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All choir members - 40 in all - will take part in the musical, which is a shortened version of the full-length Broadway production. Audience members should recognize the fast-talking salesman Harold Hill (Ezra Thompson), who comes to River City, Iowa, to sell his "think-system" band method and ends up falling in love with Marian Paroo (Kaitlin Burlingame), the town librarian and piano teacher.

Eigth grader Ezra Thompson stars as Harold Hill in the seventh and eigth grade choir's production of "The Music Man Junior," and hour-long version of the famous Broadway musical. The choir will stage the musical on Thursday, Feb. 24, and Friday, Feb. 25, at 7:30 p.m. each night.

Many of the songs and portions of the original script from the full-length musical are included in The Broadway Junior version. "The Music Man Junior" is geared toward students ages 8-14 and runs about an hour.

Auditions for the main parts were completed in December, and the choir members began rehearsals in January. They rehearsed during the choir's regular school period and at additional practices at night.

Doing a musical was just something extra for the Seventh and Eighth Grade Choir this year, said choir director Cheryl Bungum, who is directing the musical. The Sixth Grade Choir will also be staging a short musical, "We Haz Jazz," on Monday, March 14, this year.

Travis Schmidt (left) and Michael Vaske (right) hold a frame for Alexa McCorquodale and David Ruprecht to sing in an American Gothic pose.

Admission to "The Music Man Junior" will be a freewill offering to help defray costs, including the performing license, materials for the show and set construction, and for miscellaneous needs for the auditorium (paint for the stage, etc). Any proceeds will go towards future productions.

"Please come and fill the auditorium to support these budding young actors and musicians," said Bungum, "and leave singing one of America's best-loved musical favorites, 76 Trombones."

"The Music Man Junior," a part of The Broadway Junior Collection, is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by Music Theatre Inter-national, 421 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019.

Performances
Thursday, Feb. 24, and Friday, Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m.
The Seventh and Eighth Grade Choir from Paynesville Area Middle School will present "The Music Man Junior" on Thursday, Feb. 24, and Friday, Feb. 25, at 7:30 p.m. in the school auditorium. A freewill offering - to defray costs - will be taken at the performances.

Cast of Characters
The Music Man Junior
Harold Hill: Ezra Thompson
Marian Paroo: Kaitlin Burlingame
Charlie Cowell: Michael Vaske
Mayor Shinn: Jared Eickhoff
Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn: Karla Leizman
Marcellus Washburn: John Buermann
Ehtel Tofflemier: Callie Bennett
Mrs. Paroo: Heather Rondeau
Winthrup Paroo: Sam Bungum
Amaryllis: Christy Escalera

The Quartet
Jacey Squires: Adriano Ihrke
Ewart Dunlop: Matthew Everson
Oliver Hix: Jordan Severance
Olin Britt: David Ruprecht
Tommy Djilas: Hayden Spaeth
Zaneeta Shinn: Mariah Fuchs
Gracie Shinn: Holli Kern

Pick-A-Little Ladies
Alma Hix: Jayna Flanders
Maud Dunlop: Ariel Jones
Mrs. Squires: Laura Binsfeld
Other Ladies: Alicia Leyendecker, Kelsey Miller, McKenzie Quade, and Aly Schultz
Conductor: Zach Cole
Constable Locke: Eric Fenske
Traveling Salesmen: Dillin Christinsen, Matthew Everson, Eric Fenske, Adriano Ihrke, Alicia Leyendecker, David Ruprecht, Brent Schlangen, Travis Schmidt, Jordan Severance, and Brandon Solem
Teen Dancers: Carmen Barg, Dillin Christinsen, Alexa McCorquodale, Brent Schlangen, Brandon Solem, Briana Temple, Michael Vaske, and Angel Willemsen
Wa Tan Ye Girls: Rachel Hasbrook, Heidi Kuhl, Anne Nihart, and Kayte Thompson
Boys' Band: Zach Cole, Travis Schmidt, Brent Schlangen, Brandon Solem, Hayden Spaeth, and Sam Bungum
Townsperson: Shanna Hoekstra
Director: Cheryl Bungum
Stage Manager: Brianna Fischbach
Technical Assistance: Ian Pelton and Shawn Reinke
Sound: Peder Thompson