Casting Announced - Patrick Cassidy and Shirley Jones star in Bushnell's Music Man
PATRICK CASSIDY & SHIRLEY JONES TO STAR IN THE BUSHNELL’S PRODUCTION OF MEREDITH WILLSON’S THE MUSIC MAN
50TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT-STYLE PRODUCTION OPENS APRIL 22
HARTFORD, CT – January 31, 2008 – To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Meredith Willson’s captivating production that electrified Broadway, Hartford’s The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts will produce and present a distinct rendition of the show that won the 1958 Tony Award for Best Musical. The Music Man – A 50th Anniversary Tribute will star Patrick Cassidy as Harold Hill and Shirley Jones as Mrs. Paroo. The engagement runs for 8 performances April 22 – 27, 2008 and is part of The Hartford Financial Services Group Broadway Series.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting The Bushnell Box Office at 166 Capitol Avenue in Hartford or by calling (860) 987-5900. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.bushnell.org. Groups of 10 or more should call (860) 987-5959. Curtain times for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evening performances are at 7:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 p.m; and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:00 p.m.
This high-energy rendition of one of America’s best-loved musicals breathes new life into the time-honored story of the original production. With soaring voices and a live, on-stage orchestra The Music Man – A 50th Anniversary Tribute delivers all of the classics including “Seventy Six Trombones,” “Wells Fargo Wagon,” “Till There Was You” and “Gary, Indiana.”
The production is part of The Bushnell’s efforts to be a point of genesis for new Broadway shows, revivals and other artistic presentations. David Fay, President and CEO comments, “This is an exhilarating phase of The Bushnell’s growth: it’s real, it’s here and it furthers our vision “To present, create, inspire and share the best in the performing arts and, in partnership with others, deploy the arts as major catalysts to advance education, to promote economic development and to build a sense of community in central Connecticut.”
Scott Galbraith, Vice President of Programming for The Bushnell is Executive Producer. The production is directed by Philip Wm. McKinley (Broadway: The Boy from Oz; Tour: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels; Off-Broadway: Zombie Prom); choreography by Peggy Hickey (MTV: Beck’s The New Pollution; Film: The Brady Bunch Movie; Regional Stage: Brigadoon; A Little Night Music; The King and I); set design by Ray Klausen (Broadway: On Golden Pond; Brooklyn), and lighting by Kirk Bookman (Broadway: Band in Berlin; The Sunshine Boys; Gentlemen Prefer Blondes); casting by Stephen DeAngelis.
The Music Man tells the story of traveling salesman, Harold Hill, and his visit to a small Iowa town in 1912 where he meets and falls in love with the willful, spinster librarian, Marian Paroo. With his fast-talking style, "Professor" Harold Hill convinces the town that unless they adopt his revolutionary music program, the youngsters of River City will be forever doomed. He gets the parents to buy instruments and expensive uniforms in order to form the River City Boys Band. Chaos ensues as Hill's credentials are questioned and he is called upon to prove himself to the citizens of River City.
Patrick Cassidy is the son of actress Shirley Jones and actor Jack Cassidy. Cassidy and Jones were the first mother-son combination to work together in a Broadway musical when they took the respective roles of Julian Marsh and Dorothy Brock in 42nd Street on May 7, 2004. Previously Casidy played the role of "Frederic" in the 1981 Joseph Papp production of The Pirates of Penzance longer than any other actor and also starred opposite Cheryl Ladd in the Broadway production of Annie Get Your Gun. (2000-2001). He and wife Melissa, plus their two sons, made a family affair of it when Patrick returned to the stage in the title role of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in 2006, first appearing in the role back in 1999. Melissa was featured as the seductive Mrs. Potiphar and the children (ages 10 and 7) appeared in the children's chorus.
Shirley Jones is perhaps most recognized from her portrayal as Shirley Renfrew Partridge in over 50 television episodes of The Partridge Family, however her credits as stage and screen star run deep. Jones’ first stage appearance was in the Broadway musical South Pacific followed by appearances in numerous movie and television roles including her portrayal of Marion in the 1962 film version of The Music Man. She was awarded an Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Elmer Gantry (1960). Recently, Shirley has been busy touring the world, performing in concert. She has also appeared on such popular television shows such as “The Drew Carey Show”, “Sabrina the Teenage Witch”, “Melrose Place”, and “That 70s Show.” She is married to producer Marty Ingels and has three sons Shaun, Patrick and Ryan Cassidy.
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About The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts
The Bushnell is Connecticut’s premier performing arts center, hosting more than 350 events yearly, including major Broadway tours, symphony orchestras, family presentations, local arts and community events. The Bushnell is home to two theaters- the historic 2,800-seat Mortensen Hall, and the 907-seat Belding Theater, a state-of-the-art performance hall that opened in 2001. The Bushnell’s nationally-recognized arts-in-education program, PARTNERS (Partners in Arts and Education Revitalizing Schools), now in its 14th year, is a cross-community educational effort serving 22 schools in 12 districts throughout the Greater Hartford area. The Bushnell opened in January 1930 and is a non-profit organization. For more information, call The Bushnell at (860) 987-6000, The Bushnell Box Office at (860) 987-5900 or visit our website at www.bushnell.org.