Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I took a lot of things for granted. When we were all stuck at home and not allowed to interact in person with each other, I quickly realized how important community is in keeping us mentally and emotionally healthy. Over the past couple of years, things have somewhat gotten back to “normal," but that sense of joy, pride, and community in the Tri-Cities was still something I missed very much.

That completely changed when I was lucky enough to be an audience member for Yes&’s inaugural production, The Music Man. I arrived early enough to hear the sound check and the orchestra warming up, and suddenly, a huge smile came across my face. I hadn’t seen a musical for years, and I realized I desperately missed the familiar sights and sounds coming from the stage. For the next two hours, I let myself go back to how I used to feel, watching musical theatre live, in person. I smiled, clapped along, and experienced so much joy observing children dancing and marching around in the audience and watching the energetic movement of the cast members on stage.

The Music Man, composed and written by Meredith Wilson, is a musical classic. It can be light, happy, fluffy…almost like cotton candy. Songs such as “76 Trombones” and “Marian the Librarian” quickly become ear-worms, and there are so many musical theatre standards within it that even those who have never seen The Music Man recognize moments from the show.

There’s nothing wrong with watching a light, fluffy, classical musical. However, as a director myself, I love it when a production team and cast work on a deeper level to affect the audience in a way they don’t expect. The show is still joy-filled and fun to watch, but there are more layers available for the audience to discover, and this production of The Music Man does precisely that.

Megan Johnson is the director of this production, working with a cast of 45 actors to create the story of Music Man Harold Hill and how he changes the town of River City, Iowa. That is a challenging feat. You can tell a director has done their job well when, wherever you look at the stage during any scene, every actor is in character and contributing to the story. No one is just standing in a corner or spacing out. Everyone on that stage is invested in working as a group, and this large cast of community members succeeds at this, greatly.

Another sign that a show has been cast and directed well is not just one or two actors stand out as “the best.” Yes, lead roles such as Harold Hill (Will Thurston) and Marian Paroo (Jill Madison) are portrayed exceptionally well. They are the two protagonists that we cheer for throughout the story. However, there are so many wonderfully portrayed parts that this particular production moves from a “star-focused” show to a beautiful ensemble production.

Just a few of the fantastic portrayals in The Music Man include the fabulous School Board Members (Brett Baker, Kaleb Harshfield, Greg Levy, and Harry Pratt), the hilarious Pick-a-Little Ladies (Alanna Engler, Molly Holleran, Victoria Moses, and Trisha Snow), their fearless leader, Eulalle MacKecknie Shinn (Erin Dickey), and the teenagers of River City. Additional kudos need to be given for the portrayals of Hill’s friend Marcelius Washburn (Carver Lenz), Mayor Shinn (James Jones), Winthrop Paroo (Pierce Ruff), and Mrs. Paroo (Rebecca Francik).

One of the many aspects of this show that I admire greatly is its collaborative nature. This production truly uses the community's strengths to produce a fantastic, family-friendly event. The Mid-Columbia Ballet has twelve featured dancers in the production; conductor Adrienne Fletcher fabulously leads the community orchestra, and the singing is spectacular under Justin Raffa's direction. Please take a look at the online program (found at www.yesand.show) to see all the artisans from our Tri-Cities who came together to produce this show. The larger the show, the more challenging it is to ensure the costumes, props, set design, choreography, etc., are cohesive. The “easier” it looks, the more difficult it is, and this production of The Music Man is about as seamless as a musical theatre production can be.

Remaining performances of The Music Man are August 18, 23, 24, and 25 at the HAPO Community Stage at John Dam Plaza in Richland. Doors open at 6 PM, and the show begins at 7 PM. Audience members are encouraged to pack a picnic dinner or support one of the local restaurants by ordering take-out, coming early to find their seats, and celebrating the return of joy and community by watching Yes&’s production of The Music Man.

For additional information, including how to purchase tickets, please visit www.yesand.show.

Ellicia Elliott is the Events Editor for Tumbleweird, a theatre director, and an educator. She holds an MFA in Directing from the University of Idaho. She lives and works on the traditional lands of the Palouse, Cayuse, Umatilla, Yakama, and Walla Walla Peoples. For more reviews and writings, visit www.elliciaelliott.com/reviews.