An old favorite – ‘The Music Man’ – wows in Lakewood

Production by Performance Now is expertly helmed by Director Kelly Van Oosbree

A person doesn’t have sufficient fingers and toes to count all the memorable songs from Meredith Willson’s The Music Man. Frankly, I lost count at 17 in the first act alone. Since it premiered on Broadway in 1957, there have been countless professional and amateur productions, including a recent Broadway revival starring Hugh Jackman.

Performance Now is gracing the Lakewood Cultural Center stage with its marvelous version of The Music Man. Attending this production was like welcoming a familiar friend back to reminisce about the old days. From the first notes of the overture to the finale, this show is a delicious treat, including a great story, beautiful characters and unmatched musical numbers.

Director and choreographer Kelly Van Oosbree has assembled a first-rate group of actors, singers and dancers to tell the story again about “Professor” Harold Hill (Jeffrey Parker), notorious con man, and Marian Paroo (Carolyn Lohr), the local librarian and music teacher.

The action swirls around Harold Hill’s arrival in a small midwestern town, where he proceeds to sell a bill of goods to the unsuspecting townspeople. He convinces the locals to purchase nonexistent musical instruments and uniforms, promising to create a band comprised of the town’s young people.

With no musical experience whatsoever, Hill will pocket the proceeds and skip town at just the right moment. But not everyone falls for Hill’s scheme to raid the bank accounts of the unsuspecting townspeople. Aside from Marian being somewhat skeptical from the outset, Mayor Shinn (David Novinger) is less than enthusiastic about the prospect of the band coming to fruition.

The barbershop quartet | Photo: RDGPhotography

Musical numbers shine

Throughout the musical, we are treated to highlights such as “Ya Got Trouble,” “Seventy-Six Trombones,” and “Shipoopi.” A strong ensemble brings these three numbers and others to life in song and dance. Van Oosbree’s choreography is supercharged and performed with great exactness. To punctuate several songs, a barbershop quartet (Justin Milner, Adam Luhrs, Adam Kinney, John Boggs) is added for additional authenticity. It is Americana at its finest!

The Music Man does not stray from a traditional musical comedy format: love is in the air, there are cute kids, including Marian’s brother Winthrop (Ethan Hershman), an eccentric Mayor’s wife, Eulalie(Jennifer Burnett), and of course a happy ending.

The success of any production of The Music Man‘s rests in large part on the actor playing Harold Hill. Parker is ingratiating and underhanded in the titular role while easily carrying the production. If anything, he is too likable and not enough scheming, but this choice does not distract from the production’s high quality. Parker is a song-and-dance man delivering multiple opportunities to show off his musical skills.

As Marian, Lohr is outstanding as the town librarian and music teacher who’s got Hill’s number from the get-go. Lohr treats the audience to such classic songs as “My White Knight” and “Till There Was You.” It’s a meaningful performance depicting both her innate gentleness and fierce maternal instincts, and Lohr is the perfect foil for Hill.

Other standouts in the cast include Novinger as Mayor Shin, who displays over-the-top frustration with Hill; his screamingly funny wife, Eulalie, played by Burnett; and Hershman, who plays the coronet-seeking Winthrop.

Another strong production from Van Oosbree

Van Oosbree has yet another winning musical under her belt with this production. She has added her directorial touch to a rock-solid musical, enhancing its appeal tenfold. It’s a colorful celebration of small-town America with familiar music highlighted by electric dance numbers.

Located center stage, the nine-piece orchestra directed by Andrew Fischer is a thrilling addition to the entire musical comedy experience. While pre-recorded music is used extensively today, live music accentuates the action on stage and contributes to the overall musical comedy backdrop.

Playing through April 7, Performance Now’s production of The Music Man is an excellent opportunity to relive a memorable storyline and classic songs that resonate deeply in musical comedy tradition.