The Tiger Theatre Company will perform its production of “The Music Man,” with the first performance Thursday at 7 p.m. in the John Thomas Theatre.

Cast members have been working diligently the past two weeks to prepare for opening night.

“We’ve had to buckle down. We’ve been focusing more on our scripts, blocking, singing, stages, things like that,” said senior Taylor Coleman, who plays the music man. “Everyone has come together these past few weeks, and it’s going to be a great show because of how everyone has worked together.”

Texarkana College director Michael Cooper took over the production earlier this month. Former director Micah McBay resigned this week.

“Michael is great,” Coleman said. “I’ve done many shows under him. He has really stepped up to the plate and helped us tremendously. I don’t know what we would do without him.”

Other students performing in the upcoming show are excited about Cooper’s presence and method of directing.

“I have worked with Mr. Cooper previously, and I think he is a great director,” junior Catherine Thomas said. “Although switching directors is hard, I feel like we’ve made great strides over the last weeks, and I look forward to performing the show.”

Junior Josh Windes said he was amazed by Cooper’s ability to “get stuff done,” suggesting Cooper’s presence in the show is both welcome and appreciated.

“The Music Man,” by Meredith Willson, features con man Harold Hill who scams the people of an Iowa town by promising to create a boy band and selling them musical instruments, but he plans to take their money and skip town. In the meantime, he falls in love with the librarian, Marian.

“It’s a really heart-warming story with a lot of laughs,” Coleman said. “[The audience] is definitely going to laugh, but there are some sad moments, though not terribly sad.”

Other performances will be at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. Children under 7 are free, as well as district employees who present their ID badges.