THE MUSIC MAN Previews — Page 24

I feel sorry for those who were not blown away by this production of MUSIC MAN. In a perfect world every theater experience would do that for the audience. I've already seen it a few times (though ouch! on the prices) and plan to go again. For me, it was 2-1/2. hours of nonstop pleasure. I thought both Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster were brilliant, bringing hitherto unmined humor and vivacity into two of the most iconic roles in musical theater. Unlike some, I didn't think Shuler Hensley was miscast, only underused. And I loved the witty performances of Jefferson Mays and Jayne Houdyshell. The only subpar acting was done by the young lady portraying Zaneeta. She can dance beautifully, but that's not quite enough. Still, that's a minor quibble in a show that radiates joy, especially in the "Marian the Librarian" number.

I saw it last night and wanted to love it. But I mostly just liked it. I hadn't read any of the previous posts because I wanted to go into it fresh. I was surprised to read here that Hugh was sometimes breaking character. He did it twice last night, getting the giggles when Sutton slammed his hat into his chest during "Marian the Librarian" and later in a dialogue scene with Sutton in front of Marian's house. The audience of course loved it. I share some of the same complaints from earlier posters, especialy the cutting of "It's You" and the new PC lyrics for "Shipoopi," They have added a "Pick A Little" reprise (at least I think it's new to this production) that makes no sense where the ladies of River City are suddenly nice to Marian. And at the end of the show, when the townspeople are crying out the names of their kids with pride during the children's band performance, why in the world is it Mayor Shinn who cries out "Winthrop!"?

I enjoyed Sutton's acting choices, especially when Marian is being cold to Harold, but I wondered why they didn't lower the keys for her. It's not her fault she can't sing like Barbara Cook or Rebecca Luker (and I know she has said as much herself), but her voice gets a Minnie Mouse-like tone when she goes into the soprano range. And while Hugh is certainly giving an energetic performance, I do think he's too old for the part. His dancing, again while very energetic, comes across as somewhat fey. I was reminded of Ray Bolger's dancing, although Jackman is not as skilled a dancer as Bolger. It can't be easy trying to make this role his own since Robert Preston made the movie and will forever be Harold Hill for many people.But there was a smooth confidence and sense of ease in Preston's performance (at least in the movie) that Jackman never quite accomplishes. You can see the effort in his performance.

That said, it was great to be back in the Winter Garden (my first time since Mama Mia). The kid playing Winthrop is great. And the audience seemed to love the show.

Updated On: 2/9/22 at 07:47 AM

They have added a "Pick A Little" reprise (at least I think it's new to this production) that makes no sense where the ladies of River City are suddenly nice to Marian.



I can say for certian the reprise was in the most recent revival, and the Playbill from the original production on Playbill Vault as well.

I remember I was surprised by the reprise when i saw it as well. I don't think its in the movie, and was likely cut from the OCR of the original production for time.

Can someone comment on how well Hugh Jackman sings the role? I don't find his recent singing to be very good (issues of singing in tune) based on his recent concert tours, but maybe not so important in this role. But Preston and Bierko could certainly put over the songs from a vocal standpoint.

Updated On: 2/9/22 at 02:09 PM

StageStruckLad said: "I saw it last night and wanted to love it. But I mostly just liked it. I hadn't read any of the previous posts because I wanted to go into it fresh. I was surprised to read here that Hugh was sometimes breaking character. He did it twice last night, getting the giggles when Sutton slammed his hat into his chest during "Marian the Librarian" and later in a dialogue scene with Sutton in front of Marian's house. The audience of course loved it. I share some of the same complaints from earlier posters, especialy the cutting of "It's You" and the new PC lyrics for "Shipoopi," They have added a "Pick A Little" reprise (at least I think it's new to this production) that makes no sense where the ladies of River City are suddenly nice to Marian. And at the end of the show, when the townspeople are crying out the names of their kids with pride during the children's band performance, why in the world is it Mayor Shinn who cries out "Winthrop!"?

I enjoyed Sutton's acting choices, especially when Marian is being cold to Harold, but I wondered why they didn't lower the keys for her. It's not her fault she can't sing like Barbara Cook or Rebecca Luker (and I know she has said as much herself), but her voice gets a Minnie Mouse-like tone when she goes into the soprano range. And while Hugh is certainly giving an energetic performance, I do think he's too old for the part. His dancing, again while very energetic, comes across as somewhat fey. I was reminded of Ray Bolger's dancing, although Jackman is not as skilled a dancer as Bolger. It can't be easy trying to make this role his own since Robert Preston made the movie and will forever be Harold Hill for many people.But there was a smooth confidence and sense of ease in Preston's performance (at least in the movie) that Jackman never quite accomplishes. You can see the effort in his performance.

That said, it was great to be back in the Winter Garden (my first time since Mama Mia). The kid playing Winthrop is great. And the audience seemed to love the show."

Actually, if we are talking skill specifically then Jackman is a better dancer than Ray Bolger ever was. Bolger was a hoofer, he was in no way a technical dancer, at all. He was however an extraordinary performer and had huge charisma. Jackman is more skilled in terms of dance technique but perhaps lacks Bolger’s other qualities.

The show let out at 4:27 this afternoon so they’ve definitely done a lot of trimming. The finale is now VERY condensed (thankfully) and no longer like 15 minutes long. The curtain now rises on Sutton and Hugh in white, who dance and are then joined by everyone else for a minute and then bows start.

This show is an utter joy from start to finish. Is there anything better than a perfect Golden Age Musical revived with such talent on stage and creatively? I don't think so.

FranklinDickson2018 said: "Can someone comment on how well Hugh Jackman sings the role? I don't find his recent singing to be very good (issues of singing in tune) based on his recent concert tours, but maybe not so important in this role. But Preston and Bierko could certainly put over the songs from a vocal standpoint."

I really enjoyed the show overall, but my biggest complaint is that I did not enjoy his singing. He’s fun to watch, he’s very charismatic, but his singing just doesn’t do it for me.

Did Robert Preston's singing do it for you? Harold Hill is not a singer's role.

Yes, I enjoyed Robert Preston’s singing. I should add that I’ve never been a fan of Hugh Jackman’s singing voice, so I wasn’t expecting to suddenly love it. It’s very nasally and felt very thin for his big numbers. I enjoyed it more in Act 2 where he just has the slower/lower love songs.



I also just want to say that I disagree with broadwaybaby about Iowa Stubborn being a big miss. I thought it perfectly told us everything we needed to know about those characters and the town. It sets up how stiff and uppity they are and helps show how much they change when Hill comes to town. It made complete sense to me.

theatretenor2 said: "How do we predict reviews for this one will be from critics?"

I have NO idea. As always, the Times is the only review that will matter...and considering the star power here, it might not matter much.

The show doesn't have inherent goodwill. Some might go in with knives out because of the Rudin situation, the box office performance, the reviews-on-opening-night situation, and the overwhelming whiteness of the production. Others might be swept away by a big old fashioned happy musical.

Such a shame he still can't sing after all those accolades. Weird.