(This review was written after viewing the final dress rehearsal of The Music Man on Tuesday, Nov. 1.)
Pella Community High performed The Music Man for it’s musical this year, and it was directed by Michelle Chaplin. Originally composed by Franklin Lacey and Meredith Willson in 1957, The Music Man is set in the fictional town of River City, Iowa, in 1912. The two main characters include Harold Hill (senior Cameron Blom) and Marian Paroo (junior Alexis DeJong). Hill, a traveling salesman, convinces an entire town of stubborn Iowans to purchase band instruments and uniforms from him. His intent was to leave town after collecting the money. In the end, Hill falls in love with Paroo, the librarian and music teacher, and faces a big decision.
Overall, the performance was very enjoyable. The cast consisted of around 100 members from the Pella school district. All of them performed with lots of emotion and were never seen out of character. Also, the vocals were impressively consistent throughout the entire performance. There were no moments where I questioned if the characters knew what they were singing. On the contrary, sometimes the choreography appeared messy. This can be expected with a younger cast; however, it was noticeable. (Reminder: This was still a dress rehearsal.)
In addition, occasionally microphones did not work which made it hard to hear some of the characters’ lines. Despite some of these minor technical difficulties, including the microphone malfunctions, the cast continued to perform without hesitation. If anything, this showed the talent and resilience of the cast.
In conclusion, the performance of The Music Man really showcased the talent of the Pella youth.

•Allison Clark, [email protected]