Milwaukee’s Skylight Opera Theater is one of the few places in town that can afford to produce a full-fledged version of The Music Man. This may sound odd, as almost every high school drama club in America probably has done the time-tested show at least once. However, the Skylight has sunk a ton of money (and talent) into their pre-holiday show. One can only imagine the stratospheric budget that was needed to bring 37 actors (many of them with Equity cards), eye-popping costumes and gorgeous sets to the Cabot Theater stage.
But Skylight is not one to do shows on a shoestring budget, and its attention to detail is legendary. The result is a production that is fresh, exuberant and displays a tremendous emotional range – from light-hearted to deeply emotional moments. The Music Man is one of the most appropriately named shows ever written. Music is everywhere, from the opening patter song (in which traveling salesmen recite the song usually known as “He Doesn’t Know the Territory”) to the joyful production numbers throughout. The “music man” in this case is Harold Hill, a huckster who promises to launch boys’ bands in small American towns. Trouble is, “Professor Hill” has no musical degree or even a smattering of musical training. His scam is to collect money up front, then skip town as soon as the band instruments and uniforms arrive.
But in River City, Iowa, he meets a crafty librarian who is not so easily swayed by his rhetoric. She is the sweet, unmarried Marian. However, Hill manages to charm even her before the evening ends.
The show was a Broadway hit when it debuted in 1957. However, this makes it a dinosaur by modern standards. Yes, the old gal does creak a bit. Just try explaining the concept of a Wells Fargo wagon to a modern teenager, as this reviewer attempted to do. The show is set in the early 1900s, when it was entirely plausible that rural residents waited for the dependable Wells Fargo mail service to deliver everything from bathtubs to exotic candies. The show perhaps wouldn’t be the same without the famous “Wells Fargo Wagon” number. But other songs could easily have been trimmed, such as “Shipoopi” and “Iowa Stubborn.” The run time is at least 20 minutes too long, and eliminating these non-essential songs (or perhaps, some of the reprises) would have been welcome.
However, most of the musical’s tunes are firmly ingrained into the audiences’ collective memory, such as “76 Trombones,” “Ya Got Trouble,” “Till there was You” and “Marian the Librarian.”
This production has the sweetest young boy (Cole Winston) who plays the lisping Winthrop. His “big” number (“Gary, Indiana”) is delivered so earnestly that it would melt even the hardest heart. In fact, all the children in this production are not only adorable, but talented. They do tidbits of ballet, ballroom dance and tap in some complicated dance numbers. Kudos to choreographer Pam Kriger. Director Bill Theisen keeps things running smoothly throughout.
The show’s biggest asset is the casting of local favorite Norman Moses as Harold Hill. Moses, who effortlessly glides between comic and dramatic roles, was born to play this part. Hill’s attraction to Marian (as played by Niffer Clarke) seems genuine. Clarke makes the most of her emotionally limited role, as she shifts from prim spinster to teenage-girl-in-love. Clarke’s lovely, sparkling voice is a treat.
In addition to the principle roles, the sidekicks are engaging as well. Joel Kopischke delivers a masterful Marcellus (an old pal of Harold Hill’s). Kopischke is almost vaudevillian in his approach to the character, but in a good way. He captivates the audience with his expressive face and excellent dancing. Also fun to watch are the town’s mayor (Mark Bucher) and his wife (Debra Babich). Although she has the funnier lines of the two, Bucher makes up for it with his expressive delivery. When his embarrassed teenager daughter (Sydney Kirkegaard) tells him to “stop acting like a Capulet in the marketplace,” the clueless mayor warns her to “watch your phraseology.” Ryan Tutton shines as the girl’s suitor.
In fact, the only negative thing about this Music Man is its tiny pit orchestra. Although the handful of musicians does sound terrific under the baton of Richard Carsey, they cannot keep up with the myriad voices onstage. They also fall short of providing the necessary power for songs such as the mighty “76 Trombones.” Although the Skylight’s budget probably wouldn’t stretch to provide additional musicians for this show, it dims an otherwise top-notch production.
