The Music Man : In Performance!

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[jo]

Wondeful clip of some moments from --

'Til There Was You



https://www.tiktok.com/@musicmanbroadway/video/7070184822353693994


It is not just the singing by Sutton ( with a very touching and appealing tone) --

but this closeup gives us some acting highlights from Sutton and Hugh

[jo]

How was that closeup moment captured ?

Will this be part of new publicity material for the show?

Too much to hope that they are filming it - for future release

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Is this the newer version of Curtain Call with 76 Trombones??

[jo]

This deserves a separate thread but since these caring people belong to the performers and crew of The Music Man, I thought this may also be the right section to post their message --

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Interesting posts on ATC --

re: Music Man last night
Posted by: mikem 10:13 am EST 03/04/22
In reply to: Music Man last night - nycatty35 08:35 am EST 03/04/22
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(spoilers)
I also found The Music Man to be surprisingly subdued. Jackman seems to be almost suppressing his natural charisma, giving a very inward, surface performance. It pushes Marian much more forward, and I felt almost like I was watching The Marian Show, with Harold Hill as the secondary lead. (There may be some textual support for that concept. Much as in Wicked, where Glinda is the person whose arc of change we actually see over the course of the show even though she is the secondary lead, we see Marian grow and change over the course of the show, and she reveals herself to us through song. Hill, meanwhile, is basically the same until very late in the show, and he is putting on his conman mask during most of his stage time, including most of his songs. We don't actually know much about the actual Harold Hill (or Greg) at all.)

I haven't seen many productions of the show, so I don't know if others let the conman mask slip here and there, but Jackman doesn't do that. He's the same in his scenes with Marcellus as he is elsewhere.

Posted by: mamaleh 09:47 am EST 03/05/22
In reply to: re: Music Man last night - mikem 10:13 am EST 03/04/22

I disagree about Jackman "suppressing his natural charisma." It's there in spades. His/Zaks's version of a conman does not emphasize the dark, slithery side; he wins people over by oozing friendliness and letting them shine, especially in the dance numbers. And he's certainly not the same in his scenes with Marcellus as he is when glad-handing the townspeople. His demeanor and body language change when with his old partner. For example, he's mischievous and lecherous-sounding in their duet, "The Sadder But Wiser Girl."

As to Marian, yes, Sutton is mostly wonderful and in gorgeous voice. But it seems to me that she and/or Zaks have overly reshaped her character since the early previews when she was much more reserved. In Act II, In recent performances, in a jarringly stark departure from her earlier demeanor in Act I, she's mugging and engaging in broad comedy to the point of being cartoonish, especially in her scene with anvil salesman Charlie Cowell. The change doesn't seem organic, but the audience eats it up. So I guess it works.

[jo]

Mar 8, 2022 8:53:42 GMT -5 jo said:

http://instagr.am/p/Ca2CDu5Ol2C

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[JH4HJ]

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert - March 7

Full Playbill article: Sutton Foster talks about Music Man, Hugh, and other things

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The very charming Harold Hill!

Although this photo of Hugh eminds me of --


Sun God Apollo!

If he were some 30 years younger ... he would have been the perfect Enjolras!

As described in the book, Enjolras attracted followers because he was the personification of Apollo, the Sun God. His personality also drew people to his side. Aaron Tveit, in his best role yet that I have seen him -- did not have that extraordinary magnetism, though.



It seems that Hugh Jackman is the focus of the costume ideals for Santo Loquasto! Or is it because Hugh could wear anything and draw people to to him



Jo

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http://instagram.com/p/CbKfAj2OKIS

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Closer view --

[jo]

http://instagram.com/p/CbShm2WjCVC

thehughjackman's profile picture
thehughjackman
Verified
Sorry … not even a little!

[jo]

The Wall Street Journal

Who’s Sliding Into a Big Role on Broadway? Trombonists
The instrument’s sound is hard to replicate, putting the trombone in demand; ‘It’s good for so many things’
Trombonist Mike Boschen performs in the pit for the current Broadway revival of 'The Music Man.' AVERY BRUNKUS

By Charles Passy
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March 20, 2022 1:20 pm ET



Broadway, looking to regain its prepandemic audiences, is relying on boldface names such as Hugh Jackman, Daniel Craig, Sarah Jessica Parker…and Mike Boschen.

Mr. Boschen is in the current revival of “The Music Man.” He is a trombonist, and they are having a moment.

In “Hadestown,” trombonist Brian Drye appears on stage and interacts with the cast. (As one theater observer noted on Twitter: “Phenomenal cast and all, but the trombone is the real star.”) In “Chicago,” trombonists Bruce Bonvissuto and James Burton III have coveted places on stage with the rest of the orchestra. “We can feel very viscerally the energy coming from the audience,” says Mr. Bonvissuto.

Then, there’s Mr. Boschen in “The Music Man.” “This is probably the coolest trombone part I’ve ever gotten to play” on Broadway, says the 48-year-old journeyman, who has performed with about 40 productions in a career that includes shows both familiar (“Cats”) and forgotten (a musical adaptation of Aristophanes’ “The Frogs”).

“The Music Man,” starring Mr. Jackman, a beloved take on Midwestern life circa early 1900s, is all about the band. Its key numbers include a homage to all things brassy—namely, “Seventy-Six Trombones.”

The production actually features two trombonists—Mr. Boschen, who plays the common tenor version, often simply referred to as the trombone, and Jack Schatz, who plays the bass version. Mr. Boschen jokes, “We’re 74 trombones short, but we’re trying our best to make up for it.”

Other tunes let him play in a jazzy or more romantic vein. He stays in the pit, but his presence is constantly felt.

Typically, trombonists have played supporting roles “like an offensive lineman,” says Mike Davis, a trombonist with “Moulin Rouge! The Musical.”

Producers have been reducing the size of Broadway orchestras as a cost-saving measure. Long gone are the Golden Age days when 25-piece ensembles were the norm, anchored by sizable string sections. Now, some shows can rely on 10 or fewer musicians—with digital instruments and tools often used to replicate the real deal.



Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster in ‘The Music Man,’ with other cast members. (The real musicians are in the pit.)
PHOTO: JULIETA CERVANTES


But it’s hard to replicate a trombone, or “bone,” as it’s called in industry parlance, with its signature sliding sound. Also, the trombone is an instrument that adapts particularly well to many genres. “It’s good for so many things,” says veteran Broadway orchestrator Jonathan Tunick.

Mr. Boschen, a native of the Philadelphia area, has been wedded to his trombone since he picked up the instrument in third grade—it was either that or the cello, since both were suited to his height. He went on to study with trombonists in the Philadelphia Orchestra and then trained at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., and the Juilliard School in New York City.

He could have looked for a full-time job in a symphony orchestra, but decided he liked the varied life of a New York freelancer, where the gigs can range from playing jazz standards at a cocktail party to performing with classical ensembles, sometimes within the space of a day. A Broadway job is a coveted base, especially if it’s in a show that has potential for a decent run.


Mike Boschen has performed in about 40 productions.
PHOTO: AVERY BRUNKUS

Mr. Boschen got his first shot as a substitute in “Cats” in 1997 and his first full-time position in “The Full Monty” in 2000.

Last July, while teaching one of his trombone students at his home near Peekskill, N.Y., he got a text telling him to call about “The Music Man.” He phoned and was told he had the job.

“He knows how to make something a comic moment or make it a jazz moment. It’s an art to what he does,” says Patrick Vaccariello, music director and conductor of “The Music Man,” who worked with Mr. Boschen on previous shows.

Like many Broadway musicians, Mr. Boschen is willing to play other instruments, if needed. Over the years, he has doubled on bass trombone and euphonium in shows, though he says he has a strict “no tuba” policy. “I’d rather be really good with less stuff than decent at more,” he says.

At “The Music Man,” Mr. Boschen shares an area the size of a modest suburban living room with about a dozen other brass and woodwind players (string musicians are in a separate spot). He is always mindful about where he aims his slide. During another show, he worried about knocking down the conductor’s podium.

“It would have been a showstopper in a different sense,” he says.



Mr. Jackman calls Mr. Boschen a “spectacular trombonist.” The actor, best known for his role as Wolverine in the X-Men cinematic franchise, says despite studying violin in high school he can’t fathom the skills required of playing in the pit. Mr. Jackman buys the musicians scratch-off lottery tickets every week in recognition of the valuable role they perform. Mr. Boschen says he’s won a couple of bucks so far.

“I have no business being down there other than delivering lottery tickets,” Mr. Jackman says, though he adds, “If there’s a part for a triangle player, I’m in.”



Pit musicians must contend with long stretches of a show where there’s nothing to do. Some text on their phones or do crossword puzzles during downtime.

On a recent Saturday matinee performance, Mr. Boschen kept busy reading a book on stock trading. He says he became interested in investing during the pandemic, when Broadway theaters were closed for months.


Trombonists are mindful of their playing space.
PHOTO: AVERY BRUNKUS

There’s always the risk of missing a cue to start resuming playing. Mr. Boschen says he internalizes the score so that rarely happens. The only time it did on “The Music Man,” he says, was when he got caught up in a moment hearing Sutton Foster, who plays Mr. Jackman’s romantic interest in the show, work her way through “Goodnight My Someone.”

“I lost myself in the beauty of the singing,” he says.



Mr. Boschen has never seen this production of “The Music Man” from the audience—nor does he plan to. That’s almost standard practice among Broadway musicians, who view their jobs as strictly focused on the score, not the broader production.

“I have my own version of the story playing itself out like a movie in my mind. I see it through hearing it,” he says.

Write to Charles Passy at [e-mail]

[jo]

[jo]

http://instagram.com/p/CbPA80quSbo

[jo]

Early clip of Shipoopi ( extended) --

https://www.tiktok.com/@broadway1011/video/7044209659087080751