Musical becomes a reality

“Rivertown,” a musical by Seymour’s Charles Moman, will have its second full run of shows this weekend at Madison Senior High School.

Moman, who teaches elementary school music for Seymour Community Schools, is the composer, orchestrator and lyricist for the musical, which celebrates 100 years of Madison’s history from 1809 to 1909. He was commissioned in 2007 by the Madison Bicentennial Committee for the show.

Moman said after he submitted the music in the spring for a workshop reading, he only went to about six rehearsals for the show. He saw the show in its entirety for the first time Friday.

“They just knocked it out of the park,” Moman said of the cast’s production of the show. The cast is made up of Madison High School and some elementary school students, he said.

Admitting he was anxious and had “first-night jitters,” Moman said he was thrilled with how the cast performed.

He said the show will have a run during the summer of 2010 in Madison because of a grant from the Indiana Arts Committee.

“I think this show can be done anywhere,” Moman said. He said he plans to start marketing the show to schools.

In addition to Moman, “Rivertown” was scripted by Yancy Unger, choreographed by Addie Turner and directed by Aaron Kelsey.

Tickets for this weekend’s “Rivertown” showings at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday are available online at www.rivertownmusical.com.

Moman is also putting together a DVD of the show. Information about the DVD can be found at the musical’s Web site.