The Music Man

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.