Notes
Practically perfect.
Some people call The Music Man the practically-perfect musical. And I must confess, I subscribe to that way of thinking.
Why? Well, there are so many barometers for why we like or dislike a show. Ways of measuring why a musical written in 1958 can stand the test of time and still resonate. You could write a thesis on this subject, but here are a few thoughts as you wait for the curtain to go up.
In terms of its practically-perfect-ness, The Music Man hits every checkbox on the What-Do-You-Look-For-In-A-Musical list. A memorable score-check; an accessible but not-too-over-told story-check; great characters-check; dancing-check; singing-check, check, check, check, check!
How many musicals can you name that have so many not only recognizable, but iconic songs? Is there anyone who doesn’t know “Seventy-Six Trombones?” “Trouble?”
Plus, for a musical set in 1912, it’s thematically as relevant in 2015 as any show I know. The change-resistant, stubborn Iowans depicted in The Music Man can still be found in every one of us. And the lighthearted reminder that, sometimes, something wonderful can happen if you open yourself up to a new thought, a new idea, or a new way of doing things, is a message as vital today as it ever was.
Practically. Perfect.
Director Karen Azenberg