BROADWAY MUSICAL COMES TO BOCA
Live at Lynn will host its own production of Lerner and Loewe’s Paint Your Wagon from the Golden Age of Broadway on Saturday, March 23 and Sunday, March 24.
Set during the gold rush in 1853, Paint Your Wagon tells the tale of the miners in a boom town and their search for fortune and happiness. Widower Ben Rumson and his daughter Jennifer find gold, and a town full of male miners forms around them. The show grows from there, full of excitement, joy and intrigue.
The three shows across the two days will not be presented as a full Broadway production, but rather as a staged concert version of the show. All original songs are included, plus a simplified set to accommodate the orchestra on stage, limited dialogue and lessened costume changes.
Jan McArt, producer of the Live at Lynn series, has had an illustrious career as an opera singer and former Broadway performer. She began her career starring as Annie in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma after meeting the two producers outside a California restaurant and asking for an audition.
“It was such an honor to work with McArt on Milk and Honey last year, and I can’t wait to do it again,” said Braden Alexander, B.F.A. sophomore. “Some of the cast members have been in Broadway shows and on stage around the world throughout their careers.”
McArt has pulled out all the stops for Live at Lynn’s production. It will feature the full Lynn Philharmonia Orchestra upstage, led by Maestro Terence Kirchgessner. This will provide Conservatory of Music students the opportunity to work on a Broadway production in addition to the classical training they receive.
The musical features famous songs that include “I Talk to the Trees” and “They Call the Wind Maria.”
“It’s a lush, rich musical score featuring the most beautiful men’s choral music that I’ve ever heard,” said McArt. “It’s going to knock everyone out.”
McArt is hands-on every step of the way, from auditioning and rehearsing with the performers to choosing the costumes. She works with Kirchgessner on the music and this year also will collaborate with Professor Adam Simpson, whose Set Design course students built the set for the show.
“It’s exciting to be mentored by such a wide array of talented individuals and offered a chance to network in the trade. Everyone pulls together and the show falls into place in just two weeks’ time,” said Alexander.
Paint Your Wagon will be the fourth overall musical production for Live at Lynn. For more information about the event, please visit: lynn.edu/events. Tickets may be purchased at the box office or online.
