Starring Matthew Broderick, Kristin Chenowith, David Aaron Baker, and Victor Garber
Directed by Jeff Bleckner
Music and Lyrics by Meredith Wilson
Happy 4th of July, everyone! We celebrate America's independence with a nostalgic tale of Independence Day a hundred and ten years ago. The ladies wore big picture hats with lots of pastel feathers and tight linen gowns that they hobbled in and men sported derbies and beige plaid suits, and they all went to concerts with patriotic marches and picnics with fancy cakes and fresh-squeezed lemonade. This is the world in which Meredith Wilson set his biggest hit, currently seeing a popular revival on Broadway. I reviewed the original 1962 film in 2019, but Disney did a version for their Wonderful World of Disney TV series as well. Is it worth bringing the the 4th of July picnic, or should it be tarred and feathered? Let's begin on that train with the rapping salesmen and find out...
The Story: Professor Harold Hill (Broderick) swings into River City, Iowa to sell the townspeople on a non-existent boys' band. Mayor Shinn (Garber) is suspicious of him from the beginning. Marian Paroo (Chenowith), the town's librarian, wishes he'd stop following her and isn't a fan of his odd method of teaching the kids how to read music. Hill has the rest of the town eating out of the palm of his hand, though, including all of the kids, Marian's mother (Debra Monk), and the mayor's wife Eulalie (Molly Shannon). When Marian's lisping brother Winthrop (Cameron Monaghan) joins the band, Marian finally sees how much Hill's band has come to mean to her and the townspeople.
The Song and Dance: I saw this when it came out in 2003, and it's a lot better than I remember. The exuberant choreography by Kathleen Marshall deservedly received one of this movie's five Emmy nominations; it's especially delightful in the chorus routines "Marian the Librarian" and "Shipoopi." The pitch-perfect costumes and sets recreating small-town Iowa in the early 20th Century got two more. Chenowith is simply radiant as Marian, just prior to her breakthrough role on Broadway in Wicked, Debra Monk is adorable as her romantic mother, and Garber and Shannon have some of the film's best lines as the Shinns. They even got an especially good teen couple, Cameron Adams as Zaneeta and Clyde Alves (who was in the 2000 Broadway revival) as Tommy.
Favorite Number: "Iowa Stubborn" shows off the sour citizens of River City, who's give you the plaid shirts off their backs...if they can be bothered to give you the time of day. Chenowith's "Good Night, My Someone" is especially sweet, with her soprano caressing the simple melody. Harold explains to his buddy Marcellus (Baker) and the drinkers in the local bar why he prefers "The Sadder-but-Wiser Girl" and even does a cute little dance with a waitress. "Pick-a-Little, Talk-a-Little" is now set in a hat shop as the ladies of the town in their heavily plumed headgear tell the Professor why they don't approve of Marian or the books in the library.
"My White Knight" makes its film debut (it was re-written as "Being In Love" in the '62 film) as Marian wistfully admits to her mother that she's looking for the type of smart, sweet gentleman who only exists in her imagination. "It's You," which was a throwaway number for the Barbershop Quartet in '62, gets a full-out staging here, including a nice duet for Marian and Harold. "Marian the Librarian" and "Shipoopi" make great use of those energetic dances as first Harold tries to get Marian's attention in her place of work, then the town celebrates the 4th of July with everyone dancing along. Even the Shinns get in on "Shipoopi" with their hilariously stiff attempt at a two-step. Chenowith has a lovely "Till There Was You" near the end, under a lovely and romantic gazebo.
Trivia: The Music Man was one of the biggest Broadway hits of 1957, running almost five years and winning Tony Awards for the show and its original Harold and Marian Robert Preston and Barbara Cook. Van Johnson was Harold Hill in the London mounting. It's been seen many times in New York since then, with brief revivals in 1965 and 1980 (the latter featured Dick Van Dyke as Harold Hill and Christian Slater as Winthrop) and a far more popular one in 2000. The revival currently running at the Winter Garden features Hugh Jackman as Hill and Sutton Foster as Marian.
What I Don't Like: Where this one falters is with the central performance. Matthew Broderick is a charming actor, but he lacks the necessary oomph and rough edges Preston and Jackman bring to the role. The driving "Trouble" and exuberant march "76 Trombones" move far too slowly. That said, he does do somewhat better with songs that require more of a soft sell, like "Sadder but Wiser Girl" and "Marian the Librarian." "Rock Island" has the same problem, with too many of the salesmen not able to keep up with the rap. This does look more cinematic than the stage-bound '62 film, but it also looks duller, with earthier colors and dull tones that don't pop the way the Technicolor on the earlier film does.
The Big Finale: While I prefer the '62 version, this one does have a few of its own charms if you're a really big fan of Chenowith or the show in general.
Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming.
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