Little Mountain Community Theatre is celebrating two anniversaries.
“The Music Man” from July 22 to 24 at Lemont High School Performing Arts Center honors not only Little Mountain Community Theatre’s founding a decade ago but also the high school producing the show two decades ago.
“We were looking for a show about community and about building a community, small-town USA, mirroring old-fashioned values and just entertaining, good, fun, beautiful music,” said Heather Hutchison, who cofounded Little Mountain Community Theatre with Sandy Doebert in 2012.
“The Music Man” features Matt Doherty, music teacher and assistant activities director at Lemont High School, reprising the role of Professor Harold Hill, which he portrayed in spring 2002 when he was a student at the school.
“We have been at Lemont High School since the beginning. He has been a huge supporter of ours,” said Hutchison, director of Little Mountain Community Theatre’s “The Music Man.”
“When we needed an extra space or some band instruments, he was without hesitation right there saying, ‘What can I help you with?’ Mr. Doherty has been someone who has helped us grow, supported us and helped kids get involved on every level.
“When we approached him, ‘The Music Man’ seemed a natural way to celebrate an educator who has made such an impact and a way to celebrate a small-town USA music program with someone who has grown up in this town, went through the system, came back and is teaching the new generation.”
Set in Iowa, “The Music Man” is based on a story by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey and features book, music and lyrics by Willson, who won the Grammy Award for best original cast album (Broadway or TV) for the show.
The original Broadway production, which debuted in 1957, received several Tony Awards including best musical. That was followed by the popular 1962 film “The Music Man” starring Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, Buddy Hackett, Hermione Gingold and Paul Ford.
“It’s about a small Midwestern town where they rattle along at their own pace. Then this traveling salesman gets off on their train stop, basically wanting to sell them a bill of goods just like he’s done all over the place,” said Hutchison of Aurora.
“Because of the relationships and connections he makes and the impact he makes, he becomes a little more involved in the community. He starts to care, which roots him and catches him off guard a little because it has never happened before.”
Little Mountain Community Theatre has partnered with the Lemont High School Bands and Guard Program for “The Music Man,” which includes actors from Aurora, Bolingbrook, Chicago, Lemont, Lockport, Naperville and Woodridge.
“There are a lot of kids that have gone through Little Mountain’s own program. We’ve grown them up through our kids program and they graduated to the big stage musical,” said Hutchison, who is also Little Mountain Community Theatre’s artistic director.
“I love that we have brand-new people that have never ever done a show before to veterans who have been in most of our shows and been loyal followers of Little Mountain.
“We’ve got folks that have played with us years ago and came back as a family. We have several families as a whole that are doing the show. I love that we have all ages. I love that we have different races of people. We’re diverse in color as well as experience.”
In conjunction with “The Music Man,” educators will be honored through cast and staff member program biographies highlighting an educator who made a difference in their life and educators attending the show receiving a small token of appreciation.
Also, the annual art show coordinated by Ryan Hennebry, art teacher at Lemont High School, and displayed at the school’s Gallery 306 before Little Mountain Community Theatre’s main stage musicals, will feature the impact of educators.
“Every year we work with the art department at Lemont High School to further the theme of the show,” said Hutchison, who is also education programming director for The Forge: Lemont Quarries and acts in productions for Naperville Park District’s Magical Starlight Theatre.
“It gives another way that we can connect with the community, get more people involved and give kids an outlet and show them the impact that the arts can have.”
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‘The Music Man’
When: 7 p.m. July 22-23; 2 p.m. July 24
Where: Lemont High School Performing Arts Center, 800 Porter St., Lemont
Tickets: $17 adults; $15 students and ages 65 and older
Information: 630-296-7260; littlemountaintheatre.org
Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.