We continue on our week of musical reviews with another Broadway classic that is one of the most popular and most performed of all Broadway shows. I of course am talking about Meredith Wilson’s all-time classic, The Music Man.
Whenever a list of top Broadway shows is composed, The Music Man is usually on that list. Its characters, story and music are all timeless classics. The production has seen multiple revivals on Broadway, as well as abroad. Like many popular shows of the time, The Music Man also received a film adaptation. Despite releasing three months after West Side Story, The Music Man was a smash hit, capturing 5 Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Leading Actor for Robert Preston as Harold Hill. The film received a film adaptation in 1962, with Preston reprising the role as Harold Hill. The film won widespread acclaim and went on to become one the biggest earners at the box office that year.
What makes this show special for me is that this is the show that helped me discover my love of theater. My father played this show for me and I was instantly hooked. Dancing around my house, singing every song along the way. It was with The Music Man that I learned that I loved the theater and wanted to be a part of it.
As for the show itself, the story is a classic. Con man Harold Hill arrives in River City Iowa, where he plans on continuing the scheme that has earned him the ire of every traveling salesman in the business. The scheme is to sell boys bands to each city he goes, collect money for instruments, books and now uniforms, and then skip town once he collects the money and before he teaches a single note.
It seems a simple enough proposition, especially when Hill meets his old buddy Marcellus Washburn. But Hill quickly discovers that Iowa is a very different place then anywhere else he has visited. It is going to take all of his talents if he is to achieve success.
The first part of his plan goes off without a hitch. He is able to convince the town that they have “trouble” in the shape of the pool table that has just arrived. It is just after this however, that Hill runs into his first problem. That problem being Marian Paroo, the local librarian who also happens to give piano lessons. Realizing that she could ruin his plans, Hill decides to flirt with her but, but his advances are turned down. Marian deduces very quickly Hills motives with her and resolves to fall to his charms.
It is during the Independence Day exercises that Hill makes his move. As the festivities are interrupted by a local trouble maker, Hill whips the assembled crowd into a frenzy by again mentioning the pool table. As the crowd becomes agitated, Hill takes this opportunity to convince the town that he can “save” them from the trouble by bringing a boys band to River City. What follows is one of the most stirring numbers of the show, 76 Trombones. Hill captivates the crowd. He has everyone under his spell, the school board, the mayor and any common folk. However one person is not convinced, Marian. She quickly realizes that the entire town has fallen for him and she is not about to one of them. The mayor snaps out of it and instructs the members of the school board to “get that mans credentials”.
Time passes and Hill continues to work his magic. People are ordering instruments, Hill has avoided scrutiny in clever ways and soon he’ll be able to skip town. He has the school board off his case by turning them into a quick barbershop quartet whenever he is around them. As for the prying eyes and ears of the mayors wife and her circle of friends, Hill convinces them that they have the makings of dance group. However, one person remains impervious to his charms, Marian. Hill realizes that to succeed, Marian has to be convinced. He concentrate all of his efforts on that, even as the uniforms and instruments begin to arrive.
There is one unintended consequence of his pursuit of Marian, he begins to fall for her. Likewise, Marian begins to fall for Hill which complicates matters even further. The show reaches in inevitable conclusion when one of the traveling salesman who has been chasing Hill for some time finally catches up with him. His lies exposed, Hill is ready to make his escape but there is a problem. He wants to stay for Marian’s sake and as he puts it, “I got caught with my foot in the door.” The ending of the show is brilliant and it’s an ending I will not give away. Suffice to say, the payoff is well worth it.
The story is a beautiful blend of charm, humor, romance and even tension. Anytime it appears Hill may be discovered a fraud, he weasels his way out of it, even though you know it is going to catch up with him at some point.
The characters are true classics and include dream roles for me. Harold Hill is the ideal con man. He is charismatic, charming, has a plan for everything and yet is incredibly believable. Robert Preston played the part both on Broadway and in the film version and truly delivered a magnificent performance. Marian Paroo is an ideal foil. No nonsense, your typical librarian and yet afraid that she’ll never fall in love. The characters dovetail so well with each other and it is easily one of the best romantic pairings I have ever seen in a Broadway show.
The side characters prop up this show as well. Marcellus Washburn, Mayor Shinn are easily some of the best secondary characters a Broadway show has to offer. Shinn goes from being spellbound one minute, to nonbeliever the next. There is also the members of the school board, Eulalie Shinn the mayors wife, Mrs. Paroo and many others. This memorable cast of characters delivers heart, wit, humor and everything in between to go alongside the leads.
Then there is the music numbers themselves, which are some of the most memorable and well known in the catalog. Iowa Stubborn, Ya Got Trouble, the aforementioned 76 Trombones, Marian the Librarian, Shipoopi and many, MANY more. These numbers are fantastic and it shows just how long they have stood the test of time when they are being used in pop culture shows like the Simpsons. A song resembling Ya Got Trouble appeared in the episode Marge vs the Monorail and a character even resembles Harold Hill. This musical has stood the test of time, much like any great musical. A testament to its endurance is the fact that it is receiving a Broadway revival this fall, with famed actor Hugh Jackman playing the part of Harold Hill and acclaimed actress Sutton Foster in the role of Marian.
Overall, The Music Man is one of the great Broadway shows that will never lose its popularity. The story, the characters, the music, all are some of the most memorable that Broadway has ever seen and I can not wait to see it this fall (fingers crossed). This show holds a special place in my heart and it is one that I will watch over and over again.
Verdict: an easy 5 stars. lands in the top three of my favorite musicals list.
The Reader's Corner 