The Music Man

Synopsis

Gloriously entertaining and irresistibly spirit-lifting, The Music Man is an American musical classic. Its effervescent score includes 'Trouble', 'Till There Was You' and the riproaring 'Seventy-six Trombones. 'Fast-talking racketeer ‘Professor’ Harold Hill hoodwinks parents into believing he can rescue their errant offspring through his allegedly life-changing music programme, ‘The Think System’. Taking their money for instruments and uniforms with the promise of forming a brass band, he skips from town to town before his credentials are questioned and his fraud exposed. But he has reckoned without the effect of River City’s wilful spinster librarian, Marian. She falls for his smooth-talking charm even though she sees him for the charlatan he is. His scheme unravelling, the ‘Professor’ is left to decide between taking flight yet again or staying with Marian and facing the consequences.

Our Review:

4 July 2008

This is a forgotten musical; scarcely mentioned when great shows are being discussed; yet, as the programme points out, it was the third-longest running show on Broadway in the 50s and beat West Side Story to best musical at the Tonys of 1958.

It's hard to imagine why this Meredith Willson-penned show is so under-rated. There are some great songs (who doesn't know “76 Trombones”?), there are some great jokes and the story of the slick, travelling salesman who creates a picture of children learning an instrument and forming a band only to find that his vision becomes true (well, almost) is a heart-warming one.

What's more, the storyline - where children are rescued from a life of boredom and juvenile delinquency - has its modern real-life parallel in the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela. And while that music project, with its focus on group learning, is a long way from Harold Hill's “think system”, audiences can see the power that music ...

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Latest User Review

nkent - 30 August 2008:

This show was amazing. Brian Conley was fantastic and Scarlett Strallen was superb. Full of great music and the sets are very inventive and effective. Loved the barber shop singing! Hope it transfers to the West End because I'll definitely see it. ...

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