Excerpt from Bay City News Service, Caroline Crawford
March 3, 2009
Rauch's jovial staging of Music Man represents the first OSF
foray into American musical theater. Company veteran Michael Elich shines as
the slipperiest of hucksters landing in River City to sell the citizenry a
brass band (76 Trombones). Not an easy role, but Elich is versatile,
hoofing and singing with grace, and signing with theatrical flourish to
sidekick Marcellus Washburn, played by Howie Seago (Seago is, one of two deaf
actors Rauch has added to the roster this year). It's a big show with crack
choreography from Darren Lee and a pocketsize orchestra in the pit.
Shigeru Yaji and Rachel Hauck (costumes and sets) show the
transformation of River City from an all-gray Iowa town to one of brilliant
colors, thanks to the joy that conman Harold Hill has brought to town. As
Harold Hill's librarian sweetheart Gwendolyn Mulamba is striking and if she
struggles with the difficult register changes and high frequency in the big
tunes, she conveys a whopping sense of love and loyalty for hero Hill when
the town wants to ride him out on a rail.
Riding on the success of this
The Music Man Rauch will no doubt follow up with more American musicals.
OSF continues through the summer and fall with seven more plays
opening in the next several months.
Caroline Crawford - Excerpt from Bay City News Service,