It’s spring semester. Depending on El Nino, warmer weather is on the way, break is nearing and Veishea committees are in full swing getting ready for this year’s celebration.

The Stars Over Veishea (SOV) committee is no exception. This year marks the 76th Veishea production, and to commemorate, the SOV staff will be performing the Broadway musical “The Music Man.”

This musical, however, was not SOV’s first production choice. The more risque “Sweet Charity” was.

“There was a shift in Veishea this year to address the Iowa State family,” Marge Bennett Folger, SOV director, said. “[In ‘The Music Man’] family values are being stressed, and we thought it would be wise to jump on the bandwagon.”

“[‘The Music Man’] was chosen because we wanted to go with an overall theme of family,” Amy Robertson, SOV producer, said. “It’s very family-oriented, and it takes place in Iowa.”

The musical is about a swindler who comes to a small Iowa town to sell the town’s children musical instruments with a promise to teach the children how to play. However, his real intentions are to leave town.

When a school teacher begins to hone in on his plans, the music man tries to distract her. After falling in love with the teacher, his plans to leave town are pushed aside. In the end, he teaches the children how their minds are the key and, in the end, they learn how to play.

In a long line of SOV productions (1997’s “Bye-Bye Birdie” and 1996’s “How to Succeed in Business”) committee members are hoping for another successful SOV production.

Auditions for “The Music Man” were held Sunday and Monday evenings. Callbacks will be held today and the cast list should be up Wednesday, Folger said.

The SOV committee hopes to have rehearsals begin next week.

However, it’s not too late to get involved with SOV. ISU students interested in being a part of the costume, shop and backstage crews should contact the West Student Office space in the basement of the Memorial Union or Austin Woodin, SOV aide coordinator, at 296-3857.

“Not a lot of skill is necessary,” Robertson said. “We just need people who are willing to work a few hours a week.”

The Daily will be following the progression of “The Music Man” and SOV in the five-part series “A Star is Born.”

The series will focus on all aspects of the production, including developments both on and off stage, and will feature the actors/actresses and the backstage, costume and design crews.