iowa and the narrow- minded townsfolk. Hutchison's staging and choreography of the numbers involving the female townsfolk is consistently entertaining, but he has considerable depth in the cast as well.
Willson's recurring joke is Hill's ability to distract four of his suspicious adversaries by getting them to perform as a barbershop quartet. Hutchison cast a real-life barbershop quartet in the roles, and although the vocals are the main thing, the foursome -- Ralph Brandt (Oliver Hix), Jim Gammon (Ewart Dunlap), George McOuat (Jacey Squires) and Don Raymond (Olin Britt) -- play the acting side of the roles well, too.
And then there's Nola Stabley (Mrs. Paroo), who adds a nice touch of comedy at a key moment; Mark Tucker and Megan DeBoard nicely matched as the rebellious teens; Michael Zachery Yasunaga in the small but important role of introverted Winthrop Paroo; and Gene De Frances (Charlie Cowell), as the designated villain, who successfully pulls off the task of making the voice of "right" -- Cowell is a legitimate traveling salesman who tries to warn the town of Hill's plan -- seem wrong.
Set designer Tom Giza wisely relies on stylized representations of the train, town and park, and creates a series of satisfactory sets and set pieces. Sporadic microphone problems did not detract from the impact of the two lead performances on opening night, or from the work of musical director Daren Kimura's orchestra. Kimura and his musicians distinguished themselves with "Seventy-Six Trombones" and the finale as well.
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