A growing trend in stage shows here — the junior musical — continues as 50 Windward youngsters in grades 5 through 8 portray folks from River City, Iowa, in "The Music Man Jr.," premiering tonight at the Ronald E. Bright Theatre. The tykes will play grown-ups in the beloved musical by Meredith Willson, and will experience the joy of theater in the process.

"It's a scaled-down show, with some dialogue missing, and edited down to 1 hour and 15 minutes," said Ronald E. Bright, who is directing a cast of eager beavers from elementary and middle schools.

It's not your parent's or grandparent's musical.

Last year, Diamond Head Theatre staged "Aladdin Jr.," which cast youths in all roles in the Disney fantasy, as part of its theatrical season.

"The Music Man Jr." features two 13-year-old King Intermediate School students, Yoshimasa "Yoshi" Wood and Melody Mutch, as Professor Harold Hill and Marian the Librarian, classic figures from the stage evergreen and film. There's a romantic element between the two principals, plus an essential barbershop quartet — Joshua Patberg, Connor Norris, Vaihi Ka'onohi and Hendrick Hicks — vocalizing in four-part harmony.

"It's the first time in about 20 years that Mr. B (as the retired Bright is known on campus) is doing a book musical with the younger kids," said Karen Meyer, Castle Performing Arts Center director. He did "Babes in Toyland," but generally, his youth shows have been musical revues.

Wood, who is eager to do more theater when he enrolls at Castle, said he's having a blast playing scam artist Hill. He gets to sing "76 Trombones" and that tongue-twister, "Trouble."

"It's great fun; I had no trouble remembering (the words to) 'Trouble,' " he said. "It's just the beat and tempo ... and I love the chance to be devious. I can be devious." Hill is a glib huckster who tells the townspeople he will create and train a boys' marching band. He's foiled when he falls for the town's librarian.

Mutch, as Marian, said the mushy love stuff late in the show "was kind of hard at first, but got a little easier."

Watching the movie before auditioning gave her a handle on the role. "She goes from nice to real mean, and just being on stage, making people happy, makes my nervousness go away," said Mutch. "My favorite song is 'Good Night, My Someone.' "

Bright said mounting a musical with young kids — he normally works with high schoolers and young adults — "keeps me young. It's so much fun and we have more boys than girls in this cast, which works out, since many of the leads are men's (boy's) roles."

Rehearsals are held after school and on Saturdays. "By doing a musical (as opposed to a revue), the kids get an opportunity to play and develop a character," Bright said.

Meyer said the Castle program, which develops theatrical skills in students, offers every fifth grader in Windward feeder schools the opportunity to take eight sessions in drama and theater, where the youngsters learn about theater from an actor's and an audience member's perspective. The Alliance for Drama Education steps in with instruction. Ticket sales offset production costs, augmented by funding from the state Department of Education Learning Center, the DOE Windward District office and community groups.

"The kids will have six (daytime) dress rehearsals for school audiences during the week and three weekend public shows — a full schedule — and they learn a lot in the process," said Meyer.

Music Theater International, a New York-based group that provides abbreviated scripts and scores for "junior" productions such as "Music Man," provides a CD of the music as well as material for companion classroom instruction. "Junior" shows on its Web site include "Annie," "Bugsy Malone," "Godspell," "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Guys and Dolls."

Meyer said royalties are much more reasonable with MTI. "For the high school shows, we often pay the same amount as Diamond Head Theatre, which could be anywhere from $6,000 to $12,000 for a show," she said. The royalties for "The Music Man Jr." were less than $1,000.

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.