Local Music Groups Join Bergen County Players' THE MUSIC MAN

Oradell's Bergen County Players (BCP) will kick off its 80th season (2012-2013) with Meredith Willson's classic musical, The Music Man. As part of BCP's ongoing commitment to community engagement, the production will feature school and community music ensembles at performances between the dates of September 6th through October 6th, 2012. This venture has been dubbed "The Music Man Band Project."

One of the most beloved musicals of all time, The Music Man is described by the NY Times as "American as apple pie and a Fourth of July oration…a marvelous show, rooted in wholesome and comic tradition." The Music Man revolves around Harold Hill, a traveling salesman and con man who stops in River City, Iowa and convinces the town that forming a boys' brass band will solve all of their problems. Winner of six Tony Awards, this family favorite's amazing score is worth the price of admission alone, including classics such as "76 Trombones," "Trouble," "Gary, Indiana," "The Wells Fargo Wagon" and the romantic standard hit, "Till There Was You."

At the climactic finish of the play, bands featured in "The Music Man Band Project" will make a grand entrance into the theater with a rousing rendition of "76 Trombones."

In addition to the thrill of being a part of live theater in action, benefits of participating in "The Music Man Band Project" include the following:
Ensembles are invited to join the cast onstage for photos following the performance. (Groups will provide their own cameras; BCP will not supply a photographer.)
Groups are welcome to provide literature, display information or memorabilia to share at our Arts in Education table in the lounge on their performance date.
Groups are welcome to sell materials from their schools to help fundraise for their own projects.
The school or organization will receive 4 tickets to their musicians' performance which can be used for a raffle/fundraiser.
BCP will provide a Group Code for each participating school or organization; every ticket purchased using that code will result in a $4 per ticket contribution from BCP back to the group.

BCP is still looking for bands to feature in "The Music Man Band Project". For more information about this opportunity, please contact Joe Lanteri at 201-669-9388 / exitthewarrior@gmail.com, Melissa Welz at 201-320-6089, or log onto www.bcplayers.org/themusicmanbandproject.