The Music Man at PTC

I love all of the old classic musicals like The Sound of Music, The King and I, South Pacific, My Fair Lady, Fiddler on the Roof,  Oklahoma, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and, of course, The Music Man.  There is just something so wonderful about all of those those familiar songs and I have such fond memories of watching all of these musicals at my Grandma Anderson's house.  Last night I was able to see PTC's production of The Music Man and I loved everything about it!  What a great way to end the 2014-2015 season.  The cast is perfect!  Harold Hill (George Dvorsky) is as charming as he could possibly be and Marion the Librarian (Lizzie Klemperer) is perfectly uptight and buttoned down.  Mayor Shinn (PTC favorite Max Robinson) is the embodiment of befuddled pomposity while his wife, Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn (Anne Stewart Mark) just about steals the show with her Grecian Urn!  Zaneeta (Jessica Blair), Mayor Shinn's oldest girl, and Tommy Djilas (Garrett Hawe), a boy with reform school written all over him, are amazing dancers.  Ye Gods!  Winthrop (Wally Inkley) is adorable, lisp and all, and I loved Amaryllis (Alyssa Buckner) and her cross hand piano piece.  I knew every single word of every single song and had to stop myself from singing aloud, especially in "Ya Got Trouble," "The Wells Fargo Wagon," and "Gary, Indiana."   The choreography in the big production numbers is so much fun to watch and I especially loved all of the business with the books in "Marion the Librarian" and the baton twirling in "Seventy-Six Trombones."  As usual, the set is superb.  The library (both the interior and exterior) is perfect and the foot bridge is lovely with all of the flowers and the twinkling stars through the trees!  I, along with just about everyone in the audience, had a grin from ear to ear throughout the whole performance and I suspect you will love it, too.  The Music Man runs through May 16 (go here for tickets).

Note:  I think I laughed out loud every single time Mayor Shinn said, "You watch your phraseology!"  I don't know why that is so funny to me but it always has been!  I'll probably be saying it to my students for days!