The tale of a trickster, set to music, will soon take the stage at Natchez Little Theatre.

“The Music Man,” a story by Meredith Willson, has won multiple Tony awards and a Grammy.

In this story, which has spurred multiple movie and television adaptions, Harold Hill, a conman portrayed by local actor Tyler Brown, sets his sights on River City, Iowa, a small town on the Mississippi River.

Brown has been participating with the NLT for two years, and NLT’s Artistic and Executive Director Layne Taylor said he thinks Brown is the man for the Harold Hill role.

“Tyler Brown is phenomenal,” Taylor said. “He just exudes happiness and confidence. It makes him perfect.”

In his time at NLT, Brown said he has been in about half a dozen plays, and even less musicals, so he is nervous and excited to take on the challenge of the lead male role.

Brown has approximately five solos as well as a duet in “The Music Man.”

In the production’s plot, Hill’s master plan is to sell the town’s children musical instruments, promising to teach them to play and put on a show, but before any lessons are given, he would skip town.

But Hill finds love in the only River City citizen that sees through his scam.

Marian Paroo, played by Gabrielle Richardson, is River City’s librarian and piano teacher, and she begins to fall for Harold as he befriends her socially awkward younger brother Winthrop.

Richardson is a veteran of the NLT stage. She debuted as a mobster 11 years ago in “Bugsy Malone,” and has stuck with acting and singing ever since. She has a master’s degree in music from the University of Southern Mississippi and will be teaching vocal performance to undergraduates while she works on her doctoral degree.

“It’s been wonderful watching her turn from a tomboy into a lady with a mind-blowing voice,” Taylor said. “There is nothing she cannot do, and vocally she will have this audience on its feet and in tears.”

Brown said he is also happy to be working with Richardson because of her extreme talent.

“There is nothing better than having someone who can make you and the rest of the musical sound good, and Gabrielle is that person,” Brown said. “I couldn’t ask for a better co-star.

In preparation for the play, there were a few setbacks, but Taylor said the cast has pulled it together well.

“I never panic with any of our shows, because the people who are involved here are passionate about this theater, they are passionate about it representing the community and they have pride,” Taylor said. “They would never let an audience down ever.”

Show times are 7:30 p.m., June 18-20 and 2 p.m., June 21.

Tickets cost $20 and can be reserved by calling 601-442-2233, 1-877-440-2233 or by visiting natcheztheatre.org.