BWW Reviews: THE MUSIC MAN at TUTS, Marches Into Our Hearts!

In our microwave society, musical theatre is plagued with superficial adoration. The contemporary musical has become king and the classics are locked away. In a day and age with Glee and the ever so popular singing reality shows, we have lost respect for the classics. I was very excited to see Houston's Theatre Under the Stars production of Meredith Wilson's THE MUSIC MAN. Through the years, I've heard plenty of disdain for this show, but there is nothing like a simple melody and timeless story. THE MUSIC MAN might be a period piece, but this exquisite musical is rooted in blood memories that are as comforting as Big Mama's apple pie.

Musician/composer Robert Meredith Wilson was born in Mason City, Iowa where he attended Frank Damrosch's Institute of Musical Art and later the Juilliard School in New York City. Wilson was inspired by his childhood and wrote his first musical using the memories and the landscape of Mason City. Wilson's THE MUSIC MAN opened on Broadway on December 19, 1957, directed by Morton DaCosta and starring Robert Preston and Barbara Cook. THE MUSIC MAN was also made into two films in 1962 and 2003 and revived on Broadway where it was directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman, starring Craig Bierko and Rebecca Luker. There's no denying the popularity of this great piece of American Musical Theatre and its story. The fast-talking Harold Hill swindles a small town by selling the townspeople and the children a pipedream of starting a band. Then Hill stumbles upon the love of his life, causing him to rethink his conman tendencies and follow something he's never experienced: true love.

I adore the many genres of musical theatre, from the edgy to the experimental performance experiences, but I am a musical theatre purist. There's nothing like a great overture and this opening is by far one of the best on the boards. As soon as the conductor cued the whistle I was all in and ready to march into musical theatre bliss. I've seen many different productions from the Broadway Revival to high school productions and the set design for this production was perfect. Martin Christoffel's minimalist aesthetic was spot on; all of the right touches in the right places. From the Tiffany Lamp on the piano in the Paroo house to the Art Nouveau-inspired trees. I was pleased with his attention to detail. Colleen Grady's costume design was astute and represented the period perfectly. A bright array of colors filled the stage and I went head over heels for the brilliantly sculpted chapeaus.

Now to the performances! The opening number in THE MUSIC MAN "Rock Island" is the first rap song in musical theatre and this was brilliantly performed with a twist on the 2014 Tony Awards by Hip-Hop artists T.I. and L.L. Cool J. In this production "Rock Island" was nailed by the male ensemble. Mimicking the sounds of the train, this patter song can be difficult because there is no instrumentation from the orchestra to keep time, only the ham-bone-esque choreography and the rhythmic pattern of the song. The only thing missing in this number was the physicality to emulate the motion of the train throughout the number. While watching J. Anthony Crane's performance as Harold Hill I had to detach myself from Robert Preston and Craig Bierko's performances. Even while allowing for artistic interpretation, his subdued take on the character came off as somewhat lackadaisical and lackluster. However, his commitment to realism was evident and worked in some of the scenes. The romantic moments with Harold Hill (J. Anthony Crane) and Marian Paroo (Sara Jean Ford) were beautiful and authentic. From the gentle touch of her hand to her restrained reactions, the chemistry between these two actors was perfect. Dylan Goodwin's portrayal of Marcellus Washburn was a theatrical delight. I was reminded of Danny Kaye and Don Knotts. His comedic timing was spot on and his vocal nuance took me back to the days of the old Broadway sound. I was mesmerized by the contemplative resilience of Sara Jean Ford's acting and vocal delivery. Even though I was distracted by the "jaw vibrato," this performance of Marian Paroo was beautiful. Peter Chursin's portrayal of the bad boy turned gentleman Tommy Djilas was eye-catching. This performer is definitely at home on the stage. From his great acting to his beautiful dance technique, this triple threat was the highlight of the production numbers. As a theatre goer and theatre artist, I have a heart for the chorus and this chorus was on point. The ensemble numbers were packed with energy and the overall sound was magnificent.

The choreography was executed with ease and pinpointed perfection. The multi-faceted score ignites choreographic creativity; from Scottish Highland dance, marching band moves and the fast-paced "Shipoopi.' The Susan Stroman-inspired choreography in "76 Trombones" was executed nicely and Michelle Gaudette approached this movement wonderfully. During the "Marian the Librarian" number, I was reminded of Agnes de Mille and how she used the choreography to propel the story.

Some think this show is outdated, but I ask that you give THE MUSIC MAN a chance, especially the splendiferous TUTS production. I didn't want to challenge the establishment, or stage a protest, but I did enjoy this theatrical piece of Americana. There are great songs and a love story that will make you whimper. If you are looking for a toe-tapping nostalgic piece of musical theatre then you must make time to see Meredith Wilson's THEMUSIC MAN at TUTS! This show is terrific with a capital T!

THE MUSIC MAN runs now until May 17th at The Hobby Center. For more information, please visit www.tuts.com.

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