The Music Man
Company Theatre's summer production of their 30th season is Meredith Willson's "The Music Man". The show first opened on Broadway on December 19, 1957 and ran for 1,375 performances. Robert Preston played the leading role of Harold Hill who cons the good citizens of River City into buying musical instruments and band uniforms by promising them to create a boy's band in the town. Not know a clarinet from a saxophone, Hill expects to skip town with cash in hand only to be caught by the arms of Marian Paroo, the librarian, who transforms him into a reformed and respectable citizen by the close of the show. This well known show is excellently directed by Zoe Bradford and Jordie Saucerman, who chose the best people for these roles, fabulously musically directed by Michael Joseph who taught them all the glorious melodies and intricate harmonies of these well known songs while conducting a nineteen piece orchestra while Sally Ashton Forrest supplies the fantastic choreography to capture the hearts of the audience. The show ends with a reprise of "76 Trombones" with the audience leaping to its feet at the conclusion of this magnificent rendition of this classic musical.
Zoe and Jordie infuse their cast with high energy from the start
to finish of the show. Thinking up clever bits of comedy and some very
poignant moments along the way. Michael Joseph excels at musical
direction and this show is no exception with one of the songs in the
rousing marching band style of John Phillip Sousa. The whole chorus
as well as the teen and children's chorus voices blend
in perfect harmony. Michael has the brass instruments stand during
the overture starting the show off on a high note. Sally's dances
include the Virginia reel, cake walk, ballet, ragtime and the
polka as well as the precision marching in "76 Trombones". The
show ends with this number as the band marches down the steps of
the theatre. The standout numbers include "76 Trombones" which
stops the show plus "Trouble", "Marian, the Librarian" and
"Shipoopi. Hard working stage manager Marc Ewart (He also plays the train
conductor in "Rock Island" song which opens the show with it's
fantastic presentation a capella) keeps everything running smoothly
all night long with the huge casts entrances and exits and set pieces and
back drops which he built on and off stage with ease by him and his crew.
Other topnotch staff members include Michael Clark Wonson as the
lighting designer, while Bob Grazioso is the sound designer and
the gorgeous sets for the show are artistically designed by
Zoe and James Valentin and built by Jordie and Marc.
They include backdrops plus the facades of several of the town
buildings plus Marian's house inside and outside, the town square, the
inside of the gym and library. The gorgeous early 20th century
costumes are by Shirley
Carney
Leading this talented cast is Michael Hammond as Harold Hill who has
a topnotch singing voice as well as acting skills. He is one of the best
Harold Hill's I have seen with his energetic dancing in almost every one
of his songs. Michael goes from brash, uncaring cad to remorseful one
when he's confronted by a little boy whose life he changed for the better.
Michael as Hill cons the town with his "Trouble" number. (He is also
an excellent dancer having seen him play Albert in "Bye Bye Birdie"
and Will Rogers in "Will Rogers Follies" .) As Hill he puts the finishing
touches to his proposal with "76 Trombones". Michael and the
teen cast stop the show with their fabulous singing and dancing
in this number while he and the dance chorus do the soft shoe in the
"Marian" song in the library scene. "The Sadder but Wiser Girl" where
Mike explains he wants an experienced girl for a girlfriend to Steve
Shannon as Marcellus. Michael tugs at your heartstrings with "Till There
Was You" reprise when Hill reforms his ways and realizes he is truly in
love with Marian. The gorgeous blonde haired, Ann McCoy plays Marian.
She does an excellent job as the woman who mistrusts Hill at first but
when he brings her little brother, Winthrop out of his shell, she falls
for him and keeps her secret to herself. Her fantastic soprano voice soars
off the charts in "My White Knight" up to a high A where she yearns to
fall in love with a down to earth man, "Goodnight My Someone" where she
wishes on a star to find someone to love, "Will I Ever Tell You" done in
counterpoint with the barbershop quartet's( Gary Ryan, Robert Case, Steve
Dooner and Chris Landis) "Lida Rose", where she tells about telling
Harold she love him and "Till There Was You" where she confesses her
love to Harold at last. Ann shows off her prowess as a dancer in "Marian"
and "Shippopi" ragtime section of the song. (Ann played Betty Rogers in
"Will Rogers Follies" and was dynamite in that show as well as this
one.)
Harold's fellow conman, Marcellus is excellently
played by Steve Shannon who I last reviewed as Leo Bloom in "The
Producers" at the Orpheum in January and reviewed at Company Theatre a few
years ago in "Company". He makes every one of his comic one liners
count. Steve shows off his strong singing voice in "The Sadder But Wiser
Girl", Shipoopi" and in the chorus numbers, too. He is also a marvelous
dancer with his athletic steps in his song and throughout the show.
Mayor Shinn is played by veteran Broadway actor, Neil Jones who I last
reviewed as the evil Mr. Potter in "It's a Wonderful Life" 3 years ago at
Company Theatre. The mayor continually mangles the English
language committing many malapropisms on the way. Playing the Mayor's
wife, Eulalie is Juliana Dennis who is a gorgeous brunette in real life
but is made to look dowdy as this character. She and her gaggle of gossips
(Emily Arsenault, Anne Thornton, Colleen McDonough and Jill
Akins) are a hoot in their "Pickalittle" number, the Indian dance and
the Grecian Urn scene, too. Juliana shows off her dancing prowess in many
numbers throughout the show. She appeared as the evil Mrs. Meers in last
year's summer show "Thoroughly Modern Millie". She does an excellent job
in all the roles I have seen her in. The quartet does an excellent job in
this show with their songs, "Sincere", "Goodnight Ladies", "It's
You'' and "Lida Rose". Michael taught them their harmonic parts
beautifully and they receive a huge round of applause after each of their
numbers. Deb Poppel shines as Mrs. Paroo, Marian's mother who speaks
her mind when her children don't listen to her but displays a warmth to
show she also loves them. Deb's Irish brogue is fantastic and she
gets to show off her singing voice in "The Piano Lesson" and "Gary,
Indiana". (The last time I reviewed Deb, she stole the show in "The Producers" at
Turtle Lane in May.) Suzannah Marsh plays the young girl Amaryllis who has a crush on
Winthrop.She deliberately hits the wrong note on the piano during "The Piano Lesson"
and gets to show off her strong singing voice in "Goodnight,
My Someone" with Ann and shows off her strong dancing ability in "76 Trombones"
and many other dance numbers with the chorus. One of the biggest scene
stealers in this show is six year old, Jake Bova as Winthrop. He
captures the hearts of the audience as the lisping boy who makes a transformation
during the show. Jake's powerful singing voice sells
"The Wells Fargo Wagon" segment where he shows the child's
excitement at receiving his trumpet and in his big solo "Gary, Indiana". He also dances up a
storm in many numbers, too. The confrontation scene with Harold in
the second act is also dynamite when Winthrop demands to know if
he is a liar and a crook. This scene will tug
on your heartstrings at its poignancy. Darren Bunch plays the trouble making Tommy who reforms
and becomes the drum major in the band. He is
an excellent dancer who sings and acts well, too. I last saw Darren as Jean
Valjean in "Les Miserables" for Uncommon Theatre in April. Playing the Mayor's eldest
daughter, Zaneeta, is Maureen Torraco who is a gorgeous blonde and is an excellent dancer,
too. They both shine in "Marian" song and Maureen has some comic lines of exasperation at
her father's disapproval of Tommy. Charlie Cowell, the villain of the show is played
wonderfully by Matthew Murphy . His terrible behavior and masher moves on Marian is right on the
money. The dancing expertise by the adult, teen and children
chorus is fabulous and must not be missed. So for a
look back at the early 1900's be sure to catch "The Music
Man" at Company Theatre before the show marches out of town.(It also brings back some pleasant
memories of when I was a freshman in high school, appearing as
a member of the River City boy's band forty years ago this past
May.)
THE MUSIC MAN ( 24 July to
16 August, 2009)
The Company Theatre, 30
Accord Park Drive, Norwell,MA
1(781) 871-2797 or
www.companytheatre.com