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S1 E8 - Music Man Behind the Scenes · Inside the OSD

• 0:01
  SPEAKER1: O-ho the Wells Fargo Wagon is a-comin' down the street, I wish I wish I knew what it could be!
• 0:08
  I got a box of maple sugar on my birthday...
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  SPEAKER2: Welcome to Inside the OSD.
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  I'm Dr. Leslie Bergstrom, and I'm the host of this podcast.
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  Our purpose is to educate and inform you about timely topics and have a little fun doing it.
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  We hope to give you an inside look at what life is like in our schools.
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  And that is going to be fun because it's all about our kids.
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  Today on Inside the OSD, we have a special treat for you.
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  We are at the Oregon High School Performing Arts Center to get a behind the scenes look at the upcoming production of The Music Man.
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  We're talking to co director and choreographer Marsha Heuer, along with a couple of cast members.
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  SPEAKER3: Welcome to this episode of Inside the OSD podcast, where it's all about the kids.
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  Here is your host, lifelong educator, and our superintendent, Dr.
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  Leslie Bergstrom.
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  SPEAKER2: Thanks for having us today.
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  As we can hear, rehearsals for OHS musical production of The Music Man are in full swing.
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  And this is getting pretty exciting.
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  So could you start by telling us a bit about yourself, your current role at OHS and as co-director of this musical?
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  SPEAKER4: Absolutely. Well, my name is Marsha Heuer, and I'm a social studies teacher.
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  My first year here at OHS, and I'm so excited to be here.
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  But I bring with me about 16 years of experience as a social studies and a theater teacher from two other districts.
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  And I was choreographing Music Man already.
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  I wanted to come in and and get involved with the shows right away.
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  SPEAKER2: That's great.
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  SPEAKER4: Yeah. So it's been -- it's been really great so far.
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  SPEAKER2: So how was The Music Man selected as this year's musical production?
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  SPEAKER4: Well, since I wasn't here last year, I wasn't part of that original process.
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  But I do know Mike Ducett and Ms.
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  Yancey, they always try to do a contemporary and then a classic show.
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  So last year they did Addams Family because that gives students the, like, an opportunity to do various things when they're in high school.
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  And so that's the beauty of it.
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  So we are we are choosing Music Man this year because when you think of a classic show, what better?
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  SPEAKER2: It comes to mind?
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  SPEAKER4: It comes to mind. And I also know that we have a very strong music department here and the musicians, since the pit is primarily made up of all the students,
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  there were a lot of really great students that they could feature with this show particularly.
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  SPEAKER2: Oh, that's wonderful.
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  So some of the people listening might not be familiar with this musical.
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  Can you give us an overview of the storyline?
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  SPEAKER4: Absolutely. So Music Man opened on Broadway in 1957 and it won tons of Tony Awards, f course, everyone loved it, and then it became a movie.
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  But it's about a con artist whose name is Harold Hill, and he travels around the Midwest and he sells the idea of a boys band to all of these young,
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  these unknowing, Midwestern, nice people who think "this is great!" So he sells them instruments and uniforms, but he's not a musician, he's not a
• 3:05
  director. And so he basically beats out of town with all their money before the band actually comes together.
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  But in Music, Man, he actually ends up getting his his foot caught in the door, as he says in Act two, because he ends up falling in love.
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  Not to spoil too much, but you'll have to come and see it.
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  SPEAKER2: Well, I think there's an awful lot of us who've seen the movie, right, because it played on cable TV when I was a kid and it was absolutely one of my
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  favorites. Yes.
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  So producing a musical is an incredible undertaking.
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  So what's involved in a production like this?
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  SPEAKER4: Oh, my gosh, it starts months and months before, of course, what the audience sees with the original decision of what show to do.
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  And with that, then you have all of your different production staff members, your director, your choreographer, your music director, your pit orchestra
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  director, your costumer, set designer, all these people kind of working together.
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  And many people in high school do multiple jobs, right, because we don't professionally can bring in all of those people.
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  SPEAKER2: So students are doing some of these jobs, too?
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  SPEAKER4: Absolutely. We have a student lighting designer.
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  We have lots of students that are doing the props.
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  And so students auditioned in December and we were able to bring everybody together.
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  And now we've been rehearsing now for just about six weeks, if that before we're going to open.
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  SPEAKER2: That's exciting. And I love the idea that students are getting opportunities to pursue so many passions in connection with the musical.
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  Absolutely. There's room for everybody.
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  Even if you don't feel you are musically talented, there is room for you to be a part of this production and to really make a difference.
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  SPEAKER4: Absolutely. That's what I've loved about theater.
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  I every time I'm in my classroom as a social studies teacher, I'm like, Have you ever thought about theater?
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  Because it's not necessarily about the performers, it's about the artists.
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  It's about those those kids that I see doing the doodles.
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  And I was like, You could have a space if you like sound, if you like lighting, if you just like costumes and fashion, there's a place for everyone.
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  SPEAKER2: Are there other people? Are there are other community volunteers who help out with this, too?
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  SPEAKER4: I know that there are a bunch and I haven't even met them all, but I know that our set building days are filled with a lot of dads and uncles and who knows who
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  . They're all being brought in.
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  SPEAKER2: Wonderful.
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  SPEAKER4: And we have our costume designer who is actually a student from here that graduated almost a decade ago.
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  I think so. Really?
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  So very exciting.
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  SPEAKER2: Well, I just love the fact that it brings so many people together.
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  And whether it's a part of the production or even just bringing in the community to enjoy the production because the PAC is filled on nights that I can't wait
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  to see what's happening.
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  SPEAKER4: I think we will sell out, especially with a show like this.
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  We have well over 100 students involved.
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  So when you have families of many people it's going to fill.
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  So get your tickets right away.
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  SPEAKER2: So when will -- when are the performances and how can families and community members get tickets?
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  SPEAKER4: So tickets are already on sale at the Oregon Performing Arts Center website.
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  And the shows are Friday and Saturday, February 17th and 18th at 7:30 and February 19th at 2:00.
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  So just three shows.
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  SPEAKER2: Boy, that puts some pressure on to get tickets.
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  A little bit!
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  So thanks for spending some time to us today.
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  And now I'd like to spend a little time talking with some senior members of the cast.
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  Thanks for taking a few minutes to talk with us today.
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  You're playing Harold Hill, The Music Man.
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  What a great role.
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  Can you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your character?
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  SPEAKER3: So my name is Nicholas Brandenburg.
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  I am a senior here at OHS.
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  And yeah, Harold Hill is a obviously a con man.
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  And he starts off, you know, the musical, having done this before.
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  You know, this is second nature to him is scamming towns and people and lovers into doing whatever he wants to make money.
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  And he ends the show, you know, -- throughout the show he kind of develops relationships with new people and he
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  realizes that people are seeing him for who he is.
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  Because I think the con man is a facade.
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  I don't think that's truly who Harold is.
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  It's something he puts on because he thinks that's all people see him as and that's the only thing he's good at.
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  But deep down, he is a good, genuine, genuinely good person who enjoys fun.
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  And when Marian sees that in him is when he falls in love and is when he reveals his true self.
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  SPEAKER2: You know this character.
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  So that tells me that rehearsals have been going on for a while.
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  Tell me about what's been going on with rehearsals.
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  SPEAKER3: I mean, rehearsals have been great.
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  It's been really fun. We've we've done a lot of, you know, last year in Addams Family, it was a lot of blocking right off the bat and just running through the
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  scripts and flowing it.
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  And then the the dancing was kind of the last priority because there was a lot of it, but it was not as big of a dancing show.
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  This is a dance heavy show.
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  So we have been doing choreo nonstop and it's been really fun, really challenging, which is nice because this is my first time being in a full on lead
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  role and having to do all this dancing and all this singing and all these lines has been a great challenge and it's been really fun learning that during
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  rehearsals and I really enjoyed the process with that.
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  SPEAKER2: So you've been in other musicals, right?
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  So what other parts have you played in musicals so far?
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  SPEAKER3: So last year in Addams Family, I played Lucas Beinecke and then I was in Guys and Dolls.
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  I had a few -- I had a featured role in that.
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  And then, you know, Encore OHS, which is our online production of the past ten years of shows.
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  I had a few featured roles in that, but actually right now I'm currently also at Verona Area Community Theater, and I'm doing SpongeBob the Musical, and I
• 8:45
  play SpongeBob in that.
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  So it is a dual lead.
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  Oh my goodness!
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  SPEAKER2: Yeah. How are you doing both of those things at the same time?
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  SPEAKER3: It's very tough, but what's really nice is Verona does rehearsals on Sundays, Sunday nights only, and it's up until April, so it doesn't really collide with
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  this. It is just something I have to do on the side.
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  SPEAKER2: It just makes you extra busy.
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  But you must think there's something really special about this role if you're willing to commit this amount of time.
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  What makes this role special?
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  The role of Harold Hill?
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  SPEAKER3: I think what makes it so special is it's -- this is the culmination of all the work I have done in this career, in this interest of passion of mine.
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  You know, for all my life, I've liked singing and acting and putting on voices for my family and making them laugh.
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  And from freshman year up until this point, I've just been trying to grow and improve and I've definitely seen that growth and improvement.
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  And playing this role as this big lead role feels like a big accomplishment for me.
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  It feels like something that I have worked towards my whole life and now that I'm doing it, it is just an honor.
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  SPEAKER2: That is so exciting.
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  So what's next for you?
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  Do you want to participate in musicals in your future?
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  SPEAKER3: Oh, for sure. I definitely want to.
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  I definitely want to stay in music and acting.
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  But my ultimate goal in life is I want to be a voice actor.
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  So I want to do impressions.
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  I want to do cartoons.
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  And I although I don't have plans for college at the moment, I do want to join a choir and join the theater and theater departments and
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  whatever college I decide.
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  Right.
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  SPEAKER2: And yeah, I'm excited for you.
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  It'll be fun to listen for your voice in future animated movies or commercials or anything else.
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  So I also look forward to the performance.
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  What are the dates that we'll be seeing The Music Man?
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  SPEAKER3: February 17th, 18 and 19th.
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  SPEAKER2: Wonderful. Thank you.
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  Now we are going to hear from another performer in the musical.
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  And you are playing Marian Paroo.
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  SPEAKER5: Yes.
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  SPEAKER2: So tell us a little bit about yourself and then I want to hear about the character and what led to you getting such a great role.
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  SPEAKER5: Yeah. My name is A.J.
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  Stoffels. I'm a senior here at the high school.
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  A little bit about the character.
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  She's -- in the beginning of the musical, at least, she's pretty stuck up.
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  I'm not going to lie. She's -- she's very stubborn.
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  Iowa stubborn. But she is also like her own woman, which I really like.
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  She's a very independent woman.
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  A strong, independent woman, I might say.
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  And she -- she feels like she doesn't need to bend to society's standards to get a man in her life or something like that.
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  So she has her own standards.
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  And so she even sings a couple of songs about it, too, about the standards that she has, that she doesn't want to lower the bar for a man.
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  She -- she'll find someone who is just right for her.
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  But by the end of the musical, really, there's a lot of character development, I think, both in Marion and in Harold, which is great.
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  And they kind of meet each other in the middle.
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  And it's just beautiful going from like this super stubborn character to kind of softening up through experience and then leading to getting the role.
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  We learned about it last April.
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  I think we learned we're going to do Music Man.
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  And up to that point I hadn't really heard of Music Man, other than watching the movie a few times when I was younger.
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  SPEAKER2: I was going to ask you if you saw the movie.
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  SPEAKER5: We've seen the movie and I always loved it.
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  I've watched it a few times when I was younger.
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  But then also we have a cottage in southern Michigan, and every time we go there we drive through Gary, Indiana.
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  And so every time we drive through Gary, Indiana, the song would start like playing in my head.
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  I would start singing it in my head.
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  So when we found it out, I'm like, Oh my gosh, this is just perfect.
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  SPEAKER2: It was meant to be.
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  SPEAKER5: It was meant to be.
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  And then through through just a lot a lot of hard work in voice lessons with Sammy Elmer, who I'm very, very grateful for because I've grown so much over the
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  last few months, I was able to kind of step up to being able to get this role and just working hard and having a lot of support.
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  And so I'm very, very excited to be one of the leads in my senior show.
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  SPEAKER2: Well, what's it been like to be a part of this big cast so far?
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  There are a lot of kids practicing up on the stage right now.
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  SPEAKER5: There are. Honestly, my part is very different than Nick's part, who plays Harold.
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  It's very different because my numbers, I'm barely ever with the entire ensemble or with the kids on stage.
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  So like Wells Fargo Wagon is one of the very few opportunities I get to be - other than the finale - on stage with basically everybody.
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  So my scenes are a lot more intimate and between, like, just a few people.
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  So I haven't actually been able to work very much with the cast.
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  So that's why I'm really looking forward to pre tech and Tech week where I can spend a lot more time with all of the wonderful people in the theater
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  department.
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  SPEAKER2: That's wonderful.
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  What would you say to listeners who are wondering if they should come and see it?
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  SPEAKER5: Oh my gosh, please come and see it.
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  Just not -- not even from like the standpoint of, "oh, please come support our show." That too.
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  But it's just -- it's been such a wonderful experience and I've seen so much growth through everybody, through the process.
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  And like, I just everybody has created such amazing bonds with one another.
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  And we have we've had to take so much charge.
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  This is a very student led show at this point because our director did have to bow out for a little bit.
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  And so it was all up in the air.
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  And we had Miss Heuer, who was able to step in and help us, but a lot of student led activities.
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  So with set, we had to kind of take care of things.
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  So it's just all it's been a lot of work like a lot I feel like more work than it has been in the past and a lot of communication.
• 14:31
  And it's just so, so much has gone into putting together this show and we are just so excited to see how it's already turning out so well.
• 14:40
  Like, we've got a lot of work to do still and we still have time to do it, but it's already you can just see that it's it's got amazing potential and it's
• 14:46
  going to be so wonderful by opening night.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER2: Well, knowing that you're senior and this is your final debut in an musical, this has to mean a lot to you.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER5: Oh, don't bring it up. Oh, my God, I, I have seriously, I have been a part in every single production possible in the school district since since first grade
• 15:04
  when I was the little red hen in the little Red hen.
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  And like, seriously, every single production that was possible.
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  And so having that all culminate to this beautiful production and this wonderful moment where I get to lead it up to and have so many people to support
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  me and get to have an experience with all of these wonderful people.
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  It's just it's a great kind of -- it's a great way to finish up my senior year and my K through 12 theater experience.
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  SPEAKER2: It's a great capstone.
• 15:32
  Yes. What do you think is next for you or do you want to stay in music?
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  SPEAKER5: Oh, that's that's a great question.
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  I of course, I've been getting that question a lot lately.
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  I would love to stay in theater and music in my -- in my future, even if it's just community theater and everything.
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  I do want to go into math, too.
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  So that's something that --
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  SPEAKER2: How terrific to have two interests like that.
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  SPEAKER5: Yeah. So I would love to continue in music and theater because it's just something that I feel such a pure passion for, and that just brings me so much
• 16:03
  joy in life. So it's always nice to know I have this.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER2: Very nice. Thank you. It was great to talk to you.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER5: Thank you. You too!
• 16:10
  SPEAKER2: Thanks to our listeners for tuning in this week.
• 16:13
  Music Man performances are once again February 17, 18 and 19 at the Oregon High School Performing Arts Center.
• 16:22
  You can get your tickets online at OregonPerformingArtsCenter.com.
• 16:27
  Remember, you can find links to all episodes of Inside The OSD and submit topic ideas on our website at Oregon
• 16:38
  SD.org/podcast. This podcast is also available on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music.
• 16:47
  Make sure to subscribe if you're listening on one of these apps to get notifications on the most recent episodes.
• 16:53
  We'll see you next time on Inside the OSD, where it's all about the kids.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER1: [Students singing Wells Fargo Wagon]