‘The Music Man’ is coming to Upper Darby High School
The Upper Darby High School will present “The Music Man,” a beloved Broadway musical, starting March 13.
The high school is known for its stellar theater program, which has previously produced such stars as Tina Fey and the late singer-songwriter Jim Croce.
Performing Arts Center Production Manager Tim Bruno is an ’08 alumnus who came back to his alma mater after college and a stint in regional theater in California. He offered to design costumes for Harry Dietzler, the former executive and artistic director. When Dietzler retired Bruno offered his helping hand.
“I assumed most of the duties of running the Performing Arts Center. So, I’ve been around for 20 years,” he said.
“The Music Man” has a cast of 57, including 14 students from Primas, Garrettford, Aronimink, and Highland Park elementary schools. The stagecrew members are also students.
“It’s been really great for our high schoolers too because they normally don’t get to interact with our younger students,” he said. The cast is divided into family units to replicate the imaginary town of River City, Iowa, where “The Music Man” takes place. It’s a stand-in for Mason City, where the show’s composer, Meredith Wilson, grew up.
The plot revolves around a salesman, Harold Hill, who talks the people of River City into buying musical instruments and uniforms, promising to start a band, although he can’t tell 76 trombones from 76 tubas. Then Hill meets Marian, the town librarian, and his plans change.
The school held auditions in November and quickly began rehearsing, Bruno said. They rehearsed four times a week, except over the school’s winter break.
Bruno said they picked “The Music Man” because it’s a cheerful and upbeat show. Last year, Upper Darby students performed “Sweeney Todd,” which is “very heavy,” he said.
Heavy or not, UDHS won 19 Cappies (awards from high school critics) for their performance of “Sweeney Todd.”
Also, since this year is America’s 250th birthday, the high school students felt the themes would be fitting, too.
“We said this would be a good time to get this show up and rolling since it does start on July 4, 1912,” said Bruno. “There were a lot of factors in choosing it, but we wanted to give the kids experience in a heavy dance show, which we haven’t given them in a while, and just a very classic Broadway-style production.”
Bruno designed the costumes and the set. He rented period costumes and accessories from the Theater Development Fund (TDF) in New York, which receives donated costumes from Broadway shows, the Metropolitan Opera, and other venues around the country.
“We rented over 300 costume pieces for the show because it was such a large production,” said Bruno.
“Our kids work extremely hard, and they’re very lucky that our school district supports us in the way they do,” Bruno said. “We do not have to fundraise for theater productions at the high school, which is very uncommon for a public school district, especially with our diversity and economic makeup.”
He appreciates the support of the administration and the school board.
“I grew up watching ‘The Wizard of Oz’ nearly every day as a child,” Bruno said. “The fantasy and storytelling aspect of it really gave me an outlet.” Bruno said that theater “lets you experience the world from another person’s point of view, and I think that really helps our students become better citizens of the world, because they have the ability to have empathy.”
“The Music Man” will be performed March 13, 14, and 20 at 7:30 p.m. with a double showing on March 21 at a 2 p.m. matinee and 7:30 p.m. final show. Tickets are $5 for students (with ID) and between $10 and $15 for reserved public seating.
