After being delayed two years by the pandemic and having each its stars briefly sidelined by COVID, essentially the most anticipated Broadway manufacturing of the season lastly opens.
For a lot of theatergoers, this evaluate will merely appear superfluous after the above headline. Two of Broadway’s most beloved stars showing in a terrific American musical comedy to alleviate us of our COVID doldrums. The revival of The Music Man was deliberate lengthy earlier than the pandemic, however its years-delayed arrival solely serves to make it appear extra important for a badly battered Broadway sorely in want of spirit-lifting. The manufacturing appears not a lot a theatrical enterprise as a public service, should you redefine public service to imply having to pay a whole lot of dollars for a seat.
Is it price it? Apparently so, for the many individuals who've fortunately contributed to an advance sale of — should you can imagine Self-importance Truthful — some $50 million.
In a manner, essentially the most inventive aspect of this revival initially produced by Scott Rudin (who needed to withdraw after he primarily bought canceled) is the deal that made it occur. Recreating the components of his mega-successful revival of Hiya, Dolly! starring Bette Midler, Rudin cannily solid the supremely bankable Hugh Jackman in a job seemingly tailored for him: the endearing con man Harold Hill, who manages to win over a complete Iowa city by means of sheer drive of will and charisma. Add the lovely, multi-talented Sutton Foster as prim librarian Marian to the combo, and…ka-ching!
Not that the manufacturing ever appears to coast on its pedigree. Reuniting after Dolly are director Jerry Zaks, choreographer Warren Carlyle and scenic and costume designer Santo Loquasto, who've completed their damnedest to recreate classic Broadway model. The present options an enormous ensemble, who break into elaborate manufacturing numbers with the regularity of buses leaving Port Authority. And although the units, that includes a big crimson wooden wall and lots of painted backdrops, aren’t significantly lavish, they completely evoke the spirit of the summer season inventory theaters wherein many individuals had been in all probability uncovered to The Music Man within the first place.
In contrast to, say, the daringly iconoclastic revival of Oklahoma! that performed Broadway a couple of years again, this manufacturing of Meredith Willson’s basic musical proudly revels in its old-fashionedness. Why mess with one thing that isn’t damaged, it appears to be asking, particularly since we’ve bought our stars as our ace within the gap. From his first shock entrance (a minimum of to those that have by no means seen the musical earlier than) to his showstopping numbers “Ya Acquired Hassle” and “Seventy-Six Trombones” to his climactic second, when he stares immediately on the viewers with a smile that appears to include extra gleaming tooth than there are stars in heaven, Jackman has the viewers within the palm of his hand. And when Sutton lastly will get to shed her character’s decorousness and let unfastened her great dancing chops, there’s positively no extra bother in River Metropolis.
By technical requirements, Jackman is neither a terrific singer nor a very completed dancer. However he manages to beat these minor inconveniences by means of sheer drive of will and clearly evident exhausting work. In contrast to Robert Preston, who originated the function within the 1957 Broadway manufacturing and triumphantly recreated it within the 1962 movie model, he by no means appears very larcenous. He’s so rattling charming and good-looking that Marian’s falling for him appears predestined. If his Harold Hill made his gross sales pitch on to the viewers, half of us would undoubtedly pony up for musical devices as properly.
Foster’s identify is listed under the title in this system however in letters simply as massive as Jackman’s, and he or she deserves the font. Her voice doesn’t have the crystalline fantastic thing about such predecessors as Barbara Cook dinner and Shirley Jones, and lots of the songs aren’t actually suited to her. However what does it matter, when she will make an viewers love her with merely a winsome smile? She additionally shows a fierce comedian edge that makes her an ideal foil for her co-star. When her Marian lastly succumbs to Hill’s charms, it appears much less like he seduced her than the opposite manner round.
The manufacturing incorporates a bounty of riches within the solid, with lots of the supporting gamers seeming virtually too certified for his or her roles. There are a minimum of 4 Tony Award winners amongst them, together with Jefferson Mays and Jayne Houdyshell because the suspicious mayor and his spouse, Shuler Hensley as Hill’s confederate and Marie Mullen as Marian’s mom. The pleasure every of them appears to be taking in doing their broad comedian shtick proves infectious. Tyke actor Benjamin Pajak is pleasant as Marian’s socially withdrawn little brother, as are the massive variety of different kids within the solid, who sing and dance as in the event that they’ve been treading the boards for many years.
Talking of dance, there’s a lot of it within the present that it would as properly be retitled The Dance Man. Lots of the songs have been expanded with prolonged dance sequences that threaten to show the night into the theatrical equal of cotton sweet. Carlyle’s choreography is normally extra vigorous than memorable, with one notable exception being his splendidly creative “Marian the Librarian” quantity that makes marvelous use of prop books. In the course of the curtain name, Jackman and Sutton carry out an lively faucet dance quantity — for no specific purpose, apart from that the viewers will eat it up.
Not that there’s something fallacious with that. There’s nothing revelatory about this Music Man, and that’s in all probability simply as properly. In its decided effort to evoke the musical comedy Broadway of yore and make us really feel joyful merely to be in a theater once more, the present sarcastically feels urgently well timed.
Venue: Winter Backyard, New York Metropolis
Solid: Hugh Jackman, Sutton Foster, Shuler Hensley, Jefferson Mays, Jayne Houdyshell, Marie Mullen, Remy Auberjonois, Gino Cosculluela, Emma Crow, Benjamin Pajak, Kayla Teruel, Garrett Lengthy, Linda Mugleston, Jessica Sheridan, Rema Webb, Phillip Boykin, Eddie Korbich, Daniel Torres, Nicholas Ward, Lance Roberts, Max Clayton
E book-music-lyrics: Meredith Willson
Story: Meredith Willson, Franklin, Lacey
Director: Jerry Zaks
Choreographer: Warren Carlyle
Orchestrations: Jonathan Tunick
Scenic & costume designer: Santo Loquasto
Lighting designer: Brian MacDevitt
Sound designer: Scott Lehrer
Offered by Barry Diller, David Geffen, Kate Horton, Fictionhouse