The Music Man

The Music Man on Broadway Background

The Music Man is Meredith Willson’s Tony/Academy/Grammy Award winning musical which has seen considerable success on Broadway, film and TV. This is the musical’s third revival production on Broadway since its original debut in 1957. The initial production went on to win five Tony awards, including Best Musical and Best Performance by a Leading Actor. The show saw such a resounding success that it would later receive an Academy Award winning film adaptation in 1962, featuring Robert Preston and Shirley Jones. The famous musical was revived on Broadway in both 1980 and 2000 and received a 2003 television adaptation. The show now makes its long awaited return to Broadway after a 20 year absence and stars two-time Tony Award winners Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster. This revival is directed by Broadway veteran, Jerry Zaks, a four-time Tony Award winner for Best Direction.

What’s The Music Man Like?

The musical is set in River City, Iowa during the summer of 1912. Harold Hill has been a con artist for most of his life, with his modus operandi being to portray himself to be a boys brass band organizer and talent coach. His usual scam is to promise trusting parents to train their children and to pretend to purchase their expensive equipment, he then takes their cash payment and ditches town. Hill arrives in River City with plans to repeat his usual operation, where he meets Marian Paroo, the town librarian and piano teacher. She quickly sees through his act but begins to fall in love with him when she notices the positive effects Harold is having on her awkward younger brother, Winthrop. Harold is also smitten and he must risk losing his cover in order to win her devotion. This story is a classic bad-guy makes good in a heartwarming story of redemption.

Is The Music Man Good for Kids?

Children of all ages will love The Music Man as it is fun for the whole family, although some audience members complain that the story presents a morally grey protagonist.