Due to the hard work and dedication of the Lake Stevens High School Drama Club, the musical The Music Man, under the direction of Mindy Marks, has gone on to be an overall success.

Professor Harold Hill, the main character of the musical played by senior Nathaniel Gaswint, is a salesman who swindles the people of River City. Not only has the character stolen their money, but the underlying plot of romance has stolen the audience’s heart. Gaswint’s acting skills are showcased splendidly in the role of Harold Hill; moreover, the casting of the leading lady was nothing short of perfection.

Senior Sophie Grieser assumed the role of Marian Paroo, the librarian and piano teacher of River City, Iowa. Grieser brought chills upon the audience with her mesmerizing singing and wonderful acting. Though she stood on an almost empty stage, Grieser captivated the audience with every note. Her performances of “Goodnight, My Someone” and “My White Knight” were especially well done.

Not only were the leading roles well casted, but some of the supporting actors proved to be incredibly talented as well. Junior Jocelyn Vanderput in the role of Eulalie Mackechnie-Shinn provided comedy throughout the musical while junior Jakob Cody’s acting and dancing skills were displayed very well in his role of Marcellus Washburn. Cody’s dance number in “The Sadder-But-Wiser Girl” with Gaswint was very well executed and choreographed.

Though the entire cast is wonderful, the most entertaining and talented supporting actress had to be junior Christina Alldredge playing the part of Mrs. Squires. Alldredge proved to be a wonderful dancer with poise in every step, gifted with a beautiful voice that shone through in the musical numbers she took part in, and her overall physiognomy was splendid. She lit up the stage in every one of the scenes she was shown in and provided occasional comedy. In addition to the high school students, the younger kids casted in the production were spectacular and a wonderful presence.

The acting overall was wonderful with few exceptions, leaving some room for improvement. The opening scene and musical number of “Rock Island” was hard to understand due to lack of enunciation and the delivery of lines, which was slightly too fast for the audience to follow. The same critique goes for a few of the actors. Though they expressed their characters very strongly, the emotion sometimes got in the way of line delivery, which made them hard to understand.

Not only were the performers themselves noteworthy, but the choreography, sets, and music was as well. Choreography throughout the show was very well done by senior Elizabeth Stanton. Her dance experience and vast knowledge led to an incredible success in the dance numbers. Set design in the musical was kept to a minimum and more impressive in the lobby than in the actual show. The lobby was very well decorated and created a well-rounded experience which was entertaining even during intermission. The Music Man is said to be one of the most musically involved shows to ever be performed on Broadway. This level of musical complexity meets its match with the level of musical talent in the LSHS band. The students who took part in the pit orchestra faced the challenge head on and with minimal mistakes, provided a great score full of upbeat, Sousa-esque movements.

The hard work put in by the Drama Club, pit orchestra, and staff was evident in the performance as well as costuming, music, and set design. Overall, the fall musical was a great success. If you haven’t been able to catch a show, it is worth your time and money, and I very much recommend it. The remaining shows are November 17, 18 and 19 at 6:30 p.m.