Professor Harold Hill...

[fajrdrako]

I saw one of my favourite musicals today: The Music Man. I've always thought of it as unique among musicals: the only thing Meredith Wilson ever wrote (as far as I know), and so perfect a creation. One of my favourite themes: the tale in which a lie becomes a truth, a con man finds himself, and deception becomes romance.

And this production was beautiful. Perfect. Jonathan Goad and Leah Oster were exactly as they should be, and Christopher Van Hagen made a delightful Winthrop Paroo.

In the afternoon we saw The Taming of the Shrew - which was a mixed success: some of its more intriguing tricks just didn't work and the results were slightly confusing - at least, confusing to me. It was not quit funny enough, not quite dramatic enough - but I did like Evan Buliung as a sympathetic, sexy Petrucchio. I was less sure what to make of Kate. This play needs a viewpoint: it's a play with things to say about the battle of the sexes, and this time, I wasn't sure what the point was supposed to be.

Note to self: reviews for future reference here.

Comments

[jwaneeta.livejournal.com]

I believe Meredith Wilson also wrote The Unsinkable Molly Brown, which did okay and became a movie starring Debbie Reynolds. He didn't have any hits after that, though.

I learned all the lyrics of The Music Man as a kid. I just adored it. :)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

He didn't have any hits after that, though.

Yes, but that's two more than most of us have! It said in the program that he worked for eight years on The Music Man and I think that shows - it's so polished and everything in it is precisely as it ought to be. If he was more prolific (or had more hits) I bet he wouldn't have worked on them as carefully or as long.

I learned all the lyrics of The Music Man as a kid.

I did too. What I remember or notice most now is the jokes or words I didn't recognize as a kid - I had no idea what some of those words meant, but learned, year by year. I remember asking my mother who Balzac and Rabelais were. Her answer: "They're French authors, and their books aren't much worse than things you read!"

Imagine my excitement when, at the British Museum a few years ago, I stumbled on a double-bell euphonium! What a strange beast.

[jwaneeta.livejournal.com]

Ha! Well, I didn't know what a double bell euphonium was until you pasted that handy pic. Cool.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Now we both know!