Marshall Hill School hosts Pushcart Players

Pushcart Players, New Jersey’s acclaimed touring theatre for
young and family audiences presents “Let Freedom Ring” at Marshall Hill
School in West Milford on Friday, January 24 at 9:15 am. This robust musical celebrates
the nation's birth and development with authentic folk songs and an animated
story of significant moments in history.

“We
focus on people in early America -- what they thought and how they
felt,” said Ruth Fost, co-founder of Pushcart Players and playwright. “What was
it like to have the courage to leave the familiar and explore the unknown?
These are ordinary people accomplishing extraordinary goals.”

"Let Freedom Ring" opens with the beginning of time, moving quickly
to the arrival of the first Americans from Asia. With the passage of
approximately 30,000 years (in under five minutes!), “Freedom…”
introduces second Americans in 1620. Among the new settlers are four main
characters: Sam, Sarah, Jennie and Ginny. They transcend time, distance and circumstance
to lead the audience -- chronologically and geographically -- through two
centuries of America’s past.

Scenarios
focusing on the Boston Tea Party, the American Revolution, westward expansion,
the Underground Railroad, the Civil War, the California Gold Rush and
Industrialization inspire and inform American audiences of all ages.

“The
finale is a spirited musical salute to the unique texture and rich character of
our great nation,” added Fost. “It’s a tribute to democratic ideals.”
The music combines traditional folk songs with original works. Incidental music
and orchestrations are by Larry Hochman, who has collaborated with Pushcart
co-founder Carole Wechter, since the company’s inception. Hochman won the Tony
and Drama Desk Awards for his co-orchestration of “The Book of Mormon.” He also
orchestrated  “Monty Python’s Spamalot,”
“The Addams Family” and “Jane Eyre” among others.

Pushcart Players is in its 40th anniversary
season of presenting productions filled with fun, facts, magic and wonder. The
company has traveled over 2 million miles to serve more than 8 million children
and their families nationally and abroad. All performances come with innovative
scenery, complete lighting and state of the art sound systems. They are
adaptable to any location.