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The Music Man




For the guitar company see Music Man (company) .


''The Music Man'' is a musical play with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson (story by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey ), which opened on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre on December 19 , 1957 . The original company starred Robert Preston (in his musical debut) as 'Professor' Harold Hill and Barbara Cook as Marian Paroo. The show ran for 1,375 performances. Preston reprised his role in the 1962 Film Version .


PLOT SUMMARY


'Professor' Harold Hill is a Con Man , claiming to be from Gary, Indiana , who sells Musical Instrument s, pretending that he will teach youngsters to play them and form a town Band . His plan to carry out the scam in River City, a small town in Iowa , is thwarted when he becomes attracted to Marian Paroo, the local Librarian and piano teacher, who immediately recognizes him as the fraud he is. When some of the town officials become suspicious of him, he forms them into a Barbershop Quartet . He gets around the ladies of the town by encouraging them to put on a concert and he wins Marian over by his kindness towards her younger brother, Winthrop, who was shy and withdrawn over the death of his father before Hill arrived. Although she recognizes his scheme, Marian falls In Love with him and helps him to escape detection. Hill is eventually found out, but decides to stay in town and face the music. In the end, the townspeople forgive him. Even though he lied about the band, they realize that he did a lot for River City, including its officials, the ladies and Winthrop.


REVIVALS

''The Music Man'' returned to Broadway in 1976 , featuring Ian Richardson . Craig Bierko had the title role in another revival that played Broadway in the 1999-2000 season, directed by choreographer Susan Stroman . Eric McCormack of television's '' Will & Grace '' filled in for Bierko for a short time while on hiatus from the TV show. A tour starred Barry Williams of '' Brady Bunch '' fame.


SONGS

Act One
#Overture
Scene One
#Train Opening
#Rock Island
Scene Two
#Iowa Stubborn
#Ya Got Trouble
#Trouble Playoff & Walking Music
Scene Four
#Piano Lesson & If You Don't Mind My Saying So
#Goodnight My Someone
Scene Five
#Columbia, Gem of the Ocean
#Ya Got Trouble (Reprise)
#Seventy-Six Trombones
#Seventy-Six Trombones - Ballet
#Seventy-Six Trombones - Playoff
#Ice Cream/Sincere
Scene Six
#Walking Music(Reprise)
#The Sadder But Wiser Girl
#Pick-a-Little, Talk-a-Little & Goodnight Ladies
Scene Seven
#Marian the Librarian
#Marian - Dance
#First Seventy-Six Trombones Crossover
Scene Eight
#Second Seventy-Six Trombones Crossover
Scene Nine
#Third Seventy-Six Trombones Crossover
Scene Ten
#My White Knight
Scene Eleven
#The Wells Fargo Wagon
#Finale- Act 1

Act Two
#Entr'acte
Scene One
#Eulalie's Ballet
#It's You
#Shipoopi
#Shipoopi Dance - Part 1
#Shipoopi Dance - Part 2
#Shipoopi Dance - Part 3
#Shipoopi Dance - Playoff
#Pick-a-Little, Talk-a-Little (Reprise)
Scene Two
#Lida Rose & Will I Ever Tell You?
Scene Three
#Gary, Indiana
#Lida Rose (Reprise)
#It's You - Ballet
Scene Four
#Till There Was You
#Goodnight & Seventy-Six Trombones (Double Reprise)
Scene Five
#Ice Cream Sociable
Scene Six
#Chase Music
#Till There Was You (Reprise)
Scene Seven
#Finale - Act 2
#Curtain Call Music
#Exit Music

Note that many of these are not sung; they are played by the orchestra.


TRIVIA

  • The fictional city of River City in the musical is loosely based on Mason City , Iowa .

  • ''American Libraries'', the journal of the American Library Association , reported in the March 2005 issue the source of the name of the character "Marian the Librarian" as Marian Seeley of Provo, Utah. Mrs. Seeley had been an acquaintance of Meredith Willson during World War II , when she was a medical records librarian. The magazine reported that Meredith Willson "dubbed her 'Marian the Librarian' at the time, then went on to include that character in his play."

  • The story is thought to take place in 1912 . However, the song "Ya Got Trouble" contains a reference to '' Captain Billy's Whiz-Bang ''. This was a monthly humor magazine that began publication in October 1919.

  • The melody number "Goodnight, My Someone" is similar to "Seventy-Six Trombones" played slowly.



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