Growing up in Iowa, every kid goes through a unit on Meredith Wilson’s “The Music Man.” Most theatre people at some point in their theatre careers will put their spin on this classic story. I myself am still waiting for my turn. Whether you are onstage or sitting in the audience, as an Iowan, you can’t help but fall in love with this show again whenever you see a new production. This weekend, the newest national tour of Meredith Wilson’s “The Music Man” is stopping at Des Moines Performing Arts. Judging from the audience reaction, this production works its magic in a way no anvil salesman will be able to stop.
If you aren’t familiar with the story, it starts on a train with a group of traveling salesmen talking about a swindler named Harold Hill, who always seems to be a step ahead of them. When they talk about how the stubborn people of Iowa won’t fall for his tricks, a man gets up and hops off the train, only to reveal himself as Harold Hill. Harold meets an Old Acquaintance, Marcellus Washburn, who tells him there is no trouble in town, but they did get a new pool table. From there, Harold starts working his magic on the people of River City, Iowa, and tries to win over the local librarian, who happens to be a piano teacher.
One of the fun parts of watching this show is seeing how the designers brought this production to life. The sets by Ann Beyersdorfer and the video/projections by Lisa Renkel work together to create a classic look with a few modern touches. If I had any anvils to drop on this production, it would be that the videos around the proscenium pulled me out of the production, especially during trouble. The costumes by Santo Loquasto were a treat to see again. As someone who saw his work on the recent Broadway production of “The Music Man,” it was fun to see which characters he kept in the same costumes, and which he decided to reinterpret for this production. In both productions, I appreciate the pops of color he adds to his costumes.
Going into this, I knew it wouldn’t be a recreation of the recent Broadway revival, so I was excited to see how a new directing team would tell the story. What I found exciting about Matt Lenz‘s direction is that he took a more modern approach to the story. Some characters quickly fell for Harold Hill, and others gradually fell for his charm. Without changing a word, he also found a way to present Charlie Cowell in a non-flattering light. He is no longer just a foil to Harold Hill; he is also a womanizer whom Marian sees right through.
One of the parts I found most thrilling was Joshua Bergasse‘s choreography. Having seen his Emmy Award-winning choreography on the TV show “Smash” and then his Tony Award-nominated work in “Smash” this last season on Broadway, I knew we were in for a treat. Listening to the DMPA Conversations with Des Moines Performing Arts CEO Monica Holt gives audiences a fun preview of what to expect with his choreography. You get a sense of how purposeful each movement is, whether it is a small gesture during “Iowa Stubborn,” or some of the leaps and spins in some of the bigger numbers like “76 Trombones” or “Shipoopi.
For the production to work, you need two outstanding actors to take on the roles of Harold Hill and Marian Paroo. This tour found two leads that have taken on this challenge head-on and give the audience delightful performances. The first is Elliott Andrews as Harold Hill. He charms the audience from the beginning of the show, but also has cracks in his character that allow him to fall for Marian and be willing to turn himself in.
In the role of Marian Paroo, audiences have the pleasure of seeing Elizabeth D’Aiuto. From the moment she enters, you can see she is a strong Marian who has put up walls, and we slowly watch them come down throughout the performance. One of the choices she made that I enjoyed seeing was during “Marian the Librarian,” where she let her guard down and started falling for Harold, but quickly pulled herself back together. Another treat was her beautiful singing voice. She brings her own interpretation to the songs, including what sounded like taking “My White Night” up a step. I heard several audience members commenting in awe after the song was done.
The cast is full of exceptional performers, from the other characters in the show to the ensemble, which is full of phenomenal dancers. The cast had two amazing performers as understudies listed on the call board for the performance I attended. Marielle Utayde was in the role of Zaneeta Shinn, and Bryce Bayer was in the dance ensemble. Both of them did an exceptional job.