The Music Man

     

We Got Trouble!

    Hi! After a 3 month hiatus, I am pleased to announce that I will be posting to this blog again! That's right, your favorite cat critic is BACK. I'll be posting frequently, so make sure to check it out when I update!

    This week I'll be giving my 2-cents on The Music Man! Broadway has a revival of The Music Man scheduled for when all of Broadway opens up again, starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster. However, as it hasn't happened yet, I'll be reviewing the movie from 1962, starring Robert Preston and Shirley Jones. This is such a classic musical (hint: I recommend it!). Enjoy!

The Music Man, 1962

The Music Man, 1962

History

    The Music Man opened on Broadway in 1957, and had great success. It ran for over 1,300 performances! A US National Tour followed the Broadway production. A West End Production opened in 1961, which was also widely praised. A revival of The Music Man was brought to Broadway in 2000, and a new revival is set to open in February 2022, with previews starting in December 2021.

Who's in the Cast?

    Robert Preston takes on the leading role of Professor Harold Hill. Preston also originated the role on Broadway before being cast in the film version. Shirley Jones played the respectable librarian and piano teacher, Marian Paroo. Ronny Howard played Marion's little brother, Winthrop, and Pert Kelton, of the OBC, reprised her role as Marion's mother (Mrs. Paroo). The mayor and his wife (Mr. and Mrs. Shinn) are played by Paul Ford and Hermione Gingold, respectively. Buddy Hackett took on the role of Marcellus Washburn, and Monique Vermont played Amaryllis. Vermont was a replacement actor for Amaryllis on the US National Tour.

Overview

   The film starts with a man catching a train, which rolls in to River City, Iowa, in 1912. The train car is filled with salesmen, complaining about a salesman named Harold Hill who scams towns by assuring he can teach the town's children how to play instruments, sells the instruments, and then leaves quickly. The truth is, he's a fraud and doesn't know how to play any type of instrument (Rock Island). The man who caught the train as it left runs out of the car, revealing that he is the hated Harold Hill.

    Though he tries to be charming to the people of River City, the citizens of the town let Hill know that they are a stubborn group of people (Iowa Stubborn). Hill runs into a old friend and former salesman, Marcellus Washburn, who calls Hill "Greg," his previous sales name. Washburn tells Hill that River City just got in their first ever pool table, and all of the townsfolk are clamoring to see it. Hill decides to use the pool table to help sell his instruments. He scares the people into thinking the new pool table will corrupt their young boys and children, and that they need to find a way to keep their children occupied (Ya Got Trouble). 

    Washburn tells Hill about the librarian, who is the only piano teacher in the town. Hill decides to get close to her so that when he swindles the towns people with his fake knowledge of music, she'll stay quiet; however, she ignores all of his attempts to speak with her. In the librarian's home, she argues with her mother about her desire to teach the townspeople (specifically, the ladies) of River City more about books and life. Her mother wants her to meet the new stranger in town, but the librarian insists she has standards. Amaryllis, the teacher's piano student, is playing the piano throughout the argument (If You Don't Mind My Saying So). Winthrop, the librarian's little brother, comes running through. Amaryllis is upset that he never talks to her due to his lisp. Upset, Amaryllis resigns herself to playing more piano, and it is finally revealed that the librarian's name is Marian. Marian tells Amaryllis that until she has a sweetheart to say goodnight to, she should say goodnight to her "someone" (Goodnight, My Someone). 

    The next day, at a city hall meeting, Hill stirs the townsfolk into a frenzy about the pool table again, and then tells them that the solution is to form a band; they love the idea (Ya Got Trouble/Seventy-Six Trombones). At the 4th of July party that night, Hill assembles 4 men from the town school board into a Barbershop Quartet and teaches them how to sing (Sincere). Hill once again tries to woo Marian, and she firmly rejects him, announcing her disgust at his actions and how he enamored the town.

    Hill convinces the townspeople to buy instruments, uniforms, and music books for their children. He tells Washburn that once he orders the instruments they'll arrive in 10 days, although the uniforms take 4 weeks to arrive. Washburn is concerned that Hill won't be able to con the town for 4 weeks without knowing music, but Hill tells him he has a new method called "The Think Method," that he'll use until he can leave town. 

    The mayor's wife informs Hill that her husband is going to investigate him, but a little smooth-talk and flattery from Hill makes her forget all about it. The Barbershop Quartet presses Hill for his credentials, but he is able to evade them by getting them to sing again, this time with the ladies from the mayor's wife's entourage (Pick-a-Little, Talk-a-Little). Hill heads over to the library to try to win over Marian (Marian the Librarian). He visits her home and persuades her mother to buy a cornet and uniform for Winthrop. She asks him questions about his past, and he tells her he graduated from Gary Conservatory in '05, in Gary, Indiana (Gary, Indiana). Hill wins over the favor of Marian's mother, but Marion is still against him. Her mother berates her for spurning Hill's advances, and Marian explains she is waiting for the right man for her to come along (Being in Love). 

    Marion discovers in a book that Hill is lying about his university credentials because the town wasn't even founded until '06, therefore he couldn't possibly have graduated in '05. Before she can tell the mayor, the Wells Fargo wagon arrives in town, drawing the attention of all of the citizens. Winthrop is so excited that he speaks, surprising Marion and Amaryllis (The Wells Fargo Wagon). Hill personally delivers a cornet to a thrilled Winthrop, and Marion has a change of heart. The mayor asks to see the book that Marion wanted to show him, and she secretly rips out the pages exposing Hill before handing it to him. 

    Hill tells all the children to use The Think Method to practice their instruments. He then successfully gets Marion to agree to meet him. The Barbershop Quartet is ordered by the mayor to get Hill's credentials or throw him in jail. Hill manages to get the men singing again and they soon forget all about him; Marian acknowledges that she is falling for Hill (Lida Rose/Will I Ever Tell You?). A smiling Winthrop returns home, and tells Marian how much fun he has spending time with Hill, and how he's kind about Winthrop's lisp (Gary, Indiana (Reprise)). 

    One of the traveling salesmen from the train is stopping through town to inform the mayor that Hill is a swindler and a liar, and he is set to give him receipts as proof. Marian interferes and flirts with the man to distract him. As he is about to miss the train out, he fails to deliver the receipts to the mayor, but he fills Marian's head with doubts about Hill. Hill, however, persuades her to trust him again, and reluctantly she allows herself to fall for him. 

    The town holds an ice cream sociable party that evening, and many couples enjoying dancing, Marion and Hill included (Shipoopi). Marion and Hill spend time alone near a river, and Marion thanks him for what he's done for the town and for her, personally (Till There Was You). Marion and Hill share a passionate moment. She then reveals to Hill that she's known from the start that he was a fraud. 

    Back at the party, the salesman from earlier had stayed in the city and announces to the whole town that Hill is a swindler. All of the citizens go on a massive search for Hill. Washburn finds him outside of Marian's home; Marian had gone in for a sweater. Washburn tells him to leave, but Hill realizes he can't because he's in love with Marian. The townspeople capture him and arrest him.

    The mayor holds an emergency town hall meeting and the citizens call for Hill to be tarred and feathered. Marian interferes and reminds the town how he brought them all together and they seem to change their minds, until the mayor reminds them how much money Hill swindled from them. The mayor demands to know where the band is. Suddenly, all of the boys in the town come marching in to the room wearing their uniforms and carrying their instruments. Hill conducts them and they manage to play Minuet in G, albeit pitchy, thanks to The Think Method. The parents in the town are immensely proud of their children, and the animosity towards Hill is forgotten. The boys march through town, playing their instruments, with a beaming Harold Hill leading the way (Seventy-Six Trombones (Reprise & Finale)). 

    

Thoughts

    The Music Man is a fun, family-friendly musical for people of all ages. Right off the bat, one thing I really enjoyed is how time-y it feels. The movie is from the 1960s, but the setting is in the early 1900s. People of all ages today can get a fun glimpse into the past of rural America.  

    The plot is pretty basic, I admit. One thing I really appreciated was how Marian was determined to stay true to herself for most of the show, until she actually fell in love with Hill. Given that this takes place over 100 years ago, it's always nice to see a woman hold her own and keep ahold of her personal morals.    

    In terms of performance, Robert Preston really was perfect for the role of Harold Hill. It's hard to imagine anyone else in his place. He really sells the part. He's suave, smooth, persistent, and clever. It's really fun to watch him navigate the town and it's stubborn people. Paul Ford as Mayor Shinn is also very fun to watch. Trying to keep his composure in trying situations, and attempting to catch Hill in a scam retains an element of hilarity throughout the entire performance. 

    Like I said, it's a very family-friendly show. If you're unable to make it to Broadway to catch the upcoming revival, I definitely recommend watching the movie! I'm paw-sitive it's going to give you a good feeling, and you can sit down with your kids and cats and enjoy a fun a happy movie.

    Alas, I'm afraid I have to give this a 1 on the Cat Rating. It had at least two dogs, which.... ew. It had horses, so those were pretty cool! But I had no representation in this movie. Oh well. I should probably review Cats soon to boost my personal morale. Stay tuned... 

Ratings

Find the rating scale here.

Soundtrack          ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Acting                  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lighting               ⭐⭐⭐

Set                        ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overall                 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cat rating             ⭐

Best song: Marian the Librarian

Best actor: Shirley Jones

Best set: The library

Fun Facts!

• My owner, Grace, told me that The Music Man was the first musical she ever took part in, when she was 9 years old! As she likes to stay, she "starred as the mayor's second daughter, Gracie Shinn." 
• The 2022 revival of the show is set to occur in The Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway.
• The members of the Barbershop Quartet were in the original Broadway production, and they were a real quartet known as the Buffalo Bills.