Book, Music & Lyrics by Meredith Willson
Based on a Story by Willson and Franklin Lacey
Directed by Mary Zimmerman

"Musical comedy at its feel-good best"
– The New York Times

Jun 29 - Aug 18, 2019 in Goodman's Albert Theatre

Around 2 hours and 30 minutes with one intermission

Seventy-six trombones. One joyous musical masterpiece.

He’s charming and charismatic—no wonder con man Harold Hill assumes he can easily fleece the citizens of staid River City, Iowa with the grand promise of a marching band. But the smooth-talking swindler can’t tell a trombone from a treble clef—and Marian, the local librarian, knows it. In his attempt to steal her heart (and save his hide), Harold learns a thing or two about moral responsibility—and unexpectedly enriches the town with a love of music. Tony Award-winning director Mary Zimmerman (The Jungle Book, Wonderful Town) brings her magic touch to “one of the sunniest musicals ever” (The New York Times), including memorable favorites "Goodnight My Someone," "Seventy-Six Trombones," "Gary, Indiana" and "Till There Was You."

Watch "76 Trombones" performed by the cast.

Watch the cast perform "Trouble" on Windy City Live!

Audiences react to The Music Man, directed by Mary Zimmerman.

Geoff Packard (Harold Hill, center) and the company of The Music Man with music and lyrics by Meredith Willson and a book by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey.

The ladies of River City (Mrs. Squires/Danielle Davis, Ethel Toffelmier/Lillian Castillo, Alma Hix/Nichole Michelle Haskins, and Maud Dunlop/Bri Sudia) "pick-a-little, talk-a-little" with Marian Paroo (Monica West).

Carter Graf (Winthrop Paroo), Jonathan Butler-Duplessis (Marcellus Washburn) and the company

Music Director Jermaine Hill on making The Music Man sing

Heidi Kettenring (Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn), Nicole Michelle Haskins (Alma Hix), Bri Sudia (Maud Dunlop), Lillian Castillo (Ethel Toffelmier), Danielle Davis (Mrs. Squires) and Geoff Packard (Harold Hill)

Monica West (Marian Paroo), Geoff Packard (Harold Hill) and the company of The Music Man.

Director Mary Zimmerman on envisioning the world of The Music Man.

The company of The Music Man with music and lyrics by Meredith Willson and a book by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey.

Geoff Packard (Harold Hill, center) and the company of The Music Man with music and lyrics by Meredith Willson and a book by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey.

The company of The Music Man with music and lyrics by Meredith Willson and a book by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey.

Behind the scenes of our 76 Trombone Parade

Watch "76 Trombones" performed by the cast.

Watch the cast perform "Trouble" on Windy City Live!

Audiences react to The Music Man, directed by Mary Zimmerman.

Geoff Packard (Harold Hill, center) and the company of The Music Man with music and lyrics by Meredith Willson and a book by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey.

The ladies of River City (Mrs. Squires/Danielle Davis, Ethel Toffelmier/Lillian Castillo, Alma Hix/Nichole Michelle Haskins, and Maud Dunlop/Bri Sudia) "pick-a-little, talk-a-little" with Marian Paroo (Monica West).

Carter Graf (Winthrop Paroo), Jonathan Butler-Duplessis (Marcellus Washburn) and the company

Music Director Jermaine Hill on making The Music Man sing

Heidi Kettenring (Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn), Nicole Michelle Haskins (Alma Hix), Bri Sudia (Maud Dunlop), Lillian Castillo (Ethel Toffelmier), Danielle Davis (Mrs. Squires) and Geoff Packard (Harold Hill)

Monica West (Marian Paroo), Geoff Packard (Harold Hill) and the company of The Music Man.

Director Mary Zimmerman on envisioning the world of The Music Man.

The company of The Music Man with music and lyrics by Meredith Willson and a book by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey.

Geoff Packard (Harold Hill, center) and the company of The Music Man with music and lyrics by Meredith Willson and a book by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey.

The company of The Music Man with music and lyrics by Meredith Willson and a book by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey.

Behind the scenes of our 76 Trombone Parade

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Critical Praise

  • "A really fun night of old-school musical theater"

    - Dean Richards

  • "Exudes a vibrant energy"

    - Chicago Sun-Times

  • "Simply a wonderful musical that the whole family will love"

    - Chicago Parent

  • "As American as apple pie and a Fourth of July oration"

    - The New York Times

  • "Beautifully staged" with "the right touch of humor"

    - Dean Richards

  • "Colorful, clever"

    - Chicago Sun-Times

  • "Staged to perfection and meticulously choreographed"

    - Dean Richards

  • "Musical comedy at its feel-good best"

    - The New York Times

  • "One of the sunniest musicals ever"

    - The New York Times

  • "A theatrical slice of cherry pie that both sends up and pays tribute to the old-fashioned manners and mores of small-town America"

    - Variety

  • "A legendary American musical theater form comes alive"

    - Hollywood Chicago

  • "Attending the Ice Cream Sociable that is The Music Man at Goodman Theatre is one of the finest ideas of the summer"

    - Newcity Stage

Audience Response

  • Saw The Music Man last night and it was FANTASTIC!!! I highly recommend seeing this incredible musical, put on by a truly wonderful cast and musicians!

    Kristen L. via

  • Anyone in community theater who has ever wrestled with the opening scene, or was in the quartete, would absolutely LOVE the Goodman's staging of this gem of musical theater! It was all I could do to keep from singing along.

    Alan H. via

  • Toe-tapping infectious tunes from a fabulous orchestra, perfectly delivered wit that will have you laughing out loud and an amazingly energetic & talented cast! The Music Man knocks it out of the theatrical park!

    Renee S. via

  • The Music Man was energized, creative and beautifully done. The acting, singing, and dancing were outstanding.

    Leslie Y. via

  • Saw it this afternoon—just great! Lovely and well done and fun all around!

    Jenny N. via

  • You WON'T be disappointed. Can't wait to see it again.

    Missy G. via

  • Grabs your heart in sheer delight. Another Broadway valentine for the soul the Goodman has brought to life, all wrapped in red, white and blue ribbon.

    James D. via

  • It was a great performance! We saw it yesterday! The audience was really fun—we were all into the music!!

    Christine M. via

Artists
  • Meredith Willson

    Meredith Willson Book, Music and Lyrics

  • Franklin Lacey

    Franklin Lacey Book

  • Mary Zimmerman

    Mary Zimmerman Director

  • Geoff Packard

    Geoff Packard Harold Hill

  • Monica West

    Monica West Marian Paroo

  • Sophie Ackerman

    Sophie Ackerman Amaryllis Squires

  • Jonathan Butler-Duplessis

    Jonathan Butler-Duplessis Conductor / Marcellus Washburn

  • Cooper Carlisle

    Cooper Carlisle Townsperson

  • Matt Casey

    Matt Casey Newspaper Reader / Townsperson

  • Lillian Castillo

    Lillian Castillo Ethel Toffelmier

  • Danielle Davis

    Danielle Davis Mrs. Squires

  • Mary Ernster

    Mary Ernster Mrs. Paroo

  • Kelly Felthous

    Kelly Felthous Zaneeta Shinn

  • Alejandro Fonseca

    Alejandro Fonseca Townsperson

  • Carter Graf

    Carter Graf Winthrop Paroo

  • Nicole Michelle Haskins

    Nicole Michelle Haskins Alma Hix

  • Anya Haverfield

    Anya Haverfield Townsperson

  • Jeremy Peter Johnson

    Jeremy Peter Johnson Salesman / Oliver Hix / Farmer / Quartet

  • Christopher Kale Jones

    Christopher Kale Jones Jacey Squires / Quartet

  • Heidi Kettenring

    Heidi Kettenring Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn

  • James Konicek

    James Konicek Olin Britt / Quartet

  • Milla Liss

    Milla Liss Gracie Shinn

  • Steve McDonagh

    Steve McDonagh Charlie Cowell

  • Zach Porter

    Zach Porter Townsperson

  • Ron E. Rains

    Ron E. Rains Mayor Shinn

  • Tommy Rivera-Vega

    Tommy Rivera-Vega Tommy Djilas

  • Laura Savage

    Laura Savage Farmer's Wife / Townsperson

  • Jonathan Schwart

    Jonathan Schwart Salesman / Ewart Dunlop / Quartet

  • Ayana Strutz

    Ayana Strutz Townsperson

  • Bri Sudia

    Bri Sudia Saleswoman / Maud Dunlop

  • Adrienne Velasco-Storrs

    Adrienne Velasco-Storrs Townsperson

  • George Andrew Wolff

    George Andrew Wolff Salesman / Constable Locke

  • Anna Dreslinski Cooke

    Anna Dreslinski Cooke Swing

  • Matt Crowle

    Matt Crowle Charlie Cowell

  • Isaiah Silvia-Chandley

    Isaiah Silvia-Chandley Swing

  • John B Leen

    John B Leen Understudy

  • Garrett Lutz

    Garrett Lutz Understudy

  • Sammy Menapace

    Sammy Menapace Understudy

  • Rebecca Prescott

    Rebecca Prescott Understudy

  • Jermaine Hill

    Jermaine Hill Music Director / Conductor

  • Denis Jones

    Denis Jones Choreography

  • T.J. Gerckens

    T.J. Gerckens Lighting Design

  • Daniel Ostling

    Daniel Ostling Set Design

  • Ana Kuzmanic

    Ana Kuzmanic Costume Design

  • Ray Nardelli

    Ray Nardelli Sound Design

  • Alden Vasquez

    Alden Vasquez Production Stage Manager

  • Kimberly Ann McCann

    Kimberly Ann McCann Stage Manager

  • Jacqueline Saldana

    Jacqueline Saldana Assistant Stage Manager

  • Adam Belcuore

    Adam Belcuore Casting

Talks & Events
  • Drinks & Discussion Events

    Drinks & Discussion Events

    Throughout the run

    Enhance your theater-going experience with one of our Drinks & Discussion Series events! Stay after select performances for a Post-Show Discussion and a complimentary glass of wine, or come early to select performances for a PlayTalk Session and a complimentary glass of wine.

    LEARN MORE

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      "The Goodman has assembled a company of 38 for a revival of Meredith Wilson's The Music Man. Tony Award-winning Director Mary Zimmerman sees this 1957 musical as a hopeful metaphor for today."

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      "If you are of a certain age and had a music class in middle school, you were sure to learn one of the iconic tunes from The Music Man. ''Seventy-Six Trombones,' 'Gary, Indiana,' 'Till There Was You'—people sing along word for word,' said Mary Zimmerman, Tony Award-winning director."

      READ MORE

    • Mary Zimmerman in Rehearsal for "The Music Man"

      Falling in Love with the Stage Musical

      Playbill's Thomas Connors on Mary Zimmerman and the Great American Art Form

      "From Leonard Bernstein’s Candide to the Damon Runyan-inspired Guys and Dolls, to her own adaption of The Jungle Book, Tony Award-winning director Mary Zimmerman has brought her unique style to this beloved American entertainment. She’s long exercised her chops on the Goodman stage and now returns with The Music Man, the 1957 classic about a smooth-talking swindler and the small Midwestern town he wraps around his little finger."

      READ MORE

    • Corn Field

      Iowa Stubborn

      A Comic Essay from Meredith Willson, Originally Published in The New York Herald Tribune

      "I lived in Mason City, Iowa, till I was sixteen. With my folks. My brother is a very smart man in the industrial field. Light aggregate concrete. In fact, he is an expert. I don’t mind telling that to you, but it’s the first time I’ve ever told it to him. That’s what we call Iowa-stubborn."

      READ MORE

    • A man standing on a street in 1950's New York City

      76 Trombones, 62 Years Ago: The Debut of The Music Man

      Resident Dramaturg Neena Arndt on the Premiere of The Music Man

      "The Music Man creator Meredith Willson, a flautist and piccolo player, composer, conductor and musical arranger, seemed on the surface an unlikely candidate to create Broadway’s next hit, given his lack of experience in the medium."

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    Accessibility

    Join us for any of the following accessible performances.

    The Goodman is proud to offer an inclusive range of programs that help make performances accessible to all audiences, including enhanced performances, accessible seating, braille and large print programs, complimentary Assistive Listening Devices and complimentary tickets for Personal Care Assistants and professional caregivers.

    Questions? Please contact 312.443.3800 (voice), 312.443.3829 (TTY/TDD) or email Access@GoodmanTheatre.org.

    Touch Tour and Audio Described performanceTouch Tour and Audio-Described Performance
    Saturday, July 27
    12:30pm Touch Tour & 2pm Performance

    For reserved seating for this service, use promo AUDIO.

    Reservations for the touch tour are available at check-out for no additional charge. For more information, please call the Box Office or email Access@GoodmanTheatre.org.

    Audio description by Martin Wilde.

    American Sign Language Interpreted PerformanceAmerican Sign Language-Interpreted Performance
    Wednesday, July 31 at 7:30pm

    For reserved seating for this service, use promo SIGN.

    Interpretation by Susan Elizabeth Rangel, Cathy L. Silvern, Patti Shore Kaden and Sheila Kettering.

    Open Caption Performance Open-Captioned Performance
    Saturday, August 3 at 2pm

    For reserved seating for this service, use promo OPEN.

    Open captioning provided by c2.

    Sensory-Friendly Performance Sensory-Friendly Performance
    Saturday, August 10 at 2pm

    To access tickets, use promo SENSORY.

    Learn more about the Goodman's Sensory-Friendly performances here >>

    See All Accessibility Information for The Music Man

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