Back from the wilds of Hartford and the lovely Bushnell Center. THE MUSIC MAN was wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, a beautiful production of a nearly flawless musical. Much as I love Rebecca Luker, this production, which was staged in 8 days, left Strohman's revival in the dust. The entire show was performed, including the entire score and all crossovers and all dialogue. The dances were all there, perhaps more polished with more rehearsal time, but all smartly staged and wittily performed. I love the "Marian the Librarian" Dance, which is like a whiff of libido wafting through Victorian halls. Harold Hill is the great god Pan stirring up trouble among the upright uptight citizens and bringing on the vapors.
Seeing the show agan, I'm reminded how apropos the title is: "sing 'ice cream.'" "Iiiiiiice creeeeeeeam." The show's not just about a con man using musical instruments but about the music we often pass up daily in our lives and how that music can heal, repair, laugh and dance through our day. The cast was quite wonderful, Jason Graae, the fierce Mary Stout, a wonderful Mayor Shinn and Charlie Cowell played by David Coffee and Bob Freschi, an adorable Winthrop and Amaryllis, every youthful and beautful Shirley Jones, brogue and all, and Patrick Cassidy as a smooth Harold Hill who reminded me a bit of his father Jack.
Lisa Vroman was wonderful as Marian but I think I prefer my beloved Ms Luker, who can do no wrong. The school board barbershop quartet was wonderful and, after their a cappella refrain, when they and the orchestra landed on the same key for Marian's part of "Lida Rose" I wanted to dance in the aisle and weep at how wonderful it was. It was great to hear the whole score played by a wonderful orchestra.
As a bonus, I got to spend a day with the wonderful FJL, see several friends I hadn't seen in some time: I hadn't seen Ric Ryder since he played Tom the Piper's Son in BABES IN TOYLAND at the Houston Grand Opera in 1991 or Buddy Crutchfield since he recorded "Italy In Technicolor" for LOST IN BOSTON 2. Mary Stout had dinner with DR FJL and me, and I got to see Jason briefly, as well as Patrick and Miss Jones, who signed my CDs of BRIGADOON and her duets with Jack Cassidy.
Nursie Jane, I already communicated about meeting Marc Acito before the reading. He thought he'd be tied up with family and friends.