| The Music Man | |
|---|---|
Original Broadway Poster |
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| Music | Meredith Willson |
| Lyrics | Meredith Willson |
| Book | Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey |
| Productions | 1957 Broadway 1980 Broadway revival 2000 Broadway revival |
| Awards | Tony Award for Best Musical |
The Music Man is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments and uniforms to naive townsfolk before skipping town with the cash. In River City, Iowa, prim librarian and piano teacher Marian Paroo sees through him, but when Hill helps her younger brother overcome his fear of social interactions due to his lisp, Marian begins to fall in love with Harold. Harold, in turn falling for Marian, risks being caught to win her.
In 1957, the show became a hit on Broadway, winning five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and running for 1,375 performances. The cast album won the first Grammy Award for "Best Original Cast Album". The show's success led to revivals and a popular 1962 film adaptation and a 2003 television remake. It frequently is produced by both professional and amateur theater companies.
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Meredith Willson was inspired by his boyhood in Mason City, Iowa, in writing and composing his first musical, The Music Man.[1] Willson had begun developing this theme in his 1948 memoir, And There I Stood With My Piccolo.[2] He first approached producers Cy Feuer and Ernest Martin for a television special, and then MGM producer Jesse L. Lasky. After these and other unsuccessful attempts, Willson invited Franklin Lacey to help him edit and simplify the libretto. At this time, Willson considered eliminating a long piece of dialogue about the serious trouble facing River City parents. Willson realized it sounded like a lyric, and transformed it into the song "Ya Got Trouble".[3] Willson wrote about his trials and tribulations in getting the show to Broadway in his book But He Doesn't Know The Territory.
The character, Marian Paroo, was inspired by Marian Seeley of Provo, Utah, who met Willson during World War II, when Seeley was a medical records librarian.[4] In the original production (and the film), the School Board was played by the 1950 International Quartet Champions of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America (SPEBSQSA),[5] the Buffalo Bills. Robert Preston claimed that he got the role of Harold Hill despite his limited singing range because, when he went to audition, they were having the men sing "Trouble". The producers felt it would be the most difficult song to sing, but with his acting background, it was the easiest for Preston.
After years of development, a change of producers, almost forty songs (twenty-two were cut), and more than forty drafts, the original Broadway production was produced by Kermit Bloomgarden, directed by Morton DaCosta and choreographed by Onna White, opened on December 19, 1957 at the Majestic Theatre.[6] It also won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Musical. It remained at the Majestic for nearly three years before transferring to The Broadway Theatre to complete its 1,375-performance run. The original cast included Robert Preston (who went on to reprise his role in the 1962 screen adaptation) as Harold Hill, Barbara Cook as Marian, and Eddie Hodges as Winthrop, with Pert Kelton, David Burns and Iggie Wolfington in supporting roles. Eddie Albert and Bert Parks each replaced Preston later in the run. The musical won five Tony awards, including Best Musical, winning in the same year that West Side Story was nominated for the award.
The first UK production opened at Bristol Hippodrome, followed by London's West End, at the Adelphi Theatre on March 16, 1961, starring Van Johnson, Patricia Lambert, C. Denier Warren, Ruth Kettlewell and Dennis Waterman.
After eight previews, the first Broadway revival, directed and choreographed by Michael Kidd, opened on June 5, 1980, at the New York City Center, where it ran for 21 performances. The cast included Dick Van Dyke as Hill, Meg Bussert as Marian, and Christian Slater as Winthrop. In 1987, a Chinese translation of the musical was staged at Beijing's Central Opera Theater.[7]
The second Broadway revival, directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman, opened on April 27, 2000 at the Neil Simon Theatre, where it ran for 699 performances and 22 previews. The cast included Craig Bierko (making his Broadway debut) as Hill and Rebecca Luker as Marian. Robert Sean Leonard and Eric McCormack portrayed Hill later in the run. In 2008, there was a revival of the show at the Chichester Festival Theatre, England. This starred Brian Conley as Professor Harold Hill and Scarlett Strallen as Marian Paroo. This opened to critical acclaim and was nominated for the Whatsonstage.com award for Best Regional Production.
In 1912 in a train leaving Rock Island, Illinois, Charlie Cowell and other traveling salesmen in the car begin a heated argument about credit ("Rock Island"). Charlie and another salesman tell the others about a con man known as "Professor" Harold Hill, whose scam is to convince parents he can teach their musically disinclined children to play musical instruments. On the premise that he will form a band, he takes orders for instruments and uniforms. But once the instruments arrive and are paid for, he skips town without forming the band, moving on before he is exposed.[8] The train arrives in River City, Iowa, and a stranger on the train stands up and declares, "Gentlemen, you intrigue me. I think I shall have to give Iowa a try." He picks up his suitcase clearly labeled "Professor Harold Hill," and exits the train.
The townspeople of River City describe their reserved, "chip-on-the-shoulder attitude" ("Iowa Stubborn"). Harold discovers that an old friend, Marcellus, has "gone legitimate" and now lives in town. Marcellus tells Harold that Marian Paroo, the librarian who gives piano lessons, is the only one in town who knows about music. Marcellus informs him that a new pool table was just delivered to the town's local billiard parlor, and as a part of his scheme, Harold convinces River City parents of the "trouble" that will be caused by that pool table ("Ya Got Trouble"). Harold follows Marian home and attempts to flirt with her, but she pays no attention to him. At home, Marian gives a piano lesson to a little girl named Amaryllis while arguing with her mother, Mrs. Paroo, about her high "standards where men are concerned" after telling Mrs. Paroo that a stranger followed her home ("Piano Lesson/If You Don't Mind My Saying So"). Marian's self-conscious, lisping younger brother Winthrop arrives home, and Amaryllis, who secretly likes him but makes fun of his lisp, asks Marian who she should say goodnight to on the evening star since she doesn't have a sweetheart. Marian tells her to just say goodnight to her "someone" ("Goodnight, My Someone").
The next day is Independence Day, and Mayor Shinn is leading the morning festivities in the high school gym, with the help of his wife, Eulalie MacKecknie Shinn ("Columbia, Gem of the Ocean"). After Tommy Djilas, a boy from the wrong side of town, sets off a firecracker, interrupting the proceedings, Harold takes the stage and announces to the townspeople that he will prevent "sin and corruption" from the pool table by forming a boys' band ("Ya Got Trouble [Reprise]/Seventy-Six Trombones"). Mayor Shinn, who owns the billiard parlor, tells the bickering school board to get Harold's credentials, but Harold teaches them to sing as a Barbershop Quartet to distract them ("Ice Cream/Sincere"). Harold also sets up Zaneeta, the mayor's eldest daughter, with Tommy, and persuades Tommy to become his assistant. After being rejected by Marian again, Harold describes to Marcellus a special kind of girl he wants ("The Sadder But Wiser Girl"). The town ladies are very excited about the band and the ladies' dance committee Harold plans to form. He asks them about Marian, and they intimate to him – falsely – that she had an inappropriate relationship with deceased old miser Madison, who gave the town the library, but left all the books to her. They also warn Harold that she advocates the "dirty books" by "Chaucer, Rabelais, and Balzac" ("Pick-a-Little, Talk-a-Little"). The school board arrives to collect Harold's credentials, but he leads them in song and slips away ("Goodnight, Ladies").
The next day, Harold walks into the library, but Marian ignores him yet again. He declares his unrequited love for her, leading the teenagers in the library in dance ("Marian the Librarian"). For a moment, Marian forgets her decorum and dances with Harold. He kisses her, and she tries to slap him. He ducks, and she hits Tommy instead. With Tommy's help, Harold signs up all the boys in town to be in his band, including Winthrop. Mrs. Paroo likes Harold and tries to find out why Marian is not interested. Marian describes her ideal man ("My White Knight"). She tries to give Mayor Shinn evidence against Harold that she found in the Indiana State Educational Journal, but they are interrupted by the arrival of the Wells Fargo wagon, which delivers the band instruments ("The Wells Fargo Wagon"). When Winthrop forgets to be shy and self-conscious because he is so happy about his new cornet, Marian begins to see Harold in a new light. She tears the incriminating page out of the Journal before giving the book to Mayor Shinn.
The ladies rehearse their classical dance in the school gym while the school board practices their quartet ("It's You") for the ice cream social. Marcellus and the town's teenagers interrupt the ladies' practice, taking over the gym as they dance ("Shipoopi"). Harold grabs Marian to dance with her, and all the teenagers join in. Regarding Winthrop's cornet, Marian later questions Harold about his claim that "you don't have to bother with the notes". He explains that this is what he calls "The Think System", and he arranges to call on Marian to discuss it. The town ladies ask Marian to join their dance committee, since she was "so dear dancing the Shipoopi" with Professor Hill ("Pick-a-Little, Talk-a-Little" [Reprise]). They have reversed their opinions about her books, and they eagerly tell her that "the Professor told us to read those books, and we simply adored them all!"
That night, the school board tries to collect Harold's credentials again, but he gets them to sing again and slips away ("Lida Rose"). Marian, meanwhile, is sitting on her front porch thinking of Harold ("Will I Ever Tell You?"). Winthrop returns home after spending time with Harold and tells Marian and Mrs. Paroo about Harold's hometown ("Gary, Indiana"). As Marian waits alone for Harold, traveling salesman Charlie Cowell enters with evidence against Harold, hoping to tell Mayor Shinn. He has to leave on the next train, but stops to flirt with Marian. She tries to delay him so he doesn't have time to deliver the evidence, eventually kissing him. As the train whistle blows, she pushes him away. Charlie angrily tells Marian that Harold has a girl in "every county in Illinois, and he's taken it from every one of them – and that's 102 counties!"
Harold arrives, and after he reminds her of the untrue rumors he's heard about her, she convinces herself that Charlie invented everything he told her. They agree to meet at the footbridge, where Marian tells him the difference he's made in her life ("Till There Was You"). Marcellus interrupts and tells Harold that the uniforms have arrived. He urges Harold to take the money and run, but Harold refuses to leave, insisting, "I've come up through the ranks... and I'm not resigning without my commission". He returns to Marian, who tells him that she's known since three days after he arrived that he is a fraud. (He said he was a graduate of Gary Conservatory, Gold-Medal Class of '05, but the town wasn't even built until '06!) Because she loves him, she gives him the incriminating page out of the Indiana State Educational Journal. She leaves, promising to see him later at the Sociable. With his schemes for the boys' band and Marian proceeding even better than planned, Harold confidently sings "Seventy-Six Trombones". As he overhears Marian singing "Goodnight My Someone", Harold suddenly realizes that he is in love with Marian; he and Marian sing a snatch of each other's songs.
Meanwhile, Charlie Cowell, who has missed his train, arrives at the ice cream social and denounces Harold Hill as a fraud. The townspeople begin an agitated search for Harold. Winthrop is heartbroken and tells Harold that he wishes Harold never came to River City. But Marian tells Winthrop that she believes everything Harold ever said, for it did come true in the way every kid in town talked and acted that summer. She and Winthrop urge Harold to get away. He chooses to stay and tells Marian that he never really fell in love until he met her ("Till There Was You" [Reprise]). The constable then handcuffs Harold and leads him away.
Mayor Shinn leads a meeting in the high school gym to decide what to do with Harold, asking, "Where's the band? Where's the band?" Marion defends Harold. Tommy enters as a drum major, followed by the kids in uniform with their instruments. Marian urges Harold to lead the River City Boys' Band in Beethoven's Minuet in G; despite a limited amount of traditional quality, the parents in the audience are nonetheless enraptured by the sight of their little boys playing music. Even Mayor Shinn is won over, and, as the townspeople cheer, Harold is released into Marian's arms ("Finale").
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| Character | Description | Original Broadway performer |
|---|---|---|
| Professor Harold Hill | A con man and traveling salesman | Robert Preston |
| Marian Paroo | The town librarian and part-time piano teacher | Barbara Cook |
| Marcellus Washburn | Harold's old friend, no longer a con man, who now lives in River City | Iggie Wolfington |
| Mayor George Shinn | A pompous local politician; suspicious of Hill | David Burns |
| Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn | The mayor's wife | Helen Raymond |
| Mrs. Paroo | Marian's Irish mother | Pert Kelton |
| Winthrop Paroo | Marian's shy, lisping brother | Eddie Hodges |
| Character | Description | Original Broadway performer |
|---|---|---|
| The School Board (Barbershop Quartet) | Four bickering businessmen united by Hill (Olin Britt, Oliver Hix, Ewart Dunlop and Jacey Squires) | Bill Spangenberg, Wayne Ward, Al Shea and Vern Reed |
| Pickalittle Ladies | Eulalie's four gossipy friends (Alma Hix, Mrs. Squires, Ethel Toffelmier and Maud Dunlop) | Adnia Rice, Martha Flynn, Peggy Mondo and Elaine Swann |
| Tommy Djilas | A young man "from the wrong side of town"; secretly seeing Zaneeta Shinn | Danny Carroll |
| Zaneeta Shinn | The mayor's oldest daughter; secretly seeing Tommy Djilas | Dusty Worrall |
| Charlie Cowell | An anvil salesman who tries to expose Hill as a con man | Paul Reed |
| Constable Locke | The town sheriff | Carl Nicholas |
| Amaryllis | Marian's young piano student | Marilyn Siegel |
| Gracie Shinn | The mayor's youngest daughter | Barbara Travis |
The Music Man is set in fictional "River City, Iowa", in 1912. The town is based in large part on Willson's own birthplace, Mason City, Iowa, and many of the musical's characters are based on people that Willson observed in the town. The "river" in River City is probably the Mississippi River, near Davenport, Iowa: the Rock Island conductor's announcing "River City, Iowa! Cigarettes illegal in this state" implies crossing the Mississippi from Rock Island, Illinois, into Iowa.
The musical includes numerous references to popular culture of the time. For example, Harold Hill lists popular musicians and composers: "Gilmore, Pat Conway, Giuseppe Creatore, W.C. Handy and John Philip Sousa".[9] Some of the cultural references are anachronistic: "Trouble" contains references to both Captain Billy's Whiz Bang, a monthly humor magazine that didn't begin publication until October 1919, and the nonalcoholic "near-beer" Bevo, which was first produced in 1916.[10][11]
The first recording of "Till There Was You" was released before the original cast album version. Promotional copies of the 45 rpm single, Capitol P3847, were released on November 26, 1957, even before the Broadway production had premiered. Produced by Nelson Riddle, it featured his orchestra and 17-year-old vocalist Sue Raney.
The original cast recording was released by Capitol Records on January 20, 1958 in stereophonic & monaural versions and held the #1 spot on the Billboard charts for twelve weeks, remaining on the charts for a total of 245 weeks. The cast album was awarded "Best Original Cast Album" at the first Grammy Awards ceremony in 1958 and was inducted in 1998 as a Grammy Hall of Fame Award winner.[12]
"Till There Was You" was covered by the Beatles on their 1963 LP With the Beatles (Meet the Beatles! in the United States). Willson's widow later told the New York Times that his estate made more money from the royalties of the Beatles' cover of "Till There Was You" than it did from the play.
The film version, again starring Preston, with Shirley Jones as Marian, was released in 1962.
The success of the 2000 stage revival prompted a 2003 television movie starring Matthew Broderick as Hill and Kristin Chenoweth as Marian, with Victor Garber, Debra Monk, and Molly Shannon in supporting roles.
Though West Side Story had opened nearly three months earlier, The Music Man captured audiences, critics and five Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The New York Times theatre critic Brooks Atkinson wrote in his review "If Mark Twain could have collaborated with Vachel Lindsay, they might have devised a rhythmic lark like The Music Man, which is as American as apple pie and a Fourth of July oration.... The Music Man is a marvelous show, rooted in wholesome and comic tradition."[13]
Walter Kerr of the Herald Tribune glowingly described the opening scene of the musical: "It's the beat that does it. The overture of The Music Man drives off with a couple of good, shrill whistles and a heave-ho blast from half the brass in the pit, with the heartier trombonists lurching to their feet in a blare of enthusiasm. The curtain sails up to disclose the most energetic engine on the Rock Island Railroad (circa 1912) hurtling across the proscenium with real smoke pouring out of its smokestack and real steam rolling along the rails". Kerr called Preston "indefatigable: he's got zest and gusto and a great big grin for another slam-bang march tune".[2] Robert Coleman of the New York Daily Mirror wrote that the producer "made a 10-strike in landing Robert Preston for the title role", stating that Preston "paces the piece dynamically, acts ingratiatingly, sings as if he'd been doing it all his life, and offers steps that would score on the cards of dance judges."[2]
Frank Aston of the New York World-Telegram and Sun declared "It deserves to run at least a decade", especially praising Barbara Cook's performance as Marian: "If all our stack-tenders looked, sang, danced, and acted like Miss Barbara, this nation's book learning would be overwhelming."[2] John Chapman of the Daily News pronounced The Music Man "one of the few great musical comedies of the last 26 years", stating that Of Thee I Sing (1931) "set a standard for fun and invention which has seldom been reached. Its equal arrived in 1950 – Guys and Dolls – and I would say that The Music Man ranks with these two."[2] In the Journal-American, John McClain termed the show "a whopping hit. This salute by Meredith Willson to his native Iowa will make even Oklahoma! look to its laurels."[2]
The Music Man's popularity has led to its being mentioned, quoted, parodied or pastiched in a number of media, including television, films and popular music.
The Music Man has been parodied in a number of TV shows, including The Simpsons episode "Marge vs. the Monorail", written by Conan O'Brien. At some point during the second Broadway revival, O'Brien was approached about playing the role of Harold Hill for a brief run, but he ultimately could not fit it into his schedule. He says, on the DVD commentary track for the aforementioned Simpsons episode, that it was the hardest choice he's ever had to make professionally, because The Music Man is one of his favorites. O'Brien did, however, as host of the 2006 Emmy Awards, sing a parody version of "Ya Got Trouble" in his opening monologue targeting NBC and their slide in the ratings.
The television program Family Guy has parodied the musical at least twice. In the episode "Brian Wallows and Peter's Swallows", Lois chastises Brian's high standards in a spoof of "Piano Lesson". In another episode, "Patriot Games", Peter showboats after scoring a touchdown by leading a stadium full of people in a rendition of "Shipoopi", complete with choreography from the film. In Episode 22 of Boston Legal, "Men to Boys", Alan Shore sings a parody of the song "Trouble" to convince patrons of a restaurant not to eat the salmon. Several Music Man songs were used in Ally McBeal, for example in the season 2 episode "Sex, Lies and Politics" in which lawyer John Cage spurs the jury into singing "Ya Got Trouble" with him.[14]
MSNBC's Keith Olbermann has numerous times referred to Fox News TV host Glenn Beck as "Harold Hill" on the air.[15][16][17]
In the 1960 film The Apartment, Jack Lemmon's character is given tickets to the show but is stood up at the Majestic Theatre. In Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997), Michele sings "The Wells Fargo Wagon". The next year, in The Wedding Singer (1998), Robbie teaches Rosie to sing "'Til There Was You" for her 50th wedding anniversary.
The 2006 mockumentary/documentary Pittsburgh centers on actor Jeff Goldblum as he attempts to secure a green card for his Canadian actor/singer/dancer girlfriend, Catherine Wreford, by appearing with her as the leads in a summer regional theatre production of The Music Man in Goldblum's hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The political satire group, the Capitol Steps, parodies numerous songs from musicals, including The Music Man. To evoke turn of the 20th century Main Street USA at some of its theme parks around the world, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts uses songs from the show, including: "76 Trombones", "Iowa Stubborn", "Wells Fargo Wagon", and "Lida Rose".
The North Iowa Band Festival in Mason City, Iowa is a yearly event celebrating music with a special emphasis on marching bands. Willson returned several times to his home town of Mason City during the 1950s to participate in the event, including leading the "Big Parade". The premiere of the motion picture The Music Man was held in Mason City, and the Festival reflected the event with appearances by stars of the film, including Shirley Jones and Robert Preston.
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Theatre World Award | Eddie Hodges | Won | |
| Tony Award | Best Musical | Won | ||
| Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical | Robert Preston | Won | ||
| Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical | Barbara Cook | Won | ||
| Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical | Iggie Wolfington | Nominated | ||
| David Burns | Won | |||
| Best Direction of a Musical | Morton DaCosta | Nominated | ||
| Best Choreography | Onna White | Nominated | ||
| Best Conductor and Musical Director | Herbert Greene | Won | ||
| Best Stage Technician | Sammy Knapp | Nominated | ||
| 1959 | Won | |||
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Theatre World Award | Meg Bussert | Won | |
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Revival of a Musical | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Craig Bierko | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Rebecca Luker | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Director of a Musical | Susan Stroman | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Choreography | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Orchestrations | Doug Besterman | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Set Design | Thomas Lynch | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Costume Design | William Ivey Long | Nominated | ||
| Theatre World Award | Craig Bierko | Won | ||
| Tony Award | Best Revival of a Musical | Nominated | ||
| Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical | Craig Bierko | Nominated | ||
| Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical | Rebecca Luker | Nominated | ||
| Best Direction of a Musical | Susan Stroman | Nominated | ||
| Best Choreography | Nominated | |||
| Best Orchestrations | Doug Besterman | Nominated | ||
| Best Scenic Design | Thomas Lynch | Nominated | ||
| Best Costume Design | William Ivey Long | Nominated | ||
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