DUBLIN, Ga. — The Dublin's Community Theater is no stranger to the phrase "the show must go on."
They took that to heart after losing their lead actor to lingering COVID symptoms.
Thankfully for them, Evan Goetz, the executive director for the Tybee Post Theater in Savannah, stepped in.
He's now playing Harold Hill, a con man who fronts as a musician before falling in love.
"Coming to a brand-new place without knowing the community members, not knowing the people who are in this production and sort of falling in love with Dublin," Goetz said.
The company's performance of "The Music Man" starts in just one day. Tickets for the show are $20 for general admission and $10 for children ages 12 and younger.
The show will run from Friday, July 25 through Sunday, July 27. Show times are at 7 p.m. all three nights with a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m.
Despite the time crunch, he said that he's loved the challenge.
"Getting the call from Glenda and saying 'hey, can you do this?' I had to learn the lines in just a matter of days, so that's been the most challenging but very rewarding and I'm very appreciative of this opportunity," Goetz said.
Goetz previously played the lead role in a new music show in Savannah.
Community members in the play, like Fairview Park CEO Don Avery, believe that Goetz is the best fit for the role.
"He's done the part before, he knew the music," Avery said. "He had to learn some of the lines but he's a professional."
For actors like Goetz, he said he believes the community involvement in the play is what really brings it all together.
"Understand how a group of people can come together for weeks to get to know each other and perform this beautiful piece of art for the community," Goetz said.