The Music Man : In Performance!

[jo]

Looks like this musical theatre fan fully appreciates what Zaks & Jackman aimed to do!

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[jo]

http://instagram.com/p/CZSw0_BJras

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Jez
@typesetjez
Intermission at
@musicmanbway

. Thoughts so far: Hugh Jackman plays Hill straighter but slicker than Robert Preston and has much better physicality and facial expressions than any other Hill I’ve seen on stage.
10:55 AM · Jan 29, 2022·Twitter for iPhone


Jez

@typesetjez
Similarly, Sutton Foster is a straighter but more sarcastic Marian than Shirley Jones and I am living for her facial expressions. Librarians everywhere would be proud of her level of side eye.


Jez
BEST choreography of 76 Trombones I have seen on stage or screen.


BEST BEST BEST stage design for the library. Amazing. Books


Jez
@typesetjez
·
Set design deserves multiple Tony awards. The small details are amazing.



I also love that the characters actually change clothes day to day Speak-no-evil monkey

[jo]

[jo]

[jo]

Guess who came to the show

[jo]

SweetLips22 Profile Photo
SweetLips22
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Broadway Star
joined:7/1/18
THE MUSIC MAN Previews
#530
Posted: 1/29/22 at 11:53pm
From what I read,and see, Hugh Jackman is having the time of his life being Hugh and playing Harold Hill as just a character that's there so he can 'invent' him as he goes along. He's not there for the glory, the reviews but seems to genuinely want everyone around him to be 'the star' as he is so assured of who he is and what he can do. If Sutton outshines him, he's proud of that and respects her. It's a team effort but without Hugh, nobody on or off stage would have a job.

I've just watched a clip posted of 76 Trombones and to me looked totally unexciting and the orchestral backing lacking any oomph. I also do not think that Hugh and Sutton in white did them any favours--it is not a flattering colour. Red like the others and they would still stand out but maybe too much like Dolly.

PS. Why does the audience need to clap along to the music in 76? Idiots!

mamaleh
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joined:5/11/04
THE MUSIC MAN Previews
#531
Posted: 1/30/22 at 2:14am
If I understand you correctly,I don't agree with your assessment of Hugh Jackman's take on Harold Hill. Have you even seen the show? He's not "inventing" Harold "as he goes along." His Harold is well thought out. He pours on the phony charm expertly, all the better to quickly grab the cash from the townspeople before making as quick an exit as possible. Nonetheless, he's having a great time doing so, which I see as totally in character, not a fault of performance. That the audience eats it up makes it all the more engaging. If you think all he does is project joyousness, watch carefully the book scenes with Shuler Hensley as his former and current accomplice. In those scenes, the charmer's mask is off and HJ's face and demeanor change; he takes on a harder look.

By the way, I think both HJ and Sutton look great in white.

[jo]

I posted a rejoinder --

jo
Send PM
Broadway Legend
joined:5/15/03
THE MUSIC MAN Previews
#532
Posted: 1/30/22 at 7:29am
mamaleh said: "If I understand you correctly,I don't agree with your assessment of Hugh Jackman's take on Harold Hill. Have you even seen the show? He's not "inventing" Harold "as he goes along." His Harold is well thought out. He pours on the phony charm expertly, all the better to quickly grab the cash from the townspeople before making as quick an exit as possible. Nonetheless, he's having a great time doing so, which I see as totally in character, not a fault of performance. That the audience eats it up makes it all the more engaging. If you think all he does is project joyousness, watch carefully the book scenes with Shuler Hensley as his former and current accomplice. In those scenes, the charmer's mask is off and HJ's face and demeanor change; he takes on a harder look.

By the way, I think both HJ and Sutton look great in white."


Thanks for those pinpoint observations!

In his film work nobody has pointed that Hugh Jackman ever plays himself. His range now is considered one of the most versatile, especially in drama and dark comedy. His Valjean (Les Miserables - Oscar nod), his Frank Tassone (Bad Education - Emmy nod), Barnum ( GreatestShowman- GGlobe nod), Logan (Logan -arguably the best superhero movie ever made) and KellerDover (Prisoners - voted 2nd favorite movie at Toronto filmfest) all attest to his ability to portray characters that bring such light to differing personalities.

In earlier discussions here on the show development of The Music Man, I shared some original character notes on Marian and Harold Hill that I came across . It was quite a surprise to read that because of "his good looks and charisma" how easy it was for Harold to charm the town folks. I will have to look that up again.

Surely, multi-Tony winner Jerry Zaks would not simply allow his lead actor to simply play himself and not give the role its proper respect?

[jo]

http://instagram.com/p/CZZXq--pzFG

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www.nytimes.com/2022/02/02/theater/music-man-broadway-hugh-jackman.html

How Hugh Jackman, Sutton Foster and ‘The Music Man’ Withstood Covid

Nearly 60 cast and crew members have tested positive since rehearsals began. Now, following a 10-day shutdown during previews, opening night is near.

“Even though we lost 10 days, we’re still in good shape,” said Sutton Foster, above, with Hugh Jackman.




Sarah Bahr
By Sarah Bahr
Feb. 2, 2022, 5:00 a.m. ET


As soon as Hugh Jackman learned that the leading lady of “The Music Man,” Sutton Foster — whom he spent a substantial portion of every night breathing on, sweating on and locking lips with onstage — had tested positive for the coronavirus, he knew it was just a matter of time.

“I’m pretty sure on every C.D.C. guideline, making out with someone with Covid is not recommended,” Jackman, 53, said in a phone conversation in late January. He is starring opposite Foster as the scam artist Harold Hill in the high-profile revival of Meredith Willson’s 1957 musical, which is scheduled to open Thursday night at the Winter Garden Theater.

And, sure enough, five days later, came the positive proof on his at-home Covid test. Already down about a third of the show’s 46-person cast, and with both leads out, the producers canceled the next 11 performances. (The cast and crew were still paid during the shutdown, Kate Horton, the musical’s executive producer, said.)

Though performances resumed a little over a week later, it was just the latest setback for a starry, star-crossed revival of the feel-good comedy, which won the Tony Award for best new musical in 1958. Originally scheduled to begin previews in September 2020, the show had already pushed back its opening night twice and weathered the departure of its lead producer, Scott Rudin, amid renewed scrutiny of his bullying behavior.



The production, which is capitalized for up to $24 million, reunites much of the creative team behind the Tony-winning 2017 revival of “Hello, Dolly!,” including the director, Jerry Zaks. Its cast includes six Tony winners: Jackman; Foster, who plays the librarian Marian Paroo; Shuler Hensley; Jefferson Mays; Jayne Houdyshell; and Marie Mullen.

In phone interviews last month, six members of the show’s cast and creative team outlined the measures they took to keep the show going amid a coronavirus outbreak; the vital role of actors known as swings, who have no regular role in a show and cover up to a dozen ensemble parts; and how they kept their spirits up amid a challenging preview period. These are edited excerpts from the conversations.

When the “Music Man” revival was announced in March 2019, it looked as if it would be the marquee event of the fall 2020 Broadway season. Amid the industrywide shutdown, opening night was pushed to May 2021, and then again to Feb. 10, 2022. Finally, this past October, the show started rehearsals.




The show’s director, Jerry Zaks, left, and its choreographer, Warren Carlyle, overseeing rehearsals.

JERRY ZAKS (director) We felt we had gotten past Covid, and we were just happy to be there. We dived in and went nonstop.



HUGH JACKMAN (Professor Harold Hill) It was so great to be back in the room.

KATHY VOYTKO (swing/Marian understudy) It was a thrill to test negative every day.


On Dec. 20, amid the Omicron surge, “The Music Man” had its first preview. Four covers — an actor who goes on for another actor who calls out of a show — were onstage.

KATE HORTON (executive producer) I would look at the situation we were facing each day, and I would have conversations with stage management and the creative team and we would decide what to do.

SUTTON FOSTER (Marian Paroo) At one point, there were 14 people out of the show. We had swings covering seven roles and trying to hold up that show. And they did. It was remarkable. One of our swings, Emily Hoder, is 10 years old, and she was covering three tracks.

ZAKS I couldn’t do the critical work of addressing the material, making changes in the lighting, fixing the sound, because we had so may people out. There was a moment when we asked ourselves if we’d have to push opening night.

Then it happened: On Thursday, Dec. 23, the morning of the fourth preview, Foster tested positive.

FOSTER We’ve been vigilant, but I have a 4 ½-year-old daughter who goes to preschool. On December 20, the night of our first preview, she hadn’t been feeling good, and my husband took her to the doctor and she tested positive. But every day I was testing negative, negative, negative. Then on Thursday morning, I did a rapid test at home, and it immediately was just this rude red line. And I was like, “OK, here we go.”

But the show still went on that night, thanks to Voytko, a swing and an understudy for Marian, who mainlined the role in eight hours.



VOYTKO I had an 11 o’clock costume fitting, and, just before noon, our costume designer, Santo [Loquasto], said “Kathy, call Thomas [Recktenwald],” who’s our production stage manager. And I sort of had that sinking feeling. And sure enough, he said, “You’re on.” I voice-texted my husband because my hands were shaking so much that I couldn’t possibly have used my phone. Then I put my phone on silent, and I grabbed my emergency cheat sheet I had made.




“I want people to understand that these are unprecedented times in theater,” said Jackman, who plays the scam artist Harold Hill opposite Foster’s Marian Paroo.


JACKMAN She had her first rehearsal as Marian at 1; we had until 5. We got through every scene once. I think maybe she got to redo something twice.

WARREN CARLYLE (choreographer) There are three really tricky sequences that could take an actress down: the finale; “Shipoopi” at the top of Act II because there’s a lot of dance for her there; and the library sequence, which is very prop heavy. There are something like 75 library books and a million different things that have to go in a million different places.

VOYTKO A big goal post was getting through “My White Knight” because the lyrics have a patter section, which is a bit of a tongue twister. And I only had two shots at the dance for “Shipoopi” with Hugh and the tap finale before we had to do them in front of an audience.

And she did. She got a standing ovation, and Jackman delivered a curtain speech praising understudies and swings that went viral.

JACKMAN I want people to understand that these are unprecedented times in theater. I was so moved by what Kathy had gone through. I’ve never seen anything like that.



After other breakthrough cases, the production canceled its Saturday evening and Sunday matinee performances on Dec. 25 and 26. On Tuesday, Dec. 28, Jackman tested positive.

JACKMAN I was already feeling a bit funky when I was doing the show the night before, even though I was testing negative at the time, so it wasn’t a surprise. I was pretty nauseated, with a scratchy throat and a runny nose. My wife was amazing — we’d been sleeping in the same bed together, obviously, so I think she expected to get it too, which she did. But I’m vaccinated and boosted, so I was fine after a few days.

The show eventually canceled its next 11 performances, through Wednesday, Jan. 5.

HORTON Every time somebody is out when you’re so early in the life of the show, you need to do a technical rehearsal with the stand-in. But when you get to a certain number of people being out, there isn’t enough time to do that and make sure everyone onstage is safe. We got to a point where there were over 10 people off, so it was a very straightforward decision, actually.

But the production never considered postponing its opening or following in the footsteps of “Mrs. Doubtfire,” whose producer, Kevin McCollum, decided in January to pause performances for nine weeks, with plans to resume in March (“To Kill a Mockingbird,” like “The Music Man” co-produced by Barry Diller, announced a hiatus later that month).



And there was music: The show is scheduled to open on Feb. 10 at the Winter Garden Theater.
And there was music: The show is scheduled to open on Feb. 10 at the Winter Garden Theater.Credit...Landon Nordeman for The New York Times

HORTON We knew mathematically we would get through it. Once a certain number of people are out and you know they’re coming back, it was just a revolving-door situation, like who was going to be back when. And the demand for the show is so huge that we knew we had audiences waiting for us.

Previews resumed on Thursday, Jan. 6. Finally, the full company was onstage together for the first time, with no covers or swings.



ZAKS It wasn’t until the end of January that I was able to make the changes and cuts that I wanted to make.

FOSTER We had an extraordinarily long preview process — over six weeks. In shows I’ve done in the past, the preview period has been about four weeks. So even though we lost 10 days, we’re still in good shape.

HORTON Things have stabilized hugely. Advance sales have been fantastic. We’ve gone a couple of weeks now with no positive tests.

VOYTKO I did three shows in a row with Hugh — smooching, panting under dance numbers in each other’s faces — but I never tested positive! We were joking that an epidemiologist should do some sort of study.

Now, with opening night in less than a week, the cast, crew and creative team are ready to celebrate.


JACKMAN It’s amazing to be on a stage with a cast that’s near 50 people and a 25-piece orchestra. It’s a story about faith, belief and community that’s so timely. It’s one of those perfect musicals.

VOYTKO Nothing will ever be as stressful as going on in a fourth preview as Marian. My greatest hope is that everyone is healthy on opening night, and I can cheer them on from the audience!

[mamaleh]

The fact that director Zaks says he was unable to make his desired changes until the end of January might well account for the producers' opting for opening night invitations to critics rather than during previews.

Ellen

[jo]

That is the most important development that speaks so much of the tortuous journey of The Music Man! That the show has been beset by continuing negative events has not been fully appreciated.

And as you say, Ellen, it might have been the major reason why invitations to critics are dated for Opening Night on February 10.

Jo

[jo]

They are taking reader comments for this feature. If you have a subscription, you can send your comments (including your show impressions if you have seen it)

My feedback --

JosieB
Philippines
3m ago

Thanks for sharing the many sidelights that continue to affect this revival, from the announcement in March 2019 that it was coming to Broadway to the present when it is poised for Opening Night. It seems like another story of the triumph of the human spirit, reading about the issues that have beset the show up to now when it is in previews...and how that troupe has coped every step of the way. Kudos to those who provide the leadership roles such as Exec Producer Kate Horton, Director Jerry Zaks & the charismatic leading man Hugh Jackman.

I won't get to travel till June to rediscover NYC and Broadway, My tickets to The Music Man have been waiting for me since they started selling them in late 2019 ...and one can only admire the efforts of the producing team led by Barry Diller &David Geffen, the creative team, and the cast led by Hugh & Sutton to ensure that the show will go a long way to help Broadway get back on its feet.

Hopefully those "76 trombones" from The Music Man will help ensure that it is all worth the wait!

[jo]

How the article was announced on Twitter --

[jo]

Hopefully, they will release a CAST RECORDING soon after Opening Night on Feb 10, 2022!

Jo

[jo]

[jo]

Some comments on the NYTimes a ticle --

Karl Zuk
New York, NY
7m ago
Let me be a Yea!-sayer, Take all your bitter comments about the show being dated, that this person is being mis-cast or I don't like that staging - and tuck them away. Instead, welcome this show with an open mind. Hugh and Sutton love their characters and lead you to a place you so desperately need to visit! See them love every minute together! What fun! From the simply brilliant opening scene to the grand roars of bravo from the crowd during the finale - the delight never stops. This is what it's all about. You'll be smiling and singing for weeks to come! Go see it - and love it. The sooner the better!

Amy R.
Minneapolis
4h ago
Hey, everybody...I was flying in from Minneapolis to take my then 94-year-old dad to see The Music Man during opening week, October 2020. Then we got word that it was postponed till May 2021, and I held our tickets. Then we got word that it was postponed again till Feb 2022. "Oh, no! Dad will be 96. We can't trudge through snow!" So I accepted a refund.

I'm happy to let you all know that I now have premium tickets for May 10. That's six weeks shy of dad's 97th birthday, and we are as excited as schoolchildren about to attend their first Broadway show!

F
Freddie
New York NY
2h ago
@rena

I usually feel the same as you about premium, but strangely, New York really needs upper middle class or wealthy tourists right now, or people willing to seemed own their vacations - because they support hotel workers, restaurant workers, cab drivers, as they come to see the big hit but also see a few other shows which each have from 20 to 100 people employed. Theater really does trickle down to regular people who aren't well off.

Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster are an event that will get coverage on TV and local papers around the country...

LB
Atlanta
6h ago
I saw it exactly one week ago. I sat in the front row. It was PERFECTION. For those that say this show is hokey and outdated - you are welcome to keep those opinions and skip the show so that there are more seats left for those of us that appreciate the absolute magic of this production. After spending the past two years stuck in Covid misery, I felt nothing but sheer joy for the entirety of the show. And it has kept a smile on my face for the past week. This show is a unicorn, and you will regret it if you miss it.

*******************

RGD
NJ
2h ago
@lb on the train home from NYC after the Music Man matinee, and I fully agree with your description of this joyous production. I haven’t smiled this much in two years!

[jo]

To answer those accusing the show of being elitist because of its pricing (NYTimes feature)--

Craig Kuehl
East Village
54m agoe
Our 4th row side orchestra seats were less than $300 each including taxes and fees. This is a lot of money, but I am not a tourist just a dedicated NYC theatre goer. Think of the 40 member cast and the — I’m guessing here — 80
crew, theater rental, royalties and advertising and it seems like a bargain to me.

Btw, have you been reading the BWW thread on the rUSH line? Some very enthusiastic theatregoers there -- no matter the weather. I am glad that the show has been very generous - giving a row B-Center seat for USD forty-nine

Jo

[jo]

LOL!

billy pullen
Memphis, Tn
10h ago
Love both Sutton Foster and Hugh Jackman. Proud that this will be huge success, but I must admit I am not a fan of Jackman's singing voice. He sounds like a male Ethel Merman on a bad day, Fortunately most people will not notice or care.
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2 REPLIES
m.pipik commented 6 hours ago
M
m.pipik
NewYork
6h ago
@billy pullen

Harold Hill is supposed to be a good singer?
Reply2 RecommendShareFlag





Ihaveanotheropinion commented 21 minutes ago
I
Ihaveanotheropinion
Mendon
17m ago
@m.pipik
I mean, Walter Matthau played Harold Hill. If he could do it, anyone can! Personally, I’d much rather look at Hugh Jackman!

[jo]

Additional NYTimes responses --

CK
East Village
50m ago

Hoakey? It's Broadway's first rap musical!

Judging from the audience's (and my) reaction to last night's performance, this will be a stupendous hit. I have never seen an audience love back a set of performers as it did the cast of The Music Man. Hugh Jackson and Sutton Foster's playing off each other (improvising brilliantly when something went wrong -- or even better pretending that something went wrong and pretending to improvise) enthralled us all.

This was no tourist audience. These were committed theatre-goers. How do I know? When Jane Houdyshell made her first appearance the audience roar was overwhelming. No tourist audience would honor this great actress that way.

Sutton Foster is not type-cast, no, but she adds unprecedented depth to Marian's suspicions about Hill all through the first act.

Go, if only to see true Broadway royalty be paid the love they deserve.

Isadora
Rochester, NY
5m ago

My kids got tickets for Oct. 2020 to celebrate my 80th birthday. Postponed 3x because of Covid shutdown. We finally went Jan.23. Theatre was packed. Show was a joy. We pretty much knew it by heart from the movie; still three generations of us were delighted.

[jo]

[jo]

From a member of the orchestra --

[jo]