A story of a con artist who sells musical equipment only to end up the victim of a stolen heart, the Music Man will make its public debut at 8 p.

Thursday, March 30, 2000

A story of a con artist who sells musical equipment only to end up the victim of a stolen heart, the Music Man will make its public debut at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday, director Jeff Handley said.

And it’s a production the entire family should not miss, he said.

"The kids are very enthusiastic," Handley said. "And I think it’s comparable to plays we’ve done in the past few years. It’s got a good story, good music, colorful dances and humorous parts, too. It’s good family entertainment."

The students have had a lot of practice, too.

Besides rehearsals, the 50-member cast performed in front of county school students Tuesday, Wednesday and today in preparation for their debut.

Two members of the teen chorus, Brad Washburn and Jason Philabaun, said the play has received a great response.

"I think it’s going to be a lot more popular than last year," Washburn said.

The annual high school play always seems to draw a good crowd, Philabaun added.

"Every year we have a good play," he said. "And we’re putting on a pretty good performance this year, too."

Good performances aren’t hard to do when the play is filled with such hit songs as "Gary, Indiana," "Seventy Six Trombones," "Till There was You," "Pickalittle," "My White Night," "Rock Island," "Iowa Stubborn," "Trouble" and "Goodnight Ladies," which is performed by a professional barber shop quartet, Handley said.

"A lot of times when you have a great play, the play does a lot of work for you," he said. "We’ve had a very nice response. It’s been really enthusiastic."

Reserve seats are still available for the Saturday and Sunday shows. Cost is $9 for the center front section only. General admission tickets for adults are $5 and $2 for students. Tickets are available in the high school principal’s office during school hours and at each performance.