Man | Music

: Willson reportedly went through over 40 drafts and wrote more than 40 songs over several years before the show finally hit the stage.

: The show was written by composer-lyricist Meredith Willson, who drew deep inspiration from his own childhood in Mason City, Iowa. Music Man

Meredith Willson's is a cornerstone of American musical theater, premiering on Broadway in 1957. It tells the story of Harold Hill , a charismatic con man who poses as a band leader in River City, Iowa, to swindle the townspeople before unexpectedly falling for the local librarian, Marian Paroo. Origins and Writing : Willson reportedly went through over 40 drafts

The show is renowned for its rhythmic and creative use of language: It tells the story of Harold Hill ,

THE MUSIC MAN. May 18, 2017: Theatre Yesterday and… | by Ron Fassler

: The opening number is a "galvanic" rhythmic speech piece performed by traveling salesmen, designed to mimic the sounds and cadences of a moving train.

: One of Willson's original (and eventually discarded) concepts was to center the show around a child with autism, before pivoting to the nostalgic, middle-American town setting that became a cultural phenomenon. Musical Innovations