By By ERIKA PICKLES / Niles Daily Star
NILES – August Garritano, a senior at Brandywine High School, plays Harold Hill, a con man whose scam is to convince parents he can teach their musically-declined children to play musical instruments in Brandywine Community School's production of The Music Man.
The play opened Thursday night and will continue tonight at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Brandywine Elementary School.
After "Professor" Hill promises parents will form a band, he skips town and arrives in 1912 River City, Iowa. There, he becomes attracted to local librarian, Marian Paroo, played by Lauren Kachur, a senior, and Dori Prange. Daroo quickly recognizes Hill for the fraud he is, but falls in love with the smooth-talking charmer.
Garritano is no stranger to the stage as he has performed in many other Brandywine productions, including Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, The Wizard of Oz, Damn Yankees, Annie and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Kachur has performed as a witch and a munchkin in The Wizard of Oz and also had roles in Lola, Damn Yankees, Annie and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Other senior cast members include Coreana Frampton and Kelsey Meador, both as Mrs. Paroo, Derek Nikodem as a quartet member and Brittney Rose as Mrs. Shinn.
The Music Man is based on a story by Meredith Wilson and Franklin Lacey. The play is directed and produced by Denise Boger.