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What started in a dead beat gloomy town in Iowa, ended with smiling faces and a community with purpose. The NS interpretation of the musical “The Music Man” by Meridith Willson took the audience on a journey that challenged morals with a likeable con artist, won hearts with a sweetheart librarian, and lit up the auditorium in a way never seen before.
Taking place Nov. 22-26 after a two-night delay because of cast sickness, junior Ethan Mendicino starred as Professor Harold Hill, a scam artist who bounces from town to town, selling instruments to citizens and promising to help form a band. However Harold Hill has no intentions to start a band in any town, nor does he know a thing about music. He tricks the people into spending money, and then he leaves.
The opening scene of this show is on a train, where multiple characters are speaking of Hill and the things he does. This scene was a captivating beginning, using realistic salesman accents and catchy footwork that sounded like the chugging of a train.
The train gets to Riverton, Iowa, where the townspeople are met. One of my favorite parts of the show was the smaller characters who really sold the small town feel. Some of these characters included the mayor, played by junior Vernon Barsic, and his wife, played by senior Mallory Hinckley, whose comedic relief combined with naivety helped make Harold Hill temporarily get away with his scam. Other fun characters were Zaneeta (mayor’s daughter), played by junior Lin Anderson and Tommy, played by freshman Aidan Lewis, who pulled off an innocent forbidden teenage romance.
There were so many phenomenal moments with the ensemble, and these started right from the start. One of the biggest standouts throughout the performance was the complex dance numbers. It was obvious that hours of work had been applied to each and every single scene with a dance. It wasn’t just five or six people dancing, but large numbers of people at a time. All of them synchronized because of the large ensemble. It was so mesmerizing to watch.
One of the first fun dances is in “Seventy-six Trombones,” where the town really begins to dream about what a band would be like. This is also where we start to see more of who Harold Hill is as a character. In almost every scene, Hill has a wide smile and smooth talks in a way that even convinces the audience of his scam when they know he is lying.
One person who saw directly through Hill’s genuine persona immediately is strict librarian Marian, who was played by junior Emma Wallace. Marian had no previous interest in romance, which was frowned upon by her mother, played by Jules Wilson. Winthrop, Marian’s younger brother, was played by sophomore Melo Chambers and senior Zander White. The family had lost their father, causing Winthrop to be consistently sad until Hill’s arrival.
Marian and her entire family were crucial characters. Marian’s first song “Goodnight, My Someone” lets her guard down and shows her vulnerability and how really she does like the idea of love but has never found anyone. This song was a stunning showcase for Wallace’s voice.
Being a music teacher as well as a librarian, Marian almost instantly knows Harold is lying. She has access to documents in her library, and is smarter than most of the other town people. But Harold, with all his charm, attempts to win her over because her knowledge in music would give him credibility.
His pursuits are endless, and the first scene where he becomes truly clingy is in Marian’s Library, with the song “Marian the Librarian”. This scene was my overall favorite. The choreography was outstanding, and Mendicinos voice sounded smooth even throughout the long length of the song. The set for Marian’s library was the first one that made my jaw drop in awe. There were intricate bookcases painted, as well as a variety of real books that were used for props. It was immersive into a library setting, with Marian’s constant shhs. This scene set the course for Marian beginning to like Hill, despite her outward denial to his constant wooing.
Another major reason Marian takes a liking for Hill is because of what he does for her brother. Hill tells Winthrop of all his potential, takes him fishing, and puts a smile on his face for the first time in months. This isn’t just with Winthrop though, as Hill turns arguing school board members into a harmonious quartet. His constant attention to details begins bringing the town to life and building connections.
Marian and Harolds connection becomes more and more real as time progresses, and Marian doesn’t want to believe he is scamming the town. A bump in with a different salesman confirms Harold’s deceit, but Marian continues to try to see the good in him. After confessing their love to each other in the charming song “Till There Was You” Marian reveals she knows what he has done, and Hill is amazed at how his own tricks were used against him.
Tension is growing in the town, as people are wondering when the promises of a band are finally going to see the light of day. Hill knows it is his time to escape. His friend Marcellus, played by junior Beau Johnson, is rushing him, after performing multiple songs with Hill including an audience favorite “Shipoopi.”
It isn’t as easy to leave behind Riverton as his other scams though because he had grown connected with the town, more specifically to Marian and her family.
The salesman who ran into Marian finally caught Harold Hill after years of trying to, and he told Riverton that they had been lied to and manipulated. The mayor is infuriated, but after Marian pleading for them to see the good he has done, he says if anyone did not want to see Hill tarred and feathered they would have to step up. Marian’s mom steps up first, and eventually the whole town does.
They forgive Harold and decide that the joy he has brought into their town through his kindness and inspiration was enough to make up for the things he did wrong. He commits to becoming better, and they start rehearsing to make something out of their instruments that arrived. This musical was a perfect example of how a simple dream can enlighten humans, and change an entire group of peoples morale for the better.
The NS drama cast did a wonderful job at bringing this show to life, in a way that will be remembered fondly and hard to forget.
