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North Attleborough resident Gary Poholek, right, will perform the lead in The Music Man along side Jessica Haugh and Andrew Purdy and the Star Players of Bristol County.
Poholek is The Music Man
Fri Jul 27, 2007, 10:07 AM EDT
North Attleborough resident Gary Poholek will star as Prof. Harold Hill in "The Music Man," Broadway's All-American, high-stepping, brass-band of a musical, to be presented this August by the Star Players of Bristol County.
Poholek, a Boston Conservatory graduate with a long resume of musical theater performances with groups such as the Actor's Collaborative, Norton Singers, Company Theatre, and Attleboro Community Theater, will head up 60 singers, dancers and actors from throughout the Bristol County region in this old-fashioned favorite. The Music Man will be presented at the Gerald A. Croteau Theater, Friedman School, Taunton, on Aug. 10, 11, 16, 17, and 18 at 7:30 p.m., with 2 p.m. matinees on Aug. 12 and 19.
With its turn-of-the-century setting and old-fashioned hometown spirit, "The Music Man" tells the tale of Prof. Harold Hill and his attempts to separate the good people of River City, Iowa, from their hard-earned money through an elaborate hoax. As the townspeople eagerly fall for his salesman's pitch to organize a "boys' band," only the well-educated but still single librarian Marian Paroo holds out against the professor and his many charms.
Director Joel O. Thayer of Taunton described "The Music Man" as one of the Star Players' most technically-ambitious productions yet, aiming to top last year's successfully 20th anniversary production of Anything Goes, designed so that each scene is visually stunning, featuring custom-designed, hand-painted backdrops and a set design that blends real antique furnishings with creative touches, all to emphasis the show's nostalgic, heart-warming atmosphere.
"We have an exciting cast and crew all ready to march you up and down the aisles," Thayer said. "This year we have little kids…and these kids can dance! I can't wait to see it all come together; lights, sets, costumes. I am convinced this show will be remembered for years to come."
Tickets for "The Music Man" are available through the Star Players' web site, www.StarPlayersBC.org, or by calling 508-821-2524. As is traditional with Star Players' productions, a silent auction featuring sports tickets, collectible items, framed photographs, gift baskets and gift certificates to area businesses will be held the second weekend (Aug. 16-19).
