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winnetkacurrent.com life & arts
the winnetka current | March 15, 2018 | 45
NSCDS’ ‘Music Man’ features Winnetka students in classical story
Megan Bernard
Contributing Editor
For this year’s spring
musical, students at North
Shore Country Day School
took a classical story and
made it their own.
The production, “The
Music Man,” was performed
Thursday-Saturday,
March 8-10, at the Winnetka
school. The cast,
ensemble and production
team came from many local
North Shore suburbs,
including Winnetka, Northbrook,
Highland Park,
Glenview and Wilmette.
“The Music Man” followed
a fast-talking traveling
salesman, Harold Hill,
as he cons the people of
River City, Iowa, into buying
instruments and uniforms
for a boy band that
he vows to organize — despite
the fact that he doesn’t
know a trombone from a
treble clef, according to a
school press release. Hill’s
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 show’s director,
Julia Macholl, chose the
production for the annual
spring musical for a couple
of reasons, she said.
“Many, many people
have some sort of a connection
to ‘Music Man,’
whether seeing the movie,
listening to a record of the
music, seeing a production
or being involved in a
production of it,” Macholl
said. “It is a very popular,
classical musical and it has
such staying power after
many years.”
Macholl also said she
likes to vary the musical
offerings each year so students
have a nice balance
of experience with modern
day musicals, classics and
light opera.
“It is a feel-good show
where the audience is allowed
to escape for twoand-a-half
hours and immerse
themselves in a
world of beautiful music,
comedy and a semi-predictable
plot,” she added about
“The Music Man.” “It also
touches base on the societal
norm and how judgement
and predetermined
The farmer and farmer’s wife, Riley Johes (left), of
Wilmette, and Maeve Devereux, of Winnetka, in a scene.
opinions about people and
their careers, social status
and more can really hold us
back from getting to know
each other deep down.”
For Winnetka actor
Chip Heller, participating
in “The Music Man” was
an enjoyable experience,
THE SPRING
which started with rehearsals
in January.
“It’s a little challenging
because I play two different
roles,” said Heller, a senior
who played both Charlie
Cowell and Oliver Hix.
“My favorite part, though,
is when we’re in the opening
scene and the percussion
is playing behind us
— it’s a cool feeling.”
“There are so many
parts to this show and
it’s really fun to be a part
of,” said Highland Park
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Chip Heller (right), of Winnetka, is part of the opening scene in “The Music Man,”
which ran Thursday-Saturday, March 8-10, at North Shore Country Day School.
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