Marriott's 'Music Man' right for these times
As autumn turns to winter, Marriott Theatre embraces summer with a zestful revival of “The Music Man,” Meredith Willson's sunny, 1957 Broadway tuner about a garrulous traveling salesman trying to bamboozle the residents of a sleepy Iowa town.
While it boasts a jolly score, verbal wit and a whole lotta homespun charm, “The Music Man” hasn't always received the credit it deserves. Marriott rectifies that by placing it in the hands of the masterful Gary Griffin. An actors' director, Griffin understands that flashy production numbers alone don't make great shows. Scenes matter. Griffin infuses his with an authenticity often absent in lighter fare like “The Music Man.”
Together with choreographer Matt Raftery, music director David Kreppel and a robust ensemble led by the ideally cast, naturally magnetic Bernie Yvon as Harold Hill, Griffin transforms this underrated show into first-tier entertainment, refreshingly free of cloying sentimentality.
The freshness and vitality of Marriott's production is evident in the crackling, consummately performed opening number “Rock Island,” an a cappella ode to traveling sales that emerges as a kind of steam engine vocalese. That's only the first of the many delights this winning show supplies. Its vigor extends to the rollicking “Ya Got Trouble,” where Yvon's Hill mesmerizes the townfolk like a circuit preacher at a tent revival, and to the marvelous “Marian the Librarian,” which unspools as a dreamy ballet, featuring Raftery's enchanting choreography. It's also apparent in quieter moments like “The Sadder But Wiser Girl,” a delightful duet underscored by effortless grace between Yvon and the engaging Andy Lupp's Marcellus, a former Hill colleague who's gone legit.
Much of the credit for Marriott's wining production rests with Yvon who was seemingly born to play the fast-talking Harold Hill who peddles instruments and band uniforms instead of snake oil and the “sadder but wiser” librarian, Marian, perceptively played and eloquently sung by the luminous Johanna McKenzie Miller.
Heading up the veteran supporting cast is merry Mary Ernster as Marian's meddling mother; John Reeger, comically gruff as the mayor who routinely fractures his speech; and the terrific Iris Lieberman, the mayor's arts aficionado wife, who nearly steals “Wells Fargo Wagon” with her brief but memorable solo.
Also earning kudos are Roger Anderson, Elic Bramlett, Paul Pement and Jarrod Zimmerman the embattled school board members turned barbershop quartet whose pristine harmonies send shivers of delight down the spine.
Ultimately there's a message to this brassy, high-stepping show which makes a compelling argument against complacent cynicism, self-interest and narrow-mindedness.
Everyone softens, just a little. Faith, optimism and human decency prevail. A shyster reforms, a lonely woman finds love and community, a youngster unlocks his voice, bickering politicos find common ground and a town reveals its soul.
And what inspires this transformation? The man? Yes. But mostly it's the music and its power to unite, inspire and heal.
<p><b>“The Music Man”</b></p>
<p>Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ </p>
<p>Location: Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire. (847) 634-0200 or marriotttheatre.com</p>
<p>Showtimes: 1 and 8 p.m. Wednesday; 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 4:30 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday through Jan. 9</p>
<p>Running time: Two hours, 30 minutes with intermission</p>
<p>Tickets: $40-$48; discounts for seniors and students at select performances; dinner-theater packages extra</p>
<p>Parking: Free lot adjacent to theater, valet parking $5</p>
<p>Rating: For all ages</p>