THE MUSIC MAN: First National Tour
Book by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey
Music By Meredith Willson
Directed by Ray Roderick
This was the First National Tour of THE MUSIC MAN. The Broadway production, directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman, was nominated for 8 Tony awards.
“I might have to turn in my union card, but THE MUSIC MAN that opened here last night is infinitely better than the one that premiered on Broadway in 2000. It’s better staged, better sung, better acted and comparably danced…when this version comes marching by, it’s an occasion to stand and salute.”
– Boston Globe, Ed Siegel
“Now here is my love song, not fancy or fine. Lida Rose, oh, won’t you be mine?”
“The ever-popular barbershop quartet is pitch-pipe perfect.”
~The Journal (Albuquerque, NM)
“It must be said that show [the national touring production of THE MUSIC MAN] is first rate. Not only does it sparkle with a youthful and talented cast – whose big voices, distinctive characterizations and splendid dancing are ideally suited to this re-envisioned but unquestionably old-fashioned musical – but its richly layered scenery and sumptuous costumes are top-drawer.”
Chicago Sun-Times, Hedy Weiss
FROM STEPHEN:
I remain in contact with most of the company, many of whom have become my closest friends and colleagues.
We were in rehearsals in New York City on September 11, 2001. I was standing at the corner of Greenwich Street and Battery Place in Lower Manhattan. The second jet flew over my head. I heard it hit the South Tower of the World Trade Center. I can still hear the impact.
This production was hugely controversial in the professional theater community, as it was the first time a show transferred directly from Broadway to a non-union cast. The company was caught in the middle of a union battle, and America was caught in the middle of a terrifying time of violence in our country's history. None of us knew how things would turn out in either situation. The only thing we could do inside the world of the show was to support each other, find the courage to persevere in the face of all these challenges, do the best work we could, and try to deliver to the nation a story of people of different backgrounds coming together to find common ground and love for each other through the power of music and belief in themselves.
The timing seemed to be perfect for this beautiful, uplifting American story.
