Blasting Meredith Willson to the forefront of American musical
theatre, The Music Man was a project that had been many
years in the making. The idea for the show was originally suggested
by Frank Loesser who was fascinated by Willson's tales of growing
up in his small Iowa town. But it would be eight years before
Willson was satisfied with the script. During that time, he would
go through more than 30 revisions and write over 40 different
songs.
The plot revolves around "Professor" Harold Hill,
a con-man who--in order to sell band instruments--convinces the
citizens of River City, Iowa that he can teach their children
to play in a magnificent marching band. But Hill doesn't count
on falling in love with the town librarian, and instead of skipping
town before the instruments arrive, he is convinced to stay.
The Music Man opened at the Majestic Theatre on December
19, 1957 with Robert Preston playing the role of Harold Hill
and Barbara Cook as Marian Paroo, the town librarian. The show
ran for 1,375 performances. Preston reprised his role in the
1962 film version.
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