There may be trouble right there in River City, but all’s good at the Gateway Theatre, where The Music Man opened Friday and will run until Dec. 31.
The lively musical about a con man who, in his self-serving deception, unwittingly brings joy and cohesion to the squabbling folks of River City, Iowa is done justice by Gateway’s holiday production thanks to a great lead and strong ensemble.
Meredith Willson’s Tony-Award winning musical first hit Broadway in 1957 but harkens back to what is often thought of as a simpler place and time.
However, River City, 1912 is a town full of prejudice, political polarization that is beguiled by a fear-monger who galvanizes people into supporting him by whipping up panic about a new entity in town that will lead youth astray, destroy traditional values and undermine economic prosperity.
Sound familiar?
But Prof. Harold Hill is talking about pool.
“Ya got trouble, folks, right here in River City. Trouble with a capital ‘T.’ And that rhymes with ‘P’ and that stands for pool!” as he says.
The magic of the show is how an ill-intent scoundrel can bring joy to an intolerant and divided community by convincing them they can be more than what they seem, that together they can be part of something bigger, something beautiful.
The four school trustees, for example, fight incessantly until the “professor” helps them find harmony, literally, by turning them into a barbershop quartet.
Just as this story hinges on the character’s knack for spell-binding, so does the show depend on actor Jay Hindle’s ability to do the same. The Music Man demands a lot of its lead, and Hindle delivers.
As the self-proclaimed professor of music and band leader, despite being unable to play a note, Hindle electrifies the stage. He has that twinkle that’s hard to resist and his physicality brings to mind a young Dick Van Dyke.
Of course, Hindle doesn’t do it alone. The ensemble is bright and talented; the leading lady, played by Meghan Gardiner, has a remarkable voice, and a live, 10-piece orchestra also brings the show to life.
If there’s a criticism, it’s on opening night, when some of the lines were lost, as the actors spoke so quickly.
Also, and surprisingly for a show that’s all about music, it lacks a grand finale. There is very much a message that shouldn’t be lost in the ending as it is. Yet, there still may have been a way to give the audience that crescendo.
Regardless, The Music Man is a good choice for the Gateway’s holiday classic. As a story about discord turned to harmony, intolerance turned to unity and betrayal turned to love, it well capsulates the spirit of the season.
