The Music Man

Musical

Writers: Franklin Lacey Meredith Willson

Overview

Show Information

Category
Musical
Number of Acts
2
Tony Award®
Best Musical 1957
First Produced
1957
Genres
Romance
Settings
Multiple Settings
Time & Place
1912, rivery city, iowa
Cast Size
large
Orchestra Size
Large
Dancing
Heavy
Ideal for
College/University, Community Theatre, High School, Large Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Religious Groups, Star Vehicle Female, Star Vehicle Male
Casting Notes
Mostly male cast
Includes adult, young adult, mature adult, child, late teen, early teen characters

Synopsis

There’s trouble in River City! When smooth-talking con man Harold Hill arrives in a small, tight-knit town in Iowa, he expects to dupe its residents with his elaborate moneymaking scheme: Despite his complete lack of musical literacy, he will convince everyone that he is a brilliant bandleader and recruit all the boys in town to form a band, pocketing the cash for instruments and uniforms. The problem? Some of the town members, especially the stern librarian, Marian Paroo, don’t quite buy Harold’s story. As Harold struggles to keep his scheme afloat, he also finds himself increasingly attached to the townspeople, who have all experienced a positive change since Harold came to town. Complicating matters even more, Harold is also falling head-over-heels for the beautiful Marian. As All-American as apple pie and as charming as can be, The Music Man is a crowd-pleasing show with a great number and range of roles that is well-suited to professional, community, and school productions alike.

Lead Characters


The Music Man guide sections