The Music Man

Poster for The Music Man showing a boy playing a trombone Business men sitting on chairs miming the motion of a train Mrs. Shinn as Columbia during her patriotic tableau Marion and Harold on the bridge looking at each other Harold Hill conducts the River City Children's Band Four smiling people looking at the camera

When I decided to move to New York City from DC I had the opportunity to spend a few months during that transition in my hometown of Titusville, Pennsylvania. I was able to return to the auditorium where I was first introduced to the magic of theatre and with the very first show I was ever a part of as a kid. It was an extremely special experience and one that I'm grateful for. I learned so much about developing a vision for a production, fostering a cast, working with a production team, and bringing a world to life. Below is my director's note that was included in the program.

Director's Note

Willson's The Music Man is one of the quintessential classics of American musical theatre and remembered fondly as a love letter to turn of the century Americana. But beneath the surface, there is a grittiness to the story that is unfortunately as applicable today as it was in 1912 Iowa and when it was first produced in 1957. America today is again besought with fear of others, rejection of immigrants, and the banning of books by people who have never actually read them. There's also a cautionary tale here of how easily a conman can exploit people's fear and prejudice for his own purposes, but at least in this instance our conman antihero is changed for the better. The Music Man challenges us as individuals and as a community to question society's insular nature and see the benefit to opening our hearts and minds to both outsiders and new information. I encourage you to forget what you think you know about The Music Man and watch tonight's performance with new eyes and an open mind to what Willson might be telling us in 2024.

It has been an immense honor to be back in Titusville the past few months and entrusted with bringing The Music Man to life with Titusville Summer Theater. Colestock Auditorium, with its old green-plaid curtains and pre-renovation creaky green seats, is where I developed a life-long love for the art of musical theatre with countless hours spent here every summer alongside my mom on stage and my dad stage managing. Colestock is also where I was first onstage myself around age 5 in Titusville High School's early-90's production of The Music Man directed by David Cope. It is a wonderful full circle moment for me to return to this piece in this place, and I am grateful to the Summer Theater board for the opportunity. This cast and crew is excellent and has put in a tremendous amount of work over the last 10 weeks to bring you this production. I'm thankful for their dedication and professionalism that no doubt will shine through this evening.

I am also grateful for my communities in DC and NYC for supporting me in my directorial debut. I couldn't have begun to think about taking on this challenge without the help of David Jeffery, David Nando Rogers, Sarah Frances Williams, Sammi Cannold, Tracy Olivera, and Raquel Suarez Groen as mentors and sounding boards. Thank you especially to Jerry Knickerbocker, Abby Preston, and Noelle Raszman, without whom none of this would have been possible.

David Jones

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