Review: Orpheus Musical Theatre's Presentation of THE MUSIC MAN

Orpheus opened its final show of its 2024-2025 season with its presentation of Meredith Wilson’s The Music Man.

The Music Man centers around Professor Harold Hill (Kody Cannon), a travelling salesman-slash-con artist, who has newly arrived in sleepy River City, Iowa. He convinces the residents that the best way to keep their children from getting into trouble is by having them join a marching band led by none other than Professor Hill himself. The only issue with that is that Hill doesn’t have a musical bone in his body and fully intends to sneak out of town after collecting all the money raised for the band’s instruments and uniforms. The only glitch is that he finds himself increasingly enamoured with Marian Paroo (Thea Nikolic), River City’s free-thinking librarian, who also moonlights as a piano teacher.

Originally staged in 1957, The Music Man is considered a golden age Broadway classic, but because of that, it presents some problems for modern-day audiences. Thankfully, the most overtly problematic issue, the “Wa Tan Ye” sequence has been changed so it no longer includes the cultural insensitivities of the original. But the women of the show are subject to a multitude of tired old stereotypes. Here are a few examples: with her prim dress, hair bun and spectacles, Marian is a spinster who has failed at attracting a husband, as though that is her (and every other woman’s) entire purpose in life. Her mother (Jennifer Condie Grimsey) is ecstatic when Marian is thrown together with Hill, as this is deemed to be her last chance to snag a man. In one scene, Harold Hill chases Marian around the library even after she has clearly indicated she’s not interested. Zaneeta’s  (Sofia Castro) obsession with Tommy (Yazen Jaouni) and constant exclamations of “Ye Gads!” make her seem like a silly and frivolous boy-crazy girl. The lyrics to “Shapoopi” claim that a girl who kisses on a first date is usually a hussy.

Marcellus Washburn (Graeme Parke), an old buddy of Hill’s, recognizes him shortly after Hill arrives in town. Washburn says he has mended his ways and is now a respectable resident of River City. Hill discloses his intentions to defraud the residents and, inexplicably, Washburn helps Hill to set up the con, rather than running him out of town or, at the very least, attempting to dissuade him. Ultimately, Harold Hill is exposed for the con man he is, but he still gets the girl! Moroever, he faces absolutely no repercussions for his actions. The whole musical feels dated and chauvinistic.

Despite the dated material, the cast gives solid performances, with Cannon, Parke and Condie Grimsey standing out. The best part of this show is its ensemble, with Beth Olszewski and Rachel Myrah giving especially strong performances. Ensemble numbers were by far the best of the night and Director, Shaun Toohey, ensured that the stage was not overcrowded, despite the huge cast. The choreography (Tara Morden) was uneven, probably due to the enormity of the undertaking and the varied experience of the cast.

The scenic design (Tony Walker) reflected the fact that the story is retro; two-dimensional, static houses and storefronts were made from posterboard, the only exception being Marian’s front porch, which contains the piano she uses to provide lessons. The set is serviceable, but nothing more. The orchestra, conducted by Wendy Berkelaar, did a fantastic job at bringing The Music Man’s score to life.

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