Ah, the classic musical. A beast so loved and yet so…creaky.
I’ll be honest: when Musicals at Richter announced that their second show of the year was going to be The Music Man, I groaned a little bit. It was just on Broadway last year, starring none other than Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster, so naturally all the community theaters are going to jump on the hype. But at its core, The Music Man is a show from it’s time and I have seen countless productions of it that just folded in on themselves because the performers could not make the tired material fresh.
I am very glad I was asked to write this review, because Richter found a way around that problem.
The Music Man follows the story of Harold Hill, a travelling con artist salesman who finds himself in River City, Iowa. His schtick is simple: sell the town on starting a boy’s marching band, sell them the instruments and uniforms, and then get the heck out of dodge before he actually has to have the kids perform for their doting (And swindled) parents. But in River City, he finds an obstacle he’s never encountered before: Miss Marion Paroo, local librarian and music teacher.
Cast in the role of Harold is Danbury local Mensah Robinson. Robinson, for as long as I have seen him on stage (And it’s been a very long time), has been a powerhouse performer. After seeing him perform as Harold, I’m not sure that he’s going to be able to top this role in his rep. For the first time in every production of this show that I have seen, I actually was able to enjoy the role of Harold instead of being irritated with him. Robinson brings a charismatic energy to the role and simultaneously isn’t afraid to make him just a little bit of a jerk – he is a con man, after all.
Playing Robinson’s leading lady Marion is Claire Simard from Ridgefield. Claire too also brought new layers to her role – while Marion is usually (From what I have observed over the years) portrayed as icy and unfeeling and then suddenly able to flip a switch and admit her feelings about Harold to herself, Simard has made Marion likeable. And dare I say it – she has even made the usually very one-dimensional leading lady interesting.
But the success of this production, while it hinges on Robinson and Simard, stems from the entire cast. For the first time in a long time, this jaded reviewer cannot really pinpoint a weak link among the many performers. From the chirps of the Pick a Little Ladies to the many youth performers getting a chance to show the world what they’ve got, every single performer in this production approached their roles with enthusiasm and were clearly having fun on stage – which any performer and frequent audience member will know makes a huge difference to the quality of the performances. There are too many cast members to list them all individually – and honestly, I would love to do a write up of every single member of this cast – but they all shone and should be commended for their hard work.
All in all, this is a fantastic production. It’s running Thursday, Friday and Saturday of this week so if you can get to Richter on one of those nights, I highly recommend you do so. You’ll leave singing and just feeling happy – which is what the classic, creaky musical was designed to do in the first place.
(Photo Credit: David Henningsen Photography)
Musicals at Richter (MAR), celebrating 39 seasons as the longest-running outdoor theater in Connecticut, continues its summer offerings with the classic Broadway favorite “The Music Man,” playing through August 12. Featuring a live band and a cast of talented local actors, performances take place outdoors under the stars Friday through Sunday evenings at 8:00 p.m. on the grounds of the Richter Arts Center, 100 Aunt Hack Road, in Danbury, with additional specially discounted performances on Thursday August 3 and 10.
Grounds open at 7:00 p.m. for picnicking, with the show at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors (65+) and students (with ID) and $15 for children 10 and under. For the Thursday performances (August 3 and 10), tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and students, and $10 for children 10 and under. Limited front row VIP seating is also available for purchase at every performance. Audience
members are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets for lawn seating. A limited number of chairs are available free of charge at the concession area, and a snack/soft drink concession is on site.
For tickets and further information, visit the website at www.musicalsatrichter.org, leave a message at 203-748-6873 or e-mail info@musicalsatrichter.org