The current Broadway revival of The Music Man, starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster, is one of the hottest - and most expensive! - tickets around. But what are the origins of this classic show?

The beginnings of The Music Man stretch back to 1948 when Meredith Willson started to compose a musical inspired by his childhood in Mason City, Iowa. After several years, many attempts to find producers, numerous rewrites and a change of title from its original name of The Silver Triangle, the show finally made it to Broadway in December 1957. 

The story of The Music Man takes place in 1912 and follows con man Harold Hill, who sells band instruments and uniforms to Midwestern townsfolk by promising to train the new band members, despite his actual intention to skip town. Along the way, he starts to fall for the town librarian and piano teacher Marian, and when he helps her younger brother to overcome his lisp, Marian starts to return the feelings.

Robert Preston played Hill in the original cast, opposite Barbara Cook as Marian. They both won Tony Awards for their roles, with the show scooping several other Tonys including the award for Best Musical, beating West Side Story. The show was a hit and played for over three years.

In 1961, the first UK production of The Music Man starring Van Johnson and Patricia Lambert opened at Bristol Hippodrome, then transferred to the Adelphi Theatre for a West End run, where it played for 395 performances.

Soon after, in 1962, a popular movie version was produced, with Robert Preston reprising his role as Harold, and Shirley Jones also starring as Marian.

The show has had two major Broadway revivals. The first, in 2000 at the Neil Simon Theatre, starred Craig Bierko in his Broadway debut, opposite Rebecca Luker, and ran for 699 performances and 22 previews. Replacements for Bierko included Robert Sean Leonard (best known for his TV work in House) and Eric McCormack (best known for Will & Grace). The second major revival opened in February 2022 and is currently playing at the Winter Garden Theatre. It’s due to close on 15 January 2023, so you’ve not got long to catch it!

If you want to check out the music from the show, you’re spoilt for choice! There are numerous cast recordings including the original Broadway cast, original London cast and the current Broadway cast, plus the movie soundtrack. You can also hear parodies of The Music Man songs, most often ‘Ya Got Trouble’, in TV shows like The Simpsons, Family Guy, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Boston Legal and even My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic!

FACTS:

Music & lyrics: Meredith Willson

Book: Meredith Wilson & Franklin Lacey

Theatre: Majestic Theatre

Run: 19 December 1957 - 15 April 1961 (1,375 performances)

TONYS:

Original Broadway Production:

(NOMINATED) Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (Iggie Wolfington), Best Direction of a Musical (Morton DaCosta), Best Choreography (Onna White)

(WON) Best Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (Robert Preston), Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical (Barbara Cook), Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (David Burns), Best Conductor and Musical Director (Herbert Greene), Best Stage Technician (Sammy Knapp)

2000 Broadway revival:

(NOMINATED) Best Revival of a Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (Craig Bierko), Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical (Rebecca Luker), Best Direction of a Musical (Susan Stroman), Best Choreography (Susan Stroman), Best Orchestrations (Doug Besterman), Best Scenic Design (Thomas Lynch), Best Costume Design (William Ivey Long)

2022 Broadway revival:

(NOMINATED) Best Revival of a Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (Hugh Jackman), Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical (Sutton Foster), Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical (Jayne Houdyshell), Best Costume Design of a Musical (Santo Loquasto), Best Choreography (Warren Carlyle)

Watch Craig Bierko and the cast of the 2000 Broadway revival perform '76 Trombones' at the 54th Tony Awards: