Dalton, Georgia will dance the Shipoopi and revel in the excitement of the Wells Fargo Wagon coming to town when students from Artistic Civic Theatre perform Meredith Willson’s The Music Man Jr.

The musical tells the story of charismatic con man Harold Hill who galvanizes a stodgy, entertainment-starved Iowa town at the turn of the 20th century. Intending to fleece River City’s citizens with a false scheme to organize a boys’ band, Hill's plans hit a sour note when he falls for Marian, the town librarian.

With book, music and lyrics by Meredith Willson, and story by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey, The Music Man JR. is based on Meredith Willson’s "The Music Man," which won eight Tony Awards including Best Musical, Author, Composer and Lyricist. The musical was turned into a 1962 film starring Robert Preston as Harold Hill and Shirley Jones as Marian Paroo. The film has since been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

“Meredith Willson’s The Music Man JR. is a beautiful story about how music can transform a person and a community. In a similar manner these students have worked together to present their unique interpretation of this show. Throughout the rehearsal process each student will have contributed something and learned something, leaving this team and each individual in it forever changed for the better,” says Cohen.