Use the patented ‘THINK SYSTEM’ put out there by one Professor Harold Hill— just THINK about The Music Man and a production will appear! Ta-daa! You’ve thought The Glyndon Area Players’ production of Meredith Wilson’s The Music Man right into existence. And we’ve sat down with two seasoned stage professionals— playing Professor Harold Hill and Marian Paroo— to talk all about what it’s like to be a part of this treasured, timeless theatrical classic.
We’re very excited to have Tom Zepp and Samantha Grimes, playing Prof. Harold Hill and Marian Paroo, respectively, with us today! Thank you both for sitting down with us to talk all about ‘the territory’ of The Music Man. (You’ve got to know the territory!) And Tom, we know this is not your first show with the Glyndon Area Players, Samantha is this your first show with GAP?
Samantha Grimes: It’s my first summer show. I’ve been performing with GAP for two years now. I’ve been in two of their Christmas shows— and the “All Together Now” musical revue. We also did a 9/11 20th anniversary concert. So I’ve performed with GAP but this is my first official summer show where I’m acting and performing in the whole show.
And Tom, remind us of some of your credits? I know Jean Valjean in Les Miserables was one of them…
Tom Zepp: Yes, Les Mis. I did Shrek in Shrek, the beast in Beauty & The Beast, the pilot and Chef Louie in The Little Mermaid.
Now, Tom, we heard Samantha just talk about the shows she’s been involved with since the Pandemic. Is this your first show back since Covid?
Tom: No. I’ve been doing all of the Christmas shows with GAP, and I also did “All Together Now.” I think the only one I really missed was Hello, Dolly.
And Mary Poppins. And Joseph.
Tom: Yeah, okay, I’ve missed a few.
Sam, I know you said you’ve talked about the shows at GAP but have you done other things in the area?
Samantha: I was just the Musical Director for Howard County Summer Theatre’s Hello, Dolly, but I haven’t done any performing-performing since before the pandemic. I was lead soprano at Central Presbyterian Church for a long time in Towson. So I did all of their Christmas concerts, their Easter performances, their Sunday services, but after the pandemic, I knew I wanted to get back into some sort of theatre. I’ve done years and years of operatic and classical oratorio solo singing in recital format. But I knew I wanted to make my way back to the theatre stage. As far as coaching and directing credits go, I’ve directed the musical at Mount View Middle School, which is where I teach, and I’ve been there for the past seven years. So I’ve directed the past six years of musicals there. And I’ve coached Howard County Summer Theatre and helped vocal coach with Joseph… here at GAP last summer.
That’s fantastic. And welcome back to live theatre! Now, what is it about The Music Man that had you both coming out to audition for it? I know it was due to be in production with GAP for their 2020 summer musical, but obviously that didn’t happen. And I don’t think you two were originally attached to the project, were you?
Tom: Nope.
Samantha: I wasn’t.
Gotcha. So what is it about The Music Man, coming around now in 2023, that made you decide to want to come out and hopefully be a part of it?
Tom: For me The Music Man is basically what started my musical theatre journey. My freshman year of high school was my first musical and it was Music Man. I was in the ensemble and I really enjoyed it. But it was my first real taste of theatre. It was always a role that I thought would be fun to play so now it’s like coming full circle.
Samantha: For me, I had signed on back in December after the Christmas show to be the vocal director and vocal coach. And that’s all I thought I was going to do. As we got closer, more and more people said “but you would be such a wonderful candidate for Marian.” So after enough people talked to me about it, and I sang through some of the rep with my voice coach, I thought, “Sure, why not? Let’s go for it.” And then I ended up being cast. Which now I’m so excited because the minute I was cast it was like all of these high school feelings came rushing back. You’re on this high from being cast so I’m really very happy that everything has worked out the way it did.
How are you finding this, as Marian and Harold Hill, in comparison to other characters and vocal work you’ve done (recently or ever)? How does it compare, what are you finding challenging or difficult, what’s really easy?
Tom: A lot of the casting that I’ve had previously has been the slower, more ballad-focused characters and everything about Harold Hill is upbeat, salesman-y, fast. That’s a shift for me. And it’s coming along. It’s not that it’s un-doable. But I’ve got to get my ‘conman salesman’ on. So instead of my smooth, ballad voice… which only happens towards the end of the show, it’s a lot of the patter and quick-pacing. So that’s a challenging transition for me.
Samantha: For me it’s the opposite. Marian is my bread and butter. I kind of joke that when you’re in oratorio operatic classical, you’re used to standing there singing ballads, looking wistfully into the audience. And that’s what Marian does. So for me, it’s right at home and it is easy!
I know that everyone likes to compare the stage show to the movie. What was your working knowledge of the movie and or the stage show? Did you grow up watching it? Had you seen it done in other theatres? What is your overall relationship with The Music Man?
Tom: I actually have never seen the movie. I’ve watched bits and pieces of it, but never the whole thing. I don’t want to draw from that character. I’m more so listening to versions of that just to hear inflection and other things I might want to use. But as far as developing the character, I don’t like to straight-up copy. Like when I did Les Mis, the movie had just come out, and I refused to watch it. I refused to watch the film, I had never seen the musical—
You had never seen Les Miserables!?
Tom: No. I had never seen it. I’d heard the music and I loved the music but I had never seen the show. So for Music Man it’s the same kind of deal. I don’t want to draw from somebody else’s character. I want to make it my own. It’s kind of different. And some people are like, “why not just look at this video or that video and see what you can pull from that?” And while I like taking bits and pieces of inspiration, I really want to make it my own. So most of what I’m drawing from is my knowledge of when we did it in high school. I’m thinking back to that character and how he did certain things. Even though it was several, several years ago at this point. But that’s mostly where I’m drawing my inspiration from.
Samantha: My history with The Music Man started with my cousin Jason, who is several years younger than me, he played Harold Hill when he was in middle school. I was in high school at the time. And that was fun getting to coach him and support him through that role. When I started at Mount View at Marriotts Ridge, which is where Tom went to high school, they were doing The Music Man my first year teaching. So it was fun to go over and watch the Marriotts Ridge production. That sticks out in my mind as the first time I saw Music Man as a high school production. Since then it’s mostly things I’ve heard about the Broadway revival. I actually had a misconception about the age of Marian because of Sutton Foster’s age. When people said I should audition, I thought “aren’t I too young?” and everyone was correcting me, pointing out that back in that time period my age was the age. And here I thought Marian was supposed to be more Sutton Foster’s actual age.
Do you have a favorite moment in the show?
Tom: “Trouble.” It’s just so high energy and so fast and so fun. I feel like I get to spin 30 different characters in that number. It’s so upbeat. And it’s this upbeat, comedic role that comes with that number, just selling everything that he’s trying to say is coming to the town as ‘the trouble’ that makes it such a fun number to do.
Samantha: I think for me it’s got to be the moments with Mom, with Mrs. Paroo. I love that relationship, that back and forth. The amount of times I say “Mama!” or “Now, mama!” it just such a funny back and forth banter between them, I love it!
Did either of you, anywhere in your illustrious careers, on forward to this moment in time, did you play an instrument of any variety?
Tom: Ukelele a little bit. I tinkered with guitar and I had to do a piano proficiency for college but that was studying for a test and not much of it stuck. So… that’s about it for me.
Samantha: That’s about the same for me, though I did study cello for ten years. All throughout grade school. Once starting undergrad, and Tom and I both went to Towson for music education, it was the same kind of thing. You learn a bit of guitar, you learn a bit of piano, and I still use piano as a teaching tool to this day. Ukelele I teach, rudimentary skills. I know a little bit of percussion…I know any of those basics that you need to be a music teacher.
If you had to play an instrument in Harold Hill’s Boys’ Band, which instrument would you play?
Tom: Oh man, in the band? It would probably be… Alto Sax. It’s the smoothest sounding instrument of brass in my opinion.
Samantha: I’d say the piccolo. Or maybe the glockenspiel! I love those little high-pitched, cute, delicate instruments.
What is it that you are hoping people are going to take away from coming to see The Music Man?
Tom: I’m just hoping that everyone has a fun time. It’s a fun show, it doesn’t get that deep, and there’s a fun message behind it. It’s a simple love story but there’s all that energy behind Harold Hill, and just the power of an inspirational leader. He’s someone that can come and really stir things up but then also have this group of people behind him, it’s a cool role in that regard. So I want people to take away the power of a positive-thinking-leader… even though he does it in a conman kind of way.
Samantha: It’s the think-system. He wants you to take away the think system.
I was about to say, that is the most positive spin I’ve ever heard somebody put on Harold Hill! What about you, Sam, what do you hope people will take away from this production of The Music Man?
Samantha: For me I think mine is more wholistic; it’s about the community. This is my first soiree with community theatre. And it’s just wonderful how we all show up for these hours and hours and hours and all this work. Tom is set construction foreman, and I’m acting as vocal coach and vocal director. Everyone just jumps in to do all these different tasks for no money and this grand product is the result. I saw Joseph last summer so I can say “this grand amazing product is the result.” And I’m sure The Music Man will be just as grand. And that’s just so cool that the community comes together to put this on. And I want the audiences to see that. And I think they will.
If you could be any other character in The Music Man, where age, gender, vocal capability, etc. didn’t matter, who would you want to play and why?
Tom: You go first.
Samantha: Hmm…
Tom: No, actually I know. Winthrop. It’s such an adorable role. And the lisps get me every time. I don’t know how I’m going to be able to look at him and not smile and go “aww, little guy!” It’s just a fun, little cute role! And now I have a child who is one-year-old…so I just see my son eventually having that lisp in him, and that father role that I get to play in the musical with him, reminds me that his little lisp is going to be happening in my own kid soon enough.
Now is your one-year-old bundled up in the Wells Fargo Wagon as a giftbag or something?
Tom: Haha! No, no, no… he has not made his first stage appearance yet. We were trying to get him to be Baby Jesus back at Christmas but we were worried about how well he would handle it.
Samantha: Well, I was also going to say Winthrop, for similar reasons, but I guess my second choice would be Eulalie. (Mayor’s Wife, Eulalie McKechnie Shin) I love watching Lori (actress Lori True) play that character. So maybe it’s what she does with the character that makes it seem so much fun but I would want to play that one.
I was told by a little birdie that I’m supposed to ask you guys your… “fun fact” relating to The Music Man. So… what’s your “fun fact” to go with this show?
Tom: I had to shave a ten-inch beard off for this role. It’s been the same beard since Les Miserables way back in 2014. The only time I’ve shaved in the past 12 years was for Shrek. And now for this role.
Holy wow. That’s one heck of a beard! Commitment to the role, for sure! Now, Samantha, what is your fun Music Man fact?
Samantha: When the show opens, I will be 20 weeks pregnant!
WHOA! Congratulations!! Wait a minute— that’s not a fun fact, that’s pregnancy announcement! Is this how musical theatre babies are born?
Samantha: Yes! So when our baby is born, and yes, this is our first baby, when our baby is born, we’ll be able to say “your very first show was The Music Man with mom!” I’m due around Christmas and a lot of people are joking that I can play the Virgin Mary for the Christmas Show, but I think we’re going to stick with baby’s first show being The Music Man.
That really is wonderful! Congratulations to you and your husband and Baby Grimes! Theatre Babies! Hooray! Now, do you guys dance at all in th show? Maybe in “Shipoopi”? What’s that like?
Tom: We do.
Samantha: Yeah at the end. But Marian doesn’t dance very much. She sits and watches. A lot.
Tom: Harold dances a bit. And I’m not a dancer. That is not my forte at all. But I’m picking up things. Lori (choreographer Lori Maccia) has been great. She’s been on top of everything. She’s really good at learning and adapting to our fortes. She knows I’m not a dancer so she makes things more approachable for me as far as the different routines that we do. It’s so quick and that’s the biggest thing with “Shipoopi” it’s a very fast song. All the dances seem to fly by. But they’re coming together. The weaving of people coming in and out of formation during the different sections of that song is the trickiest thing to figure out but it’s going to be a lot of fun. It’s coming along and I think there’s going to be a standing ovation or two for that number.
Is there some character in the cast that when you find yourself not on stage that you’re totally trying to watch? Someone who you can’t help but watch because they’re either making you laugh or you’re totally invested in some moment that they’re crafting?
Samantha: I know my answer! Jim Gross. He plays one of the Quartet members. He plays Dunlop. He plays this hilarious grumpy character and every time there is a dance number, a song, a scene, anything— no one is paying attention to him— but he’s holding his lapel and frowning. And it is hilarious. He’s got some faces. You’re watching the leads do their dialogue, then you scan and look at the ensemble. And there’s Jim, dead in character, grumping away. I love it.
Tom: For me it’s not really one character in particular because I feel like everyone that’s been cast in their roles have perfect little niche things that they are just selling and absolutely crushing. The things that stick out to me and are really glaring to me are some of the newer ensemble members who are just on top of every single thing we throw at them. It’s really cool to see because they are selling every face, every movement, every gesture, everything that’s happening. I feel like it’s personally helping me to step up my game because here these guys are brand new to GAP and they’re trying to raise the bar up and they totally are. Right now we have a good show, everything is coming along. And then we have these people pushing each other and pushing us up to that great show marker. It’s cool to see that happening from folks that aren’t necessarily leaders of the group.
Do you have a moment that you sing that defines what The Music Man means to you?
Samantha: I think I just love her ballad “Till There Was You.” It’s such a famous moment. All three of her big numbers tell this story of her transformation. “Goodnight My Someone” sets it up as she doesn’t know who her someone is yet but is hopeful that there will be someone. “My White Knight” is ‘I know what I want and I’m not going to settle until I get it.’ And then “Till There Was You” is that realization of “oh my gosh, it was there all along. There was all this right in front of me but I didn’t know it was there until right this moment.” And I love how the music swells and grows and paints what she is singing in the lyrics.
Tom: Kind of a similar answer, but “76 Trombones” kind of culminates everything for me. I think when people hear Music Man they instantly start humming that tune. That song, from the beginning part where I’m selling it to the crowd, “alright guys, let’s get revved up” and then leading a march and a parade through the whole song, that is The Music Man for me. I don’t think of the Wells Fargo Wagon, I don’t think of the barbershop quartet, I think of “76 Trombones.” Because it is Harold Hill in a nutshell. It shows the salesman side, the leader side, the having-fun-guy who can get that group together and unite the town over something.
That all sounds so wonderful. Why should people buy tickets to the music man?
Tom: It’s going to be a great show.
Samantha: It’s going to be an amazing show with many talented people. And also the sets are going to be extravagant and amazing. The dancing and the singing— they sound wonderful— there’s so many good things about it. And people are going to say, “Wow! This is community theatre?”
Tom: Like I’ve been saying, everyone who has been cast in this show has all these little things that they’re so good at, and all of that gets highlighted in this show. That’s what really makes a show wonderful. We’re at that phase where the magic is starting to pop. There’re just all these magical moments that are starting to pop as we’re running things, as we’re getting smoother transitions, and people are learning better where they’re at, the blocking is getting perfected, lines are getting better. It’s all coming together. Everyone in all of these roles are just making these characters their own and it’s just so cool to see. The talent that we have is out of the ballpark and the fact that they’re all cast in these perfect roles, everyone gets to highlight their talents in this show.
If you have to sum up your experience here at Glyndon Area Players with The Music Man in just one word, what word would you use?
Samantha: Fulfilling.
Tom: That was a good one. I was going to say fun but that sounds like such a cop-out. So I’ll say rewarding.
The Music Man plays through August 13th 2023 at the Glyndon Area Players in the Sacred Heart School Auditorium— 63 Sacred Heart Lane in Glyndon, MD. Tickets are available at the door or in advance online.
