The Music Man at CPT

Last night it was so much fun to see a full production of The Music Man at Centerpoint Legacy Theatre (the first for CPT since the pandemic). I really love all of the old classic musicals, especially The Music Man, because they remind me so much of my Grandma Anderson. Every single familiar song made me want to sing along, especially "Ya Got Trouble," "Seventy-Six Trombones," "The Wells Fargo Wagon," and "Gary, Indiana," but I somehow controlled myself! This show tells the well-known story of a traveling salesman who comes to swindle the residents of River City into buying band instruments and uniforms but falls in love with a librarian instead and this production is very well done! I really enjoyed the entire cast! Russell Maxfield is incredibly charismatic and charming as Harold Hill and Mailee Halpin has a beautiful voice as the uptight yet vulnerable Marion, particularly in the songs "Goodnight My Someone," "My White Knight," and "'Till There Was You." Chad Wilkinson is the embodiment of befuddled pomposity as Mayor Shinn ("Not one poop out of you, madame.") and Angela Brown is hilarious with her version of a Grecian Urn as Eulalie MacKecknie Shinn (as a sometime character actress, Eulalie is my dream role). Tyler Bender as Zaneeta, Mayor Shinn's oldest girl, and Brevin Gardner as Tommy Djilas, a boy with reform school written all over him, are amazing dancers who lead a terrific ensemble in the big production numbers (more on them later).  Micah Thornton is adorable as Winthrop, especially when he lisps, while Bridget Maxwell is an absolute hoot as Amaryllis and I laughed out loud during her cross-hand piano piece (I love this young actress because she stole the show as Gloria in HCT's production of Wait Until Dark and again as Lavender in HCT's production of Matilda). The feuding school board members, Nathan Asay, Eric Corrington, Paul Dixon, and Jeffrey Duncan, harmonize beautifully in "Goodnight Ladies," "Sincere," and "Lida Rose" and they are definitely a highlight of the show. The sets are also very well done and I especially liked the two-level library, the interior and exterior of the Paroo house, the fountain in the park, and the footbridge. The energetic choreography is a lot of fun and it is executed very well by the talented cast, particularly in "Seventy-Six Trombones," "Marion the Librarian," and "Shipoopi." I had a smile on my face throughout the entire show because it is just so delightful and I highly recommend it for a bit of nostalgic fun (go here for tickets).