They don't have 76 trombones, but Norwin High School's production of "The Music Man" is gearing up nonetheless.
With a week of rehearsals left until opening night, the cast, crew and musicians are hard at work putting together the diverse elements of an expansive show.
"There's a lot to work on," said Tina Lepidi-Stewart, the show's director. "This is a big, big show."
Lepidi-Stewart, who works as an instructional aide at the high school, has directed several musicals over the past few years. She said "The Music Man" is one of the more ambitious ones her students have tackled, and the nature of the piece requires a lot of work.
"Production numbers are so huge and the dances so detailed, it takes a lot of rehearsing," Lepidi-Stewart said.
Part of the challenge comes in working with the cast the show requires. In addition to the leads and supporting voice parts, the show also includes a barbershop quartet, a massive chorus, a dance team and a gaggle of elementary school extras. Add this to the live orchestra and the stage crew, and the enormity of the work Lepidi-Stewart is tackling jumps out.
"With this show, it's hard coordinating everything. It's just a lot to orchestrate.
"There's a lot of ensemble work and a lot of group scenes," she said.
And that's just a challenge when they're all in the same room. "Scheduling is very difficult," said Lepidi-Stewart, adding that many students are involved in multiple school activities.
Cory Stoken is one of the multitasking students. A junior, he is playing the lead role of Harold Hill, the traveling con man who brings the idea of a band to the quiet town of River City. In the real world, Stoken also runs track and has to keep up with schoolwork.
"I'm not really sure how I'm doing it right now," he said, adding that the fun of acting and singing keeps him going. For Stoken, the role of Hill as a quick-witted, devious plotter is something of a difficult one to get into, but he enjoys the challenge.
"It's very outside my personal characteristics," he said. "I'm usually more of a follow the rules guy.
"That's the great thing about acting. You can do whatever you want to whenever you want to."
Stoken's counterpart is junior Corinne Oplinger, who plays the River City librarian Marian Paroo.
"She's fun to play," said Oplinger. "It's easy for someone my age to act it because a lot of it is feelings a young adult would experience."
Oplinger, who has been in theater since sixth grade, said the show requires a large time commitment, but like Stoken she said the fun of it keeps her motivated and excited.
One of the more musically involved parts of the show is the barbershop quartet, which features the vocal talents of Ben McCormick, Jesse Kuhn, Collin Lindberg and Scott Sudzina. Helped by music director Elaine Painter and vocal coach John Smialowski, the four each have to sing a unique a capella part at the same time.
"The quartet brings the really complicated musical aspect of it," Lindberg said.
The quartet members benefit both from their instructors and from Lindberg's experience with barbershop. He is a member of Some for the Road, a group of four Norwin students and alumni that sings barbershop music.
"Hopefully I've brought stuff to the table for them to consider," he said.
Given the complexity of the show, one might wonder what prompted Lepidi-Stewart and her co-producer Norwin alumnus Mike Iwinski to pick it.
"We felt it was the right show for the people involved," Iwinski said.
And assembling the 76 trombones for the famous final number? Lepidi-Stewart said they won't have exactly 76, but they'll be working with the high school and middle school bands to get as many as they can.
"The Music Man" will be held March 13 through 15 at 7:30 p.m. and March 16 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $9 for adults and $6 for students. For reservations, call 724-309-2951. Tickets also will be available at the door.