Photo Coverage: 'The Music Man' Opening Night Party

The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford, CT, celebrated its much anticipated opening night of The Music Man on Tuesday, April 22 at Vito's by the Park. Performed as a semi-staged 50^th Anniversary Tribute complete with 25-piece orchestra, partial sets, and full costumes, lighting, and choreography, the concert stars the legendary Shirley Jones as Mrs. Paroo and son Patrick Cassidy as Professor Harold Hill. Co-stars are Broadway's Lisa Vroman as Marian Paroo and Jason Graae as Marcellus Washburn.

The Music Man is the first show that the Bushnell has endeavored to produce in its 78-year history. Under the leadership of Scott Galbraith, vice president, programs, and producer for this event, the Bushnell enlisted Broadway's Philip Wm. McKinley (The Boy from Oz, The Most Happy Fella) to direct, Edward Cumming, music director of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, to conduct, and Peggy Hickey (The Most Happy Fella, My Fair Lady) to choreograph. The 40-member cast includes Mary Stout as Eulalie Mackeknie Shinn, David Coffee as Mayor Shinn, Tim Hausmann as Tommy Djilas, Bradley Benjamin as Zaneeta Shinn, Andrew Shipman as Winthrop Paroo and Abigail McMillan as Amaryllis.

The concert performs now through April 27 at 7:30 pm Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday; 8 pm Friday and Saturday; and 2 pm Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are available at the Bushnell box office, 166 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, by calling 860-987-5959, or online at www.bushnell.org.

Photos by Jan Nargi

Patrick Cassidy, Shirley Jones, Philip Wm. McKinley, and Lisa Vroman

David Coffee and Jason Graae

Tim Hausmann and Lisa Vroman

Patrick Cassidy and Shirley Jones

Scott Galbraith, executive producer, and David Fay, president and CEO

JP Elins, stage manager, and Mary Stout

Edward Cumming, musical director, Michael Morris, choral director, Paul Feyer, rehearsal accompanist, and Eugene Gwozdz, musical supervisor

Patrick Cassidy, Philip Wm. McKinley, and Lisa Vroman

Jan Nargi is owner and creative director of JMN Publications, a marketing and public relations firm based in Boston, Mass. She provides consultation, communications, and writing services to clients in the health care, entertainment, financial, retail, manufacturing, non-profit, and sports industries. As a freelance writer, Jan has had hundreds of articles published in business and high-tech magazines. Theatrically, she has reviewed, written, directed, acted, produced, sung, danced, managed publicity, pounded nails, and designed lighting and sets. Jan has even acted in the occasional B-movie, playing a zombie, a psycho shrink, and a clueless news reporter. You may visit her on the web at www.jmnpublications.com.

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