Riverland 2022-2023 theatre season continues with a concert staging of Meredith Willson’s The Music Man February 17-19. Riverland’s Theatre will be joined by Riverland Music’s College Choir, the Northwestern Singers, and a live orchestra.

Join us as we celebrate one of American musical theatre’s great scores in this concert adaptation. By turns wicked, funny, warm, romantic, and touching, The Music Man is family entertainment at its best. Meredith Willson’s six-time Tony Award-winning musical comedy has been entertaining audiences since 1957 and is a family-friendly story to be shared with every generation. Fast-talking traveling salesman Harold Hill cons the people of River City, Iowa, into buying instruments and uniforms for a band that he vows to organize--this, even though he doesn't know a trombone from a treble clef. His plans to skip town with the cash are foiled when he falls for Marian, the librarian, who transforms him into a respectable citizen by curtain’s fall.

The Music Man features book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, with a story by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey. The concert adaptation is by Evans Haile.

Lindsey Duoos Williams directs with musical direction is by Scott Blankenbaker, both Riverland instructors. The technical direction is by John Deyo. Costumes are by Madlain Vander. CJ Schultz stage manages. The Music Man in Concert stars Anna Anderson (Alma), Maddie Bartlett (Maud), Miranda Berge (Pick-a-Little Lady), Hogan Bergene (Ewart), Maggie Bremner (Salesman), Allie Carolan (Band), Scot Cinnamon (Olin), Maxxi Davis (Gracie), Sariah Echols (Band), Nancy Fernandez (Pick-a-Little Lady), Ryan Flanders (Salesman), Joanne M. Fox (Eulalie), Griffin Franksain (Marcellus), Kaiah Gibson (Ethel), Gordy Handeland (Mayor Shinn), Laurie Helmers (Mrs. Paroo), Tony Huizinga (Jacey), Kayla Knutson (Pick-a-Little Lady), Jalen Maxwell (Band), Melissa Meouchy (Conductor), Leslie Meyer (Pick-a-Little Lady), Will Meyer (Winthrop), Adrian Ojambo (Salesman), Nate Riley (Oliver), Javier Rodriguez Cifuentes (Charlie Cowell), Ciel Rogers (Pick-a-Little Lady), Gracie Salvaggio (Amaryllis), John Stanley (Harold Hill), Misha Stanley (Marian Paroo), Derek Wynn (Salesman), Aaron Zogg (Salesman), and Jada Day, Kris Hahn, Jennifer Hatfield, Lori Johnson, Tek Okal, Diane Petrik, Alan Wichmann, and Cindy Wichmann as River City Townspeople.

“This classic musical, with its catchy tunes and charming characters, has been a crowd-pleaser for generations,” said director Lindsey Duoos Williams. “The concert adaptation has all the songs that you know and love, and still tells the story of The Music Man but with simplified staging. We are thrilled to be partnering with Riverland’s College Choir and Northwestern Singers to create an ensemble of nearly 40 voices to sing these timeless songs, accompanied by a 13-piece orchestra.”
The Music Man in Concert will be performed Feb. 17 and 18 at 7:00 p.m. and February 19 at 2 p.m. in the Frank W. Bridges Theatre on Riverland’s Austin Campus.

Individual tickets to The Music Man in Concert are $16. Tickets are currently on sale at www.riverland.edu/tickets 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The online ticketing system allows customers to pay by Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover. The on-campus box office will be open for in person sales in the theatre lobby one hour prior to each performance. Riverland students receive two free tickets with a valid student ID. Contact the box office at 507-433-0595 or by emailing boxoffice@riverland.edu.  

Riverland Theatre strives to provide quality productions that are entertaining and challenging to both the audience and the artists.  Because we reach such a diverse audience, some audience members may find some subject matter, language, or situations objectionable. If you have concerns about a specific production, we encourage you to become familiar with the material before attending the performance.

Riverland’s Theatre Department is a high-energy performance-oriented program. Plays produced vary from classical tragedy to modern comedy and from full-scale large cast musicals in intimate small cast plays. Students are encouraged to get involved in all areas of theatre production including, but not limited to, acting, stage managing, set building and painting. Strong academic offerings provide challenges in and out of the classroom.

The Riverland Music Department is an active and vital presence in the college and its communities. The department continues to grow in size and scope, offering a variety of courses, performances opportunities, and concerts. Some students involved in Riverland Music ensembles intend to be music majors, however participation is open to all students. Riverland's ensembles give regular performances throughout the state and region, and have appeared in Alice Tulley Hall (Lincoln Center), and Carnegie Hall.