The Music Man

Plot synopsis:
=== Act I ===
In the early summer of 1912, aboard a train leaving Rock Island, Illinois, Charlie Cowell and other traveling salesmen engage in a heated argument about consumer credit ("Rock Island"). The conversation eventually turns to another topic: a con man known as "Professor" Harold Hill, whose scam is to convince parents he can teach their musically disinclined children to play musical instruments. On the premise that he will form a band, he takes orders for instruments and uniforms. But once the instruments and uniforms arrive and are paid for, he skips town without forming the band, moving on before he is exposed. Upon the train’s arrival in River City, Iowa, a stranger stands up and declares, "Gentlemen, you intrigue me. I think I shall have to give Iowa a try." Retrieving his suitcase, clearly labeled "Professor Harold Hill," he exits the train.
The townspeople of River City describe their reserved, "chip-on-the-shoulder attitude" ("Iowa Stubborn"). Harold stumbles across his old friend Marcellus Washburn, who has "gone legit" and now lives in town. Marcellus tells Harold that Marian Paroo, the librarian who gives piano lessons, is the only trained musician in town. He also informs Hill that a new pool table was just delivered to the town's local billiard parlor, so to launch his scheme, Harold convinces River City parents of the "trouble" that will be caused by that pool table ("Ya Got Trouble"). Harold follows Marian home, attempting to flirt with her, but she ignores him. At home, Marian gives a piano lesson to a little girl named Amaryllis while arguing with her widowed mother about her high "standards where men are concerned", telling Mrs. Paroo about the man who followed her home ("Piano Lesson/If You Don't Mind My Saying So"). Marian's self-conscious, lisping 10-year-old brother Winthrop arrives home. Amaryllis, who secretly likes Winthrop but teases him about the lisp, asks Marian whom she should say goodnight to on the evening star, since she doesn't have a sweetheart. Marian tells her to just say goodnight to her "someone" ("Goodnight, My Someone").
The next day is Independence Day, and Mayor Shinn is leading the morning festivities in the high school gym, with the help of his self-important wife, Eulalie MacKecknie Shinn ("Columbia, Gem of the Ocean"). After Tommy Djilas, a boy from the wrong side of town, sets off a firecracker, interrupting the proceedings, Harold takes the stage and announces to the townspeople that he will prevent "sin and corruption" from the pool table by forming a boys' band ("Ya Got Trouble [Reprise]/Seventy-Six Trombones"). Mayor Shinn, who owns the billiard parlor, tells the bickering school board to get Harold's credentials, but Harold teaches them to sing as a Barbershop Quartet to distract them ("Ice Cream/Sincere"). Harold also sets up Zaneeta, the mayor's eldest daughter, with Tommy, and persuades Tommy to work as his assistant. After another rejection by Marian, Harold is determined to win her, telling Marcellus that she’s the girl for him ("The Sadder But Wiser Girl"). The town ladies are very excited about the band and the ladies' dance committee that Harold plans to form. He mentions Marian, and they intimate to him (falsely, as it turns out) that she had an inappropriate relationship with deceased old miser Madison, who gave the town the library, but left all the books to her. They also warn Harold that she advocates the "dirty books" by "Chaucer, Rabelais, and Balzac" ("Pick-a-Little, Talk-a-Little"). The school board arrives to review Harold's credentials, but he leads them in song and slips away ("Goodnight, Ladies").
The next day, Harold walks into the library, but Marian ignores him yet again. He declares his unrequited love for her, leading the teenagers in the library in dance ("Marian the Librarian"). For a moment, Marian forgets her decorum and dances with Harold. He kisses her, and she tries to slap him. He ducks, and she hits Tommy instead. With Tommy's help, Harold signs up all the boys in town to be in his band, including Winthrop. Mrs. Paroo likes Harold and tries to find out why Marian is not interested. Marian describes her ideal man ("My White Knight"). She tries to give Mayor Shinn evidence against Harold that she found in the Indiana State Educational Journal, but they are interrupted by the arrival of the Wells Fargo wagon, which delivers the band instruments ("The Wells Fargo Wagon"). When Winthrop forgets to be shy and self-conscious because he is so happy about his new cornet, Marian begins to see Harold in a new light. She tears the incriminating page out of the Journal before giving the book to Mayor Shinn.
=== Act II ===
The ladies rehearse their classical dance in the school gym while the school board practices their quartet ("It's You") for the ice cream social. Marcellus and the town's teenagers interrupt the ladies' practice, taking over the gym as they dance ("Shipoopi"). Harold grabs Marian to dance with her, and all the teenagers join in. Regarding Winthrop's cornet, Marian later questions Harold about his claim that "you don't have to bother with the notes". He explains that this is what he calls "The Think System", and he arranges to call on Marian to discuss it. The town ladies ask Marian to join their dance committee, since she was "so dear dancing the Shipoopi" with Professor Hill ("Pick-a-Little, Talk-a-Little" [Reprise]). They have reversed their opinions about her books, and they eagerly tell her that "the Professor told us to read those books, and we simply adored them all!"
That night, the school board tries to collect Harold's credentials again, but he gets them to sing again and slips away ("Lida Rose"). Marian, meanwhile, is sitting on her front porch thinking of Harold ("Will I Ever Tell You?"). Winthrop returns home after spending time with Harold and tells Marian and Mrs. Paroo about Harold's hometown ("Gary, Indiana"). As Marian waits alone for Harold, traveling salesman Charlie Cowell enters with evidence against Harold, hoping to tell Mayor Shinn. He only has a few minutes before his train leaves, but stops to flirt with Marian. She tries to delay him so he doesn't have time to deliver the evidence, eventually kissing him. As the train whistle blows, she pushes him away. Charlie angrily tells Marian that Harold has a girl in "every county in Illinois, and he's taken it from every one of them – and that's 102 counties!"
Harold arrives, and after he reminds her of the untrue rumors he's heard about her, she convinces herself that Charlie invented everything he told her. They agree to meet at the footbridge, where Marian tells him the difference he's made in her life ("Till There Was You"). Marcellus interrupts and tells Harold that the uniforms have arrived. He urges Harold to take the money and run, but Harold refuses to leave, insisting, "I've come up through the ranks... and I'm not resigning without my commission". He returns to Marian, who tells him that she's known since three days after he arrived that he is a fraud. (Harold earlier claimed to have graduated from the Gary Conservatory in 1905, but Gary, Indiana, was not founded until 1906.) Because she loves him, she gives him the incriminating page out of the Indiana State Educational Journal. She leaves, promising to see him later at the Sociable. With his schemes for the boys' band and Marian proceeding even better than planned, Harold confidently sings "Seventy-Six Trombones". As he overhears Marian singing "Goodnight My Someone", Harold suddenly realizes that he is in love with Marian; he and Marian sing a snatch of each other's songs.
Meanwhile, Charlie Cowell, who has missed his train, arrives at the ice cream social and denounces Harold Hill as a fraud. The townspeople begin an agitated search for Harold. Winthrop is heartbroken and tells Harold that he wishes Harold never came to River City. But Marian tells Winthrop that she believes everything Harold ever said, for it did come true in the way every kid in town talked and acted that summer. She and Winthrop urge Harold to get away. He chooses to stay and tells Marian that he never really fell in love until he met her ("Till There Was You" [Reprise]). The constable then handcuffs Harold and leads him away.
Mayor Shinn leads a meeting in the high school gym to decide what to do with Harold, asking, "Where's the band? Where's the band?" Marian defends Harold. Tommy enters as a drum major, followed by the kids in uniform with their instruments. Marian urges Harold to lead the River City Boys' Band in Beethoven's Minuet in G. Despite the boys' limited musical ability, the parents in the audience are nonetheless enraptured by the sight of their children playing music. Even Mayor Shinn is won over, and, as the townspeople cheer, Harold is released into Marian's arms ("Finale").

Tags: romantic

Review:
Most of us probably don't make it to New York to see original Broadway productions, or even local dinner theater shows, so the movie version is most likely the only thing that a lot of people will see, whether it's at the local Cineplex, or on video/DVD.
Here are some things to keep in mind: At the time the movie was made, Robert Preston was only <u>four years older</u> than Matthew Broderick is now.
He spoke a <i>lot</i> throughout his songs.Although Preston originated the role of Professor Harold Hill on Broadway, Hollywood did not want him for the part in the film version, citing that he was too <i>old</i> to play opposite Shirley Jones.
I liked the nontraditional casting for the citizens of River City (I know, it's highly unlikely that people of color would be interacting with caucasians in Iowa in 1912, but The Music Man was always an <b>idealized</b> version of life in a midwestern town) and for me, Kristin Chenoweth was 50 percent of the reason I wanted to watch this movie.
I hope that it will attract the notice of younger audiences, so they can see that musicals aren't "lame." And maybe it'll get them interested in the film that was made over 40 years ago, starring Robert Preston and Shirley Jones.But they'll probably prefer the Matthew Broderick version..
(Same can be said for "Oklahoma", "My Fair Lady", "Mary Poppins", etc.) Later, in my youth, I took up the trumpet, and would later actually play several of the songs from "The Music Man" in various band settings.So it was with keen reservations that I tuned into this 2003 version of the same movie.
Well, no sooner did he begin singing and dancing some of his required Music Man numbers than I was completely won over by his talent, not to mention the easy grace with which he tackled the role.Suffice it to say that I stuck it out to the end of the film, wholeheartedly enjoying every minute of it (with one slight reservation: there were too damned many commercial interruptions....
She looked absolutely fabulous and had a divine singing voice that really melted me to the core.In summation, I'm glad that Disney produced this effort to put "The Music Man" back on the screen, because I think it is a story that today's viewers (especially young people) could certainly bear watching.
Disney pulled together quite a cast: Matthew Broderick, Kristin Chenoweth, Victor Garber, and Molly Shannon.
The only other really good performances in the show were Debra Monk and David Aaron Baker as Mrs. Paroo and Hill's friend Marcellus, respectively.Really, the only problem with this is it's not the original.
I thought that if I hadn't seen the original movie version of this musical I would have enjoyed Matthew Broderick in this role a lot more.
I thought he was good, but he didn't hold a candle to Robert Preston's performance as Harold Hill.
I knew how well she fit the role of Sally in the new Broadway version of "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" and after that, I was having trouble picturing her as Marian Paroo.
I really saw Marian fall for Harold Hill in this version, I don't think Shirley Jones played that up as well as she could have.
Someone complimented Disney on making "The Music Man" look more like a movie and less like a stage production.
The fact that the original movie, starring Robert Preston (in the role that not only made him famous, but the musical famous in return), was done in the style of a stage production is because that's how Meredith Wilson envisioned it.
It seemed as though Broderick had dusted off his Ferris Beuller persona and tried to apply it here, with less than stellar results.Anyway, if you still don't know what my beef is, I challenge you to go to Borders, or Barnes & Noble, or somewhere that lets you scan music CD's and listen to segments; and compare the original Robert Preston soundtrack recording, followed with the Matthew Broderick version.
This is really bad, Matthew Broderick is great as an actor, but he was not in any way right for professor Herold Hill.
Having grown up loving the story of Harold Hill and Miss Marion, I was expecting to somewhat unfavorably compare the new Disney version of The Music Man to the absolutely perfect one starring Robert Preston and Shirley Jones.
Although this version is not QUITE as good as the original (let's face it - nobody does it like Robert Preston), it is still a well-done re-make.
Reaction to this production has been very emotional and on the musicals board I have had to endure the most incredible bashing because I actually liked it.Some people have been critical of my opinion because I had the temerity to assume they were comparing it to the classic movie version, which I adore.
The mayor's daughter managed to be just as irritating in the remake -- I think if I hear "Ye Gods" one more time, my head will explode.For one example:  The barbershop quartet Disney used to replace the Buffalo Bills (who sang the part both on Broadway and the original movie) were rock-tight and solid.
For example, I still have a difficult time listening to anybody else play Miss Hannigan in Annie other than Carol Burnett, Miss Mona in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas other than Dolly Parton and Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors other than Ellen Greene.But, I decided to watch this film a second time and watch it with the knowledge that Broderick was interpreting the role differently than Preston.
With that, I ended up loving the film and even cried at the end when Harold Hill admits to Winthrop that, for the first time, he's got his foot stuck in the door and then goes into a reprise of "Till There Was You."I felt Chenoweth was great as Marion the Librarian and the supporting cast was wonderful.
Personally, I never liked the original film version of "The Music Man".
Matthew Broderick plays Professor Harold Hill, a slick salesman who tries to create a market for band instruments in River City, Iowa.
After years of playing bad guys on screen, Robert Preston carved out a brand new career for himself and became a household name when he was cast as fast-talking salesman Harold Hill in the original Broadway production of THE MUSIC MAN back in, I believe, 1955 and had to screen test against Frank Sinatra to recreate the role in the original film version in 1962.
It was remounted with a great deal of care and reproduced Meredith Wilson's original score intact (the opening number on the train "Rock Island" is performed in its entirety and Marian's number from the Broadway show, "My White Knight" was returned to its original place in the score instead the lackluster replacement song for the movie "Being in Love"), the scenery and costumes were exquisite and there was some first rate choreography, but no matter what else is going on with this show, if you don't have an electrifying Harold Hill, the show falls flat and Matthew Broderick was a disappointment in this role.
Broderick was one note, Victor Garber and Molly Shannon were badly miscast as Mayor and Mrs. Shinn and Tommy and Zaneeta were snore-inducing, but Kristin Chenowith's magical turn as Marian Paroo makes this version of THE MUSIC MAN completely watchable..
The poor construction almost felt purposeful, as though Disney intended the sets to produce subliminal thoughts of Main Street Disneyland (tickets, anyone?).Matthew Broderick, while a capable singer/actor, displays no joie de vivre as Professor Harold Hill.
That said, she wasn't meant for the role of Marion; her acting ability is too limited (although she does make a great effort here).Also worth noting: with the exception of her lipstick, Ms. Chenoweth's makeup (especially noticeable when she's around the other females, as in the ice cream shop) was not at all period appropriate; she looked like a modern woman in a turn-of-the-century costume.
Matthew Broderick's voice is better then Robert Preston's voice but he isn't as convincing as Harold Hill.
The photography, costumes and acting were wonderful Matthew Broderick was different from Robert Preston but did a good job, especially in the last part of the movie.
I love the original 1962 version, always have, always will and pretty much unless they can make an even better production which this is not then I am not up for watching a remake.
Last year, I played Mayor Shinn in my old Middle school production of The Music Man, and I prefered our version to the TV movie.
But those who never saw the original won't notice that.Other things gone wrong...there was a great lack of continuity between night and day, especially at the end, dates were changed around, and certain lines and singing solos were moved around and made to look strange - like how did Amaryllis get maple sugar on her birthday?
These are supposed to be mature businessmen married to the Pick-a-Little Ladies, who here are old enough to be their mothers, but at least they sing better than those boy bands.Other performances were weak, like Victor Garber and Molly Shannon as the Shinns.
There were, overall, three outstandingly good things about this production: Debra Monk as Widow Paroo (a nice change from playing Andy Sipowicz' long-suffering ex-wife on "NYPD Blue," or even her repertory roles on A&E's problematic "Nero Wolfe" series); the pretty young lass (credit not findable in IMDB) who danced Zaneeta; and the welcome restoration of "My White Knight."  These were all unqualified triumphs.The qualified triumph was that of Kristin Chenoweth, hobbled by overly busy hair, uninteresting costumes, and unflattering extreme closeups.
Victor Garber's Mayor was a dull thud; Molly Shannon was squirmingly unfunny; Cameron Monaghan's Winthrop succeeds only in that he sings far more nearly in tune than that famous director guy; David Aaron Baker as Marcellus came off as a total comedic zero; Patrick McKenna's Charlie Cowell is not for one moment a believable threat; and the School Board was reconceived (and reharmonized) as a "boy band" instead of a quartet of trustworthy and mature gentleman whom you might actually believe in their civic role.In short, a dismal failure, three hours I shall never get back.
She had some very sweet notes in her upper range, but the majority of the singing was actually belting and sliding from one note to the next, which is okay for some roles (like Sally in _You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown_, a role for which Kristin won great praise) but not for Marian, in my opinion--at some points, it sounded as if she was trying to do a "pop" rendition of all the songs.
I did like Cameron Monaghan as Winthrop (did anyone else notice he's a ringer for a young Johnny Whitaker?) ; he was very good as was Debra Monk as the Widow Paroo--though neither can replace Pert Kelt or Ron Howard.One good point: At least "My White Knight" was used instead of that not-nearly-as-nice "Being in Love" that Shirley Jones sings.Overall, not worth the time I spent watching it, sadly enough.
I have seen the original version of The Music Man from 1962 countless times.
Matthew Broderick is a great actor but he didn't have a strong enough singing voice, wasn't as light on his feet and above all didn't have the same charisma as Robert Preston.
Realizing that Broderick didn't want to "copy" Robert Preston's "yardstick" portrayal of Harold Hill as a con man but to make his own mark.
Perhaps this would have turned out better if it came from Warner Brothers rather than Disney.Overall this remake was a Disgrace to Matthew Broderick as an actor and Meredith Wilson's genius creation of a musical..
If this is your first experience seeing the Music Man, please watch the 1962 movie with Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, and cute Ronnie Howard.
Though comparisons with the Robert Preston version are inevitable, as Shakespeare's Dogberry said, "Comparisons are odorous."  Remakes of great shows must be done:  first, because people increasingly do not watch old movies, even when they're found on t.v.;  and more importantly, to give different perspectives on characters, plots, etc.
Obvious though Robert Preston appears in hindsight as the perfect Harold Hill, he was way down the list.Though "The Music Man" is a good idea, more complete than the movie (which left out songs like "My White Night" for time limitations), its greatest weakness is Harold Hill.
Now that I've seen the results, I'm mostly left wanting to see the original film version with Robert Preston and Shirley Jones again.What this entire production needs is a healthy shot of verve.
But the most disappointing performance is that of Matthew Broderick, ostensibly the star of the show, but here mostly going through the motions as Professor Harold Hill.I've seen Broderick in a lot of roles, and have enjoyed nearly everything he's done, which is what made this all the more disastrous--I know he's capable of doing better, and I suspect one of the reasons why it didn't work was that he never really understood the character of Professor Hill.
Harold Hill, the strutting, beaming, cosmically charming hero of "The Music Man." So Broderick was a far from ideal casting choice.
Yet if the director, choreographer, and d.p. had been more sensitive to Broderick's own brand of charm -- this is Ferris Bueller we're talking about -- something new and interesting might have come of this "Music Man." But the direction is slack, the choreography uninspired (especially in Broderick's case, even with an obvious dance double), and the cinematography/visual composition just plain weird (it often looks like a truncated pan-and-scan of a Cinemascope film, which of course it can't possibly be).
Chenoweth is really good, and it sucks to bring it to this level, but she has a look about her that makes this character a hard sell for her, & though she makes a better go of it than anyone else in the film, it falls a little flat, especially at the endTo be frank, Broderick was a miscast.
I Liked Matthew Broderick's interpretation of Professor Hill better.
What I liked about it the best is that Broderick played his own character and didn't try to portray Preston (which is a good thing).
I don't think the spirit of the original Music Man film (or the live show, having performed in it) could ever be repeated on film, and this version really, in my opinion, was no where near the caliber of the Robert Preston version.
Don't get me wrong, I really liked this version (I love Matthew Broderick as Harold Hill), but there just seemed to be things lacking.
I have no doubt that Matthew Broderick is a very nice man and a good actor, but he's years too young and far too guileless to be Harold Hill.
Unfortunately my memories of the Music Man will remain Robert Preston and Shirley Jones and the rest of that fantastic cast..
Now, I will admit I never saw the original screen version of the Music Man with Preston back in the 1960s.
As others have mentioned, Broderick is a human and interprets things differently, just like we all do, and I would actually be more disappointed if Broderick acted similarly to Preston, because in that case, I would feel like I would be watching the exact same film when I do get around to seeing the 1960s version.I'll admit that some of the love story between Professor Hill and Librarian Mrs. Paroo is a bit cheesy at times, but this isn't Shakespeare, and it wasn't meant to be - I'll bet you were cheesy too at times when you fell in love with someone.
Look at it this way: many people think musicals itself are cheesy, so liking a musical with a romance certainly doesn't help the matter, does it?Anyway, I'm sure I would agree with all of you when I see Preston as Harold Hill, and that his interpretation of the Music Man is an incredible performance.
So I don't blame Professor Hill for 'getting his foot caught in the door.'Again, in itself, I like this performance (and interpretation) of the Music Man by Broderick, Chenowith, and the rest of the cast.
Robert Preston, who originated the role of Harold Hill, put his stamp on it for all time.
I like Matthew Broderick okay, but he just didn't get me as Harold Hill.
All in all I think this movie was one of the better Music Man films I have seen yet.
All the die-hard fans of Robert Preston's 1962 version of Professor Harold Hill will disagree with me, some vehemently, but the fact is that this 2002 film with Broderick as the Music Man, and Chenowith as the librarian is a cut above the older version.
The Music Man as a play holds a special place in my pantheon, I directed the play on stage for high school 35 years ago, and I know the Robert Preston film version word for word.
I liked it - it is hard NOT to like The Music Man:BUT Matthew Broderick is no Robert Preston.
I grew up listening to the original Broadway soundtrack of Meredith Wilson's "The Music Man" starring Robert Preston and Barbara Cook as the original Harold Hill and Marian Paroo, so I initially approached this more recent production with some trepidation and bias.
How can anyone top Preston's "Hill" or even 1962's Shirley Jones' Marian Paroo from the Warner Brothers production?Matthew Broderick misses by a few degrees the essence of Robert Preston's con man intrigue.
Matthew Broderick can in no way compare his performance to that of Robert Preston.
I'm a huge fan of The Music Man especially the movie starring Robert Preston.
My favorite part about the music man movie was Preston's charisma and I know Broderick can pull that off but he just didn't.