News release Public Information Office  SLU 10880   Hammond, LA 70402   phone: 985-549-2341   fax: 985-549-2061 publicinfo@selu.edu Spring 2004 news releases Public Information home News archive Contact: Christina Chapple Date: 5/4/05   SOUTHEASTERN ANNOUNCES CAST, TICKET SALES FOR JUNE PRODUCTION OF “THE MUSIC MAN”        HAMMOND – Children and adults from throughout the Florida Parishes have been cast in the Southeastern Louisiana University Opera-Music Theatre Workshop’s summer production of an all-American musical favorite, “The Music Man.”        Opera-Music Workshop Director Chuck Effler said the huge cast includes residents from Baton Rouge, Prarieville, Gonzales, and Port Allen as well as Tangipahoa and St. Tammany parishes. The production will feature a variety of ensembles, including children, teen and adult choruses, a barbershop quartet, traveling salesmen and the “Pickalittle Ladies.”        “Not only is ‘The Music Man’ a critically acclaimed Broadway award-winner, but it is also an American classic thanks to is quirky characters and one-of-a-kind, nostalgic score of rousing marches, barbershop quartets and sentimental ballads,” said Effler. “‘The Music Man’ is family entertainment at its best.”        “The Music Man” will be staged June 24 and 25 at Southeastern’s Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts in downtown Hammond. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. on both dates with an additional 2 p.m. matinee on June 25.        The show will be directed by New Orleans director and choreographer Alton Geno, who has more than 25 years experience directing, choreographing and acting in musical theatre. Geno was the jazz, musical theater and tap teacher at New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts for 17 years and resident choreographer for Tulane Summer Lyric Theatre for more than two decades. His directing, choreography and acting work has received many awards including seven Big Easy Awards.         Geno will be joined on the production staff by Effler, producer and orchestra conductor; Steve Schepker, set design; Pete Pfeil, lighting design; and Alissa Rowe, musical director.         Tickets are $20, Loge; $17, Orchestra I; $15, Orchestra II; $13, Orchestra III and Balcony I; and $11, Balcony II and are on sale at the Columbia box office, 220 E. Thomas St. Box office hours are noon-5 p.m., weekdays, 985-543-4371. Senior citizens and children 12 and under will receive a 10 percent discount.         Brad Barrios of Mandeville will play the lead role of loveable con artist Professor Harold Hill, while Southeastern voice major Sarah Osterberger of Baton Rouge will portray Marion, “the librarian.” Janet Holton Moran of Hammond has been cast as Marion’s mother, Mrs. Paroo.         Stephen Anthon of Hammond and Chase Bernard of Walker as Winthrop Paroo, and Gabrielle Acosta of Ponchatoula and Mimi Scardulla of Hammond as Amaryllis will share the lead children’s roles.        Also in the cast are James Flick, Gonzales, Mayor Shinn; Kay Schepker, Hammond, Eulalie Shinn; Emily Stokes, Covington, Zaneeta Shinn; Eryn Short, Hammond, Gracie Shinn; Brett Morrison, Hammond, Tommy Djillas; Erin Perdue, Prairieville, Ethel Tofflemeyer; Andre DeHaan, Mandeville, Constable Locke; and Belford Carver, Hammond, train conductor.        Members of the barbershop quartet are Cameron Bishop, Oak Grove; Brandon Wear, Slidell; Brian Martinez, Jr., Montz; and William Musso, Gonzales. The Pickalittle Ladies are Anna Pfeil, Barbara Veatch, Bonnie Thibodaux, and Ellen Sweetman, all of Hammond; Fara Flick, Gonzales; JoAnne Barry, Alexandria, Va.; and Shannon Pinkley, Tickfaw.        The singing traveling salesmen will be played by Tono Rotolo, Folsom; Ed France, Hammond, David Evenson, Hammond, head of the Department of Music and Dramatic Arts, and Southeastern music faculty member Ken Boulton, Hammond.        Singers in the adult chorus are Amber Whitfield, Walker; Andrew Robin, Hammond; Andrew Veatch, Hammond; Ashley Herrick, Ponchatoula; Brandy Hotard, Port Allen; Damian Faul, Amite; Lauren Tenhundfeld, Hammond; Maggie Rownd, Hammond; Margaret Davis, Walker; Mary Ann Philips, Hammond; Russell Herrick, Ponchatoula; Steven Palmisano, Slidell; Terry Gill, Amite.        Teen chorus members are Allison Wade, Hammond; Joshua Bobb-Semple, Hammond; Charles-Robert Miller, Hammond; David Gambino, Bush; Christopher Ekker, Ponchatoula; Haley Farris, Mandeville; Graham Griener, Mandeville; Jude Cali, Hammond; Kaitlin Short, Hammond; Katherine Miller, Covington; Sarah Rehm, Ponchatoula; Stephanie Boyd, Covington; and Tessa Espinosa, Covington.        The children’s chorus includes Joshua Courtney, Hammond; Julianna Espinosa, Covington; Abigail Gardner, Mandeville; Brooke Hotard, Port Allen; Christopher Hudspeth, Ponchatoula; Aaron Pfeil, Hammond; Holly Settoon, Ponchatoula; Katy Stuart, Hammond; Matthew Tenhundfeld, Hammond, and Anna Vaughan, Ponchatoula.        Effler said “The Music Man” production is made possible by the generous assistance of North Oaks Health Systems, Microtel, Inc., Community Motors, Hibernia National Bank, Fay and Phelan Bright, Sue Hood, Bonnie Barrilleaux, Blair Edwards and by Southeastern’s College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, the Department of Music and Dramatic Arts, and Opera/Music Theatre Workshop. The production is also supported in part by the Louisiana State Arts Council, the Louisiana Division of the Arts and by the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge through the Decentralized Arts Funding Program.        For additional information, contact Effler at 985-549-2249 or ceffler@selu.edu.