“The Music Man” - The Review

It’s a classic story - shady guy meets sweet girl, guy chases girl until she catches him, and then... but wait, I don’t want to give away the ending. Suffice to say that there’s a good reason why “The Music Man” is considered by many to be one of the all-time great musicals.

For proof, you just need to pay a visit to the City Hall auditorium this weekend to see 5th Avenue Theatre’s version. It stars local theatre veteran Bil Neal, who plays the part of Professor Harold Hill, the fast-talking traveling salesman who has hit on the perfect scam, as he sells musical instruments and band uniforms to small-town folks and then moves on before the people realize the kids haven’t learned how to play the instruments. Neal does a terrific job in a very challenging role - his character is in virtually every scene, usually singing, dancing, or fast-talking his way out of trouble - and Neal’s great at all three.

Playing the part of his love interest, Marion the Librarian, is Jennifer Scott, and she is terrific! She makes Marion sympathetic but tough, and what an incredible voice she has! Even more amazing is the fact that she joined the show late in the rehearsal process - but you’d never be able to tell. She’s a great performer - a natural on the stage, and a real talent.

There are far too many people in the cast for me to mention everyone, but I have to include C.E. Wilson, who provides the comedic heart of the show as Mayor Shinn. He steals darn near every scene he’s in and more than once had me howling - he has the art of the double-take down to a science. Also wonderfully funny is his wife Eulalie Shinn, played by community theatre pro Jane Morse. The two of them are hilarious, and worth the price of admission alone.

Special kudos also to: Kenny Harbolt, who plays Hill’s sidekick Marcellus and leads the show-stopping “Shapoopie” song; Kenny Duthie, Mark Near, Dave Richards and Adam Mottesheard, who make up the (Barbershop) Quartet and provide several great numbers and quite a few laughs; Dylan Clark, who plays a funny anvil salesman who has a grudge against Hill; and Lydia Waybright (Amaryllis) and Franklin Norton (Winthrop), two young actors to watch for in the future. Heck, all the actors in the show do a great job!

I also have to give credit to the terrific orchestra put together and led by Ron Short (who we usually see on stage) - the musicians are always the unsung heroes of a show like this, and they deserve a huge pat on the back for their fine work here.

And the other hidden heroes in this show is the Tech Crew. “The Music Man” is a challenging show because of the large number of scene changes - that means a lot of work for the backstage crew, and they did a great job of keeping things moving. Hats off to Stage Manager Brittany Hazeldine for her fine work backstage - especially considering she took this job in addition to starring in “Cats” and “Cinderella.” How does she do it?

There's a good reason why “The Music Man” has become a classic - it’s a funny story about love and business, and what happens when the two mix.

You have three more chances to see this show - don’t miss it!