Ovation! brings the beloved ‘Music Man’ to the island stage.

When Ovation! Musical Theatre marches out “The Music Man” this week, the ambitious production brings together novices and professionals, family members and friends to give life to this quintessential American musical.

Catherine Petrek sets the small-town scene with painstaking detail, right down to the finials and lamp posts, while former Broadway costume designer Barbara Klingberg helps characters blossom with period outfits.

These elements, with exuberant choreography by Maribeth Hinderer and the tireless efforts of cast and crew, bring to fruition director Ron Milton’s vision of a European-flavored ensemble.

“I tried to create a community and family atmosphere,” Milton said. “Creating art as an ensemble is…difficult, but you can be extremely professional in your community theater.”

His cast, he said, is certainly that.

“I told them, in musical theater we’re playing and asking our audience to come play with us. We’re sharing the oldest moments that bring people together – it’s telling a story.”

Playwright and composer Meredith Willson called his story “an Iowan’s attempt to pay tribute to his home state.”

A traveling salesman comes to River City in the summer of 1912 to cheat the locals. He promises to put together a boys marching band for the price of instruments and uniforms to keep them “moral after school” – yet he has no musical skills and his intent, of course, is to take the money and run.

His scheme is foiled when he falls for Marian the Librarian, a piano player wise to his scheme. Meantime, the townspeople discover a love for music and the band, as it were, plays on.

The charismatic Robert Preston immortalized the role of the cad, Professor Harold Hill. Filling those estimable marching shoes in Ovation!’s rendition is Scott Corey, who debuts as the professor after performing in “The Music Man” four times in other roles.

Nicolle Shaffer plays the female lead, Marian Paroo. Shaffer teaches music at Wilkes Elementary and choir at Woodward Middle School and sings with the Seattle Symphony Chorus.

Counting the orchestra members and volunteers, almost 100 locals are involved in the production, a genuine family affair.

Set designer Petrek, a self-taught carpenter, worked magic with Rotary Auction finds, friends’ household discards and such ordinary items as plastic juice bottles and Tupperware lids to create the 18 full scene changes.

Hinderer, the production’s choreographer, plays Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn. She wasn’t daunted by the fact that she had never choreographed before and that only three of her 20 dancing teens had formal training.

“They were such troopers and the nicest group of kids,” she said. “They put in tons of extra rehearsals. They worked very hard and we had a lot of fun.”

Music director Corinna Lapid noted that Ovation! is a teaching company for children and adults.

“We don’t lower our expectations for them,” said Lapid, a founding member of the 2-year-old troupe. “We have them rise to ours.”

The meticulous period costumes are the creation – visionary and literally – of Klingberg, who honed her skills on Broadway productions.

She drew her design inspiration from black-and-white photos of old Bainbridge, which she related to how River City would look, and old Sears catalogs.

“Ron asked me to figure out what colors I’d use, to tie in with the designs and lights,” she said. “So I gave each character a flower. Marion was a rose. Eulalie was an iris. And that gave me a color range, a feeling, a texture, almost a character.”

Klingberg then started sketching on note cards and went shopping with a $2,000 budget. The costumes she made are circa 1906-12. When not lying awake deciding whether a costume is draped properly, she puts on her architect cap and designs homes.

“(These are all) artists and perfectionists,” Milton said. “That makes it much easier for me.”

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The back story

After eight years and 30 revisions, Meredith Willson crafted the musical for which he wrote more than 40 songs. The play premiered on Broadway in 1957 and was adapted twice for film, in 1962 and 2003. Willson wrote the book, music and lyrics for the Tony-award-winning show, which also garnered an Oscar and a Golden Globe for the 1962 movie version and a Grammy for best album, the first award in this category.

Born in 1902, Willson spent many evenings around the piano during his youth, singing with his family as his mother played. He took piano lessons and later played flute and piccolo in his high school band. At age 19, he became a solo flutist for John Philip Sousa’s band. Five years later he joined the New York Philharmonic.

Willson moved to the West Coast, where he was musical director for ABC and NBC and wrote more than a dozen musical programs each week. He scored Hollywood films and during World War II was head of the music department for Armed Forces Radio Services. Afterward, he did network radio and TV work and in 1949 debuted in “The Meredith Willson Show.”

Willson’s greatest success was “The Music Man.” Among his three other plays was “The Unsinkable Molly Brown,” which was made into a movie. He died at age 82 in 1984.

Shows of “The Music Man” are at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays and at 3 p.m. on Sundays, July 15-31 at the Bainbridge High School LGI Room. Tickets are $18 for adults; $15 for seniors/students/military; and $9 for ages 12 and under. They’re available at Vern’s Winslow Drug; online at www.ovationmtb.com; or at the door as available. For special seating arrangements call 842-0472.