By Carol Davis
CORONADO, California — The very first time I heard the sound track from the original album of Meredith Willson’s The Music Man was back in the good old days before surround sound, digital sound, discs, iPods, iPads, 3 D, and color TV (kinda /sorta). It was all on vinyl. A friend of ours had just returned from the Korean War, still in uniform, and invited us to listen to his latest find. From then on, “76 Trombones” has been locked in my memory bank; I was 20 and home from college visiting family.
Fast forward to 2002 and sitting in the Neil Simon Theatre in New York where I happened to catch the new and dynamic staging of The Music Man. In between and since there have been many others, but not for a while so it came as a surprise (and not a disappointing one) that Lamb’s Players Theatre would be mounting this big (a cast of 32 in all) musical in celebration of its 40th birthday. Now that’s the way I like to celebrate!
If the opening night production of Lamb’s production of The Music Man is any indication of what’s to follow in the rest of its season, be prepared for a continued rousing birthday party. When I caught director Deborah Gilmour Smith’s eye during intermission she had a smile on her face from ear to ear and here’s why: everyone else had the same smile.
Willson’s 1957 The Music Man is set in 1911, River City, Iowa where known con man ‘Professor’ Harold Hill (Rick Meads), along with other traveling salesmen are making their way through ‘the territories’ to peddle their wares on the Rock Island R.R. Hill makes a quick exit off the Rock Island RR (“Rock Island”) when he learns that he is a wanted scammer from the others on the train.
He lands in River City, Iowa where, after he scouts out the territory, decides it’s ripe for him to ‘sell’ the good folks of River City his band and uniform scam after learning that Mayor Shinn (a bigger than life John Rosen) is bringing a new pool table into the local billiard hall (“Ya Got Trouble”/”Seventy Six Trombones”) and local librarian, Marian Paroo (Sandy Campbell) is ready for pluckin’. (“Goodnight My Someone”)
And so, one after one we meet and catch up with the good citizens of River City as does Hill after he convinces them that a pool table can bring nothing but trouble to the city and an investment in band instruments and uniforms will keep the children out of the pool hall and trouble.
Willson’s idea for the musical (book, music and lyrics) is based on a story by Willson (who hailed from Mason City, Iowa) and Franklin Lacey about a con man and the local librarian with a plot that thickens and meanders throughout River City as Hill helps out the locals including Marian’s shy, lisping brother Winthrop (Lane Palhegyi), ingratiates himself to Mrs. Paroo (Rhona Gold), Marian’s mother, creates a men’s harmonizing group (“Lida Rose”) made up of four of the most argumentative leading citizens, (Kürt Norby, Geno Carr, John Polhamus and Lance Arthur Smith), organizes the nosy women and mothers of the town’s young boys, including the daffy Eulalie Mackecknnie Shinn (Kerry Meads) the mayor’s wife, to perform at an Independence Day Pageant (“Shipoopi”) all the while managing to conveniently disappear when the local gentry tries to nail down his credentials.
Willson’s music and his uncanny insight into small town mentality and tradition (while poking fun at the hypocrisy of it all) and translating it into one of the most upscale and popular musical comedies of the times, reinforces the notion that if you give audiences a clever, funny and somewhat probable story, an abundance of music they can hum on the way out of the theatre, a couple of youngsters and family friendly language with a happy ending, they will follow you anywhere. The show won five Tony Awards including Best Musical. It played over 1300 performances on Broadway, was made into a film adaptation in 1962 and has gone through several revivals including the one I saw in N.Y. in 2002.
Smyth cast the show with a talented group of performers who can sing, dance, act and who happen to have just the right savoir faire to connect with the audience while doing their respective jobs of acting; some very over the top, some very silly and some very serious, yet all excelling in what they do. The talent in her pool runs very deep and while the show has so much going on, there isn’t a lag in energy in any corner of the stage, isles or in mingling with the audience.
Rick D. Meads has performed with Lamb’s in over thirty shows from noir mysteries to musicals. His strengths are many as seen in this production, especially his charming way as Harold Hill, with the townsfolk of River City. If he’s not singing or dancing, he’s rescuing one of the wayward kids or bolstering the ego of young Winthrop (“Gary, Indiana”) or wooing Marion. Meads is not he most powerful Hill I’ve seen, but manages to pull off the character with style. Sandy Campbell, the object of his affection, is simply wonderful as Marion ‘The Librarian’. Her voice is rich, beautiful and mature with operatic leanings. Her “Till There Was You” is a scene-stealer.
John Rosen and Kerry Meads provide most of the laughs especially with his mutilation of the English language and her exaggerated movements to attract attention. Rhona Gold is perfect as Marion’s mother and Lane Palhegyi is adorable as Winthrop. Young Alexis Rae Tenney (she’s 9 and looks 6), one of the many youngsters in the ensemble is as cute as a button with more energy to spare than most have to give. Bryan Barbarian as Marcellus Washburn, a reformed con man himself and one of Hill’s former pals is another one with boundless amounts of energy in both the singing and dancing department.
Jeanne Reith has outdone herself once again with her colorful period costume designs and Mike Buckley’s two tiered minimalist set works just fine on the small Coronado stage. Musical director G. Scott Lacy’s small yet point on group of musicians manage to bring out a big sound when needed and choreographer Colleen Kollar Smith’s dance numbers are spot on jubilant, especially with such a diversified cast. The stage never appears crowded when a dance number is in play, and there is dancing just about most of the time. Nathan Peirson’s finely tuned lighting design and Patrick Duffy’s sound design round out the technical parts that keep this production moving like a well oiled machine.
The Music Man might be an oldie, but is certainly a goodie and more than worth the trip over the bridge. I give it two thumbs up, one for the overall production one for the music.
Enjoy.
See you at the theatre.
Dates: through July 24th
Organization: Lamb’s Players Theatre
Phone: 619-437-6000
Production Type: Musical Comedy
Where: 1142 Orange Avenue, Coronado, CA 92118
Ticket Prices: $28.00-$62.00
Web: lambsplayers.org
*
Davis is a San Diego based theatre critic. She may be contacted at carol.davis@sdjewishworld.com