Review: THE MUSIC MAN at Van Wezel

From the very first moment the lights went down, this production of Meredith Willson's beloved classic made it clear it was going to be something special. The opening scene set the tone immediately — the ensemble cast moved in perfect synchrony, their bodies swaying and jolting in unison to conjure the rhythmic clatter of a train in motion, no props required. It was one of those rare theatrical moments where you lean forward in your seat and think: yes, this is going to be a good night.

And what a night it was. The show never lost that momentum. Scene after scene, number after number, the cast delivered with the kind of precision and energy that only comes from a company that genuinely loves what they're doing. Willson's score — stuffed with earworms like "Ya Got Trouble," "Seventy-Six Trombones," and "Till There Was You" — was given every bit of juice it deserves, and the choreography matched it step for step.

Special mention has to go to the dance corps, who were frankly a revelation. Their technical skill was something to behold — extensions that drew audible gasps — but what really set them apart was their sheer, infectious enthusiasm. Every single dancer looked like they were having the time of their life, and that energy radiated straight into the audience. In a show that lives or dies on collective joy, they were its beating heart.

The costumes by Coordinator RobinL McGee deserve a standing ovation all of their own. The entire cast was beautifully turned out, but the ladies of River City truly shone in their Grecian Urn tableau — draped and posed to perfection, the costume design elevating what could have been a throwaway comic moment into something genuinely elegant. It's the kind of detail that shows a production team sweating the small stuff, and the audience notices.

The performances across the board were tight and committed. There's something joyful about watching a cast fully inhabit a world this warm and specific — the gossipy ladies of River City, the pompous mayor, the squabbling school board who can't help but harmonize. Each felt like a real character rather than a stock type, which is harder to pull off in a feel-good musical than people give credit for.

Among the standout individual performances, the young actor playing Winthrop - Dylan Patterson  more than proved his mettle. Winthrop is a deceptively demanding role — a shy, lisping boy who has to crack open the audience's heart in a single number — and this performer was absolutely up to the task. His rendition of "Gary, Indiana" was a genuine showstopper, delivered with a charm and confidence that belied his years. The audience was putty in his hands.

The heart of the show, of course, belongs to the push and pull between Harold Hill played by Elliot Andrews and Marian the Librarian, played by Elizabeth D’ Aiuto and this production handled their slow-burn romance with real care. You believed in both of them. Harold's roguish charm and endearing physicality brought to mind Dick Van Dyke. With D ‘Aiuto's performance Marian's stubborn, quietly aching resistance to it is accompanied by soaring vocals  that had the house applauding appreciatively.When they finally meet in the middle, it lands the way it's supposed to: not as a foregone conclusion, but as something genuinely earned.

One more mention must be made of the Barbershop quartet. With the first notes of Lida Rose one anticipates a quartet taking over. And this one really delivered.

And then there was the ending. Just when you thought the show had given you everything it had, a jazzy trombone solo brought the curtain back up for a full cast number that sent the audience out on an absolute high with everyone at the Van Wezel clapping in time spontaneously.  It was the kind of coda that makes you wish the evening wasn't over — the theatrical equivalent of one last, perfectly placed joke that gets the biggest laugh of the night. This production didn't just do justice to a classic; It reminds you exactly why it became one.