Laredo College theater director William “Bill” Hauserman closing career with ‘Cyrano of Bergerac’

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Laredo College theater director William “Bill” Hauserman has led the Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center Theater for the past 12 years, and after hundreds events he is preparing to lead his final production with the romantic comedy “Cyrano de Bergerac” over the next two weekends.

“Cyrano de Bergerac” is a well-known production that will receive a special touch from Hauserman in his final show. The play written by Edmond Rostand in 1897 heavily features poetry as the main character is a great swordsman and poet who lacks confidence romantically due to his large nose, so he tries to win her over using another man as a proxy. With the already poetic nature, Hauserman decided to convert the production into a musical.

Hauserman adapted the dialogue to create lyrics for the musical. Local musicians Joseph Crabtree, Mary Grace Carroll, Colin Campbell and others combined to create the music. The production features a four-member orchestra and 25 actors which includes Laredo College Opera Musical Theater students.

The production is a different take on a 2018 musical written by Erica Schmidt. Schmidt also co-wrote the screenplay for a film version released in 2021 called “Cyrano” starring Peter Dinklage, Haley Bennett, Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Ben Mendelsohn.

Laredo College’s production of “Cyrano de Bergerac” will run for two weekends with shows Oct. 27-30 and Nov. 3-6. Shows will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday and will be a 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday. Tickets are $10 for students and $15 for general admission with all proceeds benefiting production expenses for future shows and scholarships. Contact the visual and performing arts department at (956) 721-5224 for additional information.

“Audiences are sure to be thrilled with this production, which contains extensive sets and costumes, great acting, songs and exciting sword fights,” Hauserman said in a release. “There is something for everyone in this production, and it will be a must-see event in Laredo.”

jmack@lmtonline.com

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