The Music Man

(1957) Music, Lyrics and Book by Meredith Willson Story by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey That a homespun show about the shenanigans of a music peddler in a small Midwest city beat out West Side Story for the 1958 Tony Award for Best Musical speaks volumes. Meredith Willson drew on memories of his childhood days in Iowa and fashioned the music, lyrics, and book for a seemingly timeless story that continues to capture the hearts of young and old. Con man “Professor” Harold Hill mesmerizes the residents of River City by selling them musical instruments and uniforms with the promise to form a boys’ band and teach them to play using his “think system.” The execution of his plan is sidetracked a bit when he falls hard for the local librarian, Marian, and comes under the watchful eye of the mayor, who orders the school board to check out his credentials. Bring the kids and grandkids to this true American classic and enjoy such tunes as “Ya Got Trouble,” “Goodnight, My Someone,” “Seventy Six Trombones,” “Marian the Librarian,” “Wells Fargo Wagon,” “Gary, Indiana,” and “Till There Was You.”