Two of Long Beach’s art organizations, the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra (LBSO) and Musical Theatre West (MTW), are pooling their resources to present the Meredith Willson classic The Music Man. The performance is set for Saturday, Jan. 19 at 8 p.m. in the Long Beach Arena with the full orchestra being led by guest conductor Mark Mandarano and the Musical Theatre West cast will be directed by Lee Martino.
“This is our third Symphony POPS! collaboration with MTW,” said Jack Fishman, LBSO’s executive director. “The first two were so successful, we decided to try something we’ve never attempted before–The Music Man. It’s a huge undertaking and promises to be even more exciting than our first two adventures with MTW.”
Ranked among the greatest of American musicals, The Music Man tells the story of “Professor” Harold Hill, a colorful conman focused on convincing parents that he can transform their children into polished musicians. The production is filled with the familiar tunes of “Seventy-six Trombones,” “Goodnight, My Someone” and “Till There Was You.”
The Music Man is the second Long Beach Arena concert of the 2007-08 POPS! season, which continues Mar. 1 with “Cirque de la Symphonie” and concludes May 31 with “Celebrate America.”
Tickets for The Music Man range from $25 to $107 each. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for picnicking. The Long Beach Arena is located at 300 East Ocean Boulevard in Long Beach.
For additional information, contact the LBSO box office by calling (562) 436-3203 or go online to www.lbso.org.
