Trust me. This was a long time in coming. I think this production with Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster was announced pre-COVID. The last show I saw was "Moulin Rouge" in February 0f 2020. And all I could think about...along with a friend who is equally a fanatic of "The Music Man"...was when we were going to be able to see it.
That came during my NY trip last week. Indeed, this show is really the only one selling out on Broadway which is still mired in audiences wearing masks. But we managed to turn a few screws to get in. When you are focused, any target can be hit.
Of course, I was prepared for the worst. This show opened in February and was greeted harshly by the venerable New York Times theater critic. First of all, he focused on some politically correct changes that needed to be made to some of Meredith Willson's original lyrics. Plus he lambasted the sets which were designed by the same folks who just did the "Hello Dolly" sets.
And, worst of all, he called Hugh Jackman's turn as Professor Harold Hill pedestrian and misguided. This all led to a fairly dire review of what he felt was a mediocre production of the legendary musical.
Truth be told, this guy is now officially full of shit. I am guessing he wanted to pan it and he grasped at flimsy reasons to do so. What's on the stage of the Winter Garden is fine. Almost perfect. Because, the reality is that you would really have to work hard and overtime to screw up "The Music Man." The story and songs and characters are pure serendipity and fool proof.
Yes, there are some minor changes to lyrics and characters to reflect woke viewpoints. But they were so subtle that this Music Man-o-phile missed them.
Like most productions of anything these days, the diversity casting quotas can get a little silly. I mean, there are a few Asian kids running around turn-of-the-century River City. And Zaneeta Shinn, the Mayor's daughter, is dark-skinned while her parents are unmistakably white. In 2022, you have to be prepared to give all these quirks of society a hall pass.
As for the supposedly threadbare sets, they looked very similar to me what they used in the aforementioned "Hello Dolly," so that gripe is a non-starter.
And Mr. Jackman? Okay, nobody can compete with the original Music Man Robert Preston. But Hugh was a tap dancing fool and perfectly fine in the role.
Now my theater friend that night always focuses on the character of Marian the Librarian. She loves the role and almost played it in high school. To her, Shirley Jones is the gold standard. But, in this show, the always welcome Sutton Foster added some nice comedic touches to the character and, while her voice might not be Shirley's, was perfectly delicious in the role.
So I found a clip of "The Music Man" on YouTube from an earlier performance. Does this look like a mediocre production to you?
"The Music Man" remains fine and dandy. Worth the showing of your vax card and dealing with theater ushers holding signs to "Mask Up."
Good things happen to people who wait. And this current Broadway production of "The Music Man" is a damn good thing.
Dinner last night: Leftover orange chicken.
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