2011 - Meredith Willson's The Music Man
macrobert, Stirling - 29 Mar-02 Apr, 2011
An affectionate paean to Smalltown, U.S.A. of a bygone era, Meredith Willson’s “The Music Man” follows fast-talking traveling salesman Harold Hill as he cons the people of River City, Iowa into buying instruments and uniforms for a boys’ band he vows to organize – this despite the fact he doesn’t know a trombone from a treble clef. His plans to skip town with the cash are foiled when he falls for Marian the librarian, who transforms him into a respectable citizen by curtain’s fall.
This award-winning, critically acclaimed Broadway classic is an all-American institution, thanks to its quirky characters, charmingly predictable dramatic situations, and one-of-a-kind, nostalgic score of rousing marches, barbershop quartets and sentimental ballads which have become popular standards.
Cast
Main Characters
| Professor Harold Hill | - | a con man and travelling salesman who tries Iowa after saturating Illinois; falls for Marian |
| Marian Paroo | - | the town librarian and part-time piano teacher; eventually falls for Harold Hill |
| Marcellus Washburn | - | Harold's old friend, no longer a con man, who now lives in River City |
| Mayor George Shinn | - | a pompous local politician; never falls for Hill's con |
| Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn | - | the mayor's wife |
| Mrs. Paroo | - | Marian's Irish mother |
| Winthrop Paroo | - | Marian's shy, lisping brother; rarely speaks before Hill arrives in town |
Secondary Characters
| The School board (Barbershop Quartet) | - | four bickering businessmen united by Harold (Olin Britt, Oliver Hix, Ewart Dunlop and Jacey Squires) |
| Pickalittle Ladies | - | Eulalie's four gossipy friends, Alma Hix, Mrs. Squires, Ethel Toffelmier and Maud Dunlop |
| Charlie Cowell | - | an anvil salesman who tries to expose Prof. Harold Hill as a con man |
| Tommy Djilas | - | a young man "from the wrong side of town" who is secretly seeing Zaneeta Shinn; Harold encourages their relationship and makes him assistant band leader |
| Zaneeta Shinn | - | the mayor's oldest daughter; secretly seeing Tommy Djilas |
| Constable Locke | - | the town sheriff |
| Amaryllis | - | Marian's young piano student |
| Gracie Shinn | - | the mayor's youngest daughter |
