'The Music Man'

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The town ladies (Jeany Park, Sarah Jane Nelson, K.T. Vogt, Monique Barbee, Linda Alper) gather to give advice to Harold Hill. Photo by Jenny Graham.

Over the years, I've seen several productions of "The Music Man," Meredith Willson's 1957 valentine to his beloved Iowa that is surely the quintessential American musical. But none compares to the 2009 Oregon Shakespeare Festival's presentation in the Bowmer Theatre under Bill Rauch's dazzling and innovative direction.

Consider the opening gambit, when some traveling salesmen are riding in a moving railway coach headed for River City, Iowa. Their sales-speak is, "Ya gotta know the territory," and they all have much to say.

One of them, Charlie Cowell (John Pribyl), who lugs around a suitcase containing anvils (a hard sell, you'd think), sounds off about Professor Harold Hill, a music man, accusing him of being "just a bang beat, bell-ringin', big haul, great go, neck-or-nothin', rip roarin', ever'-time a-bull's-eye salesman."

The pace of their remarks matches the train's motion — accelerating, decelerating and coming to a full stop. Not only is the dialogue brilliantly written and conceived, it is stunningly delivered and evoked a thunderous ovation from the audience, such as might be accorded a play at its end, but not at its start.

Oh, yes, "The Music Man" is hugely entertaining.

Harold Hill (Michael Elich), meantime, is shrewdly pushing the pollution of pool and the need for the parents to support a healthy project such as a school band. He also pitches his woo to Marian Paroo (Gwendolyn Mulamba), but doesn't give up easily. In "My White Knight" she sings about the kind of man she wants, while he bemoans about "The Sadder-but-Wiser Girl."

Marian is a piano teacher besides the librarian, and one of her pupils is Amaryllis Squires (Chloe Brown), a role shared with Amelia Mejia, who has a crush on Marian's kid brother Winthrop (Sergio Thompson). He has a bad lisp and has been traumatized by the death of his father. (Ashton Roxander shares this role.)

Harold Hill connives to use the kids to his advantage. He even prevails on the wife of the mayor, Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn (Linda Alper), to taken on the chairmanship of a Dance Committee he is forming. This is much to the chagrin of the self-serving mayor (Richard Elmore), who happens to own the local billiards parlor. So there is much afoot.

One of the delights in the show is the Barber Shop Quartet. How did that get into the action? Well, thanks to Professor Hill.

He persuades four members of the School Board to say "ice cream" and then gives each of them a different pitch and gets them to sing in unison. As easy as that! They take off with "How Can there be any Sin in Sincere?" Other selections include "Lida Rose/Will I Ever Tell You?" and "It's You." The singers are Robert Vincent Frank, Cristofer Jean, Jeremy Peter Johnson, and Brad Whitmore, all of whom were among the salesmen on the train.

As for the musical accompaniment, an orchestral pit was erected, with just the head and shoulders of the pianist (Darcy Danielson) visible. The musicians on flutes, trumpets, reeds, trombones, percussion, in addition to guitar, banjo, and bass guitar, are concealed below and offer plenty of good sound.

Rachel Hauck's spacious scenic design permits the gray painted flooring to change color meaningfully as the story develops, and Geoff Korf, the lighting designer, uses color to enhance the action.

Another asset is the costume design of Shigeru Yaji, from the white-suited Quartet to Howard Hill's varied wardrobe. And the lovely hats and dresses for the ladies, and even the Grecian pottery (jugs and basins) that literally go to their heads.

The choreography by Darren Lee, in his first season with OSF, is exciting and energetic and excellently performed. Especially lively is the outrageous new dance called "The Shipoopi."

Among the musical riches are "Goodnight, My Someone" and "Seventy Six Trombones." They are the same tune but with different time signatures. At the end, there's the sentimental ballad, "Till There was You." Or, maybe, Winthrop's rendition of "Gary, Indiana" will touch your heart.

The cast is superlative. Michael Elich as Professor Hill is so quick in action, he almost flies around the stage, and in the end becomes the redeemed rascal. As the Librarian, Gwendolyn Mulamba charms with her strong singing voice and ends Act One with an exquisite gesture. I particularly liked Howie Seago as Marcellus Washburn, a former colleague of Hill's, who has gone straight; his gestures and expressions are telling indeed. He is a newcomer to OSF. Lastly, to old comer Richard Elmore (25 seasons with OSF), congratulations for a well-drawn pompous and quick-tempered Mayor Shinn.

"The Music Man" is a triumph. It plays through Nov. l.