Show guide
The Music Man
The Music Man is a warm, comic slice of Americana about a charming con artist whose scheme to swindle a small Iowa town gets complicated by an unexpected dose of sincerity.
- Broadway premiere
- 1957
- Music by
- Meredith Willson
- Genre
- Golden Age
- Setting
- 1910s
The Music Man: quick answers
What is The Music Man about?
- Con man Harold Hill poses as a music professor to sell band instruments to the people of River City, Iowa, then falls for Marian, the town librarian, while helping her shy brother.
When did The Music Man open on Broadway?
- The Music Man opened on Broadway on December 19, 1957, at the Majestic Theatre and ran for 1,375 performances. A 2022 revival starring Hugh Jackman played the Winter Garden Theatre.
Is The Music Man a Golden Age musical?
- Yes. It opened in 1957, at the height of the Golden Age, and won the Tony for Best Musical over West Side Story. Its original cast album won the first Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album.
Where and when is The Music Man set?
- The Music Man is set in the fictional small town of River City, Iowa, in 1912.
Has The Music Man played in London's West End?
- The Music Man opened at London's Adelphi Theatre in 1961 starring Van Johnson and ran for 395 performances.
Is there a The Music Man movie?
- Robert Preston reprised Harold Hill in the 1962 film with Shirley Jones and a young Ron Howard, and Matthew Broderick and Kristin Chenoweth starred in a 2003 television film.
The story of The Music Man
Set in the fictional River City, Iowa, in the early 1900s, the musical follows Harold Hill, a fast-talking traveling salesman who poses as a band organizer to con townspeople out of money for instruments and uniforms he never intends to deliver. His plan starts to unravel, in the best possible way, when he falls for Marian, the town's skeptical librarian and piano teacher.
The show captures a nostalgic, idealized version of small-town Midwestern life at the turn of the century, full of gossiping townsfolk, a suspicious mayor, and a community slowly won over by Hill's showmanship. It is as much a comedy of persuasion as it is a romance, built around the tension between Hill's deception and the genuine good he accidentally brings to the town.
The music and the makers
Meredith Willson wrote both the music and lyrics, drawing on his own Iowa upbringing to give the show its distinctive small-town flavor and rhythmic, almost spoken-word style of songwriting. His background as a musician gave the score an unusual structural inventiveness for its time, including layered counterpoint and rapid-fire patter numbers.
The score fits squarely within the Golden Age tradition, mixing barbershop-quartet harmonies, marching band flourishes, and tender ballads to match the show's turn-of-the-century small-town setting.
The Music Man on Broadway
The Music Man opened on Broadway in 1957, arriving in the heart of the Golden Age alongside other major book musicals that emphasized strong storytelling and memorable, singable scores. Its charm and wit helped it stand out even in a crowded and competitive theatrical era.
The show has endured as a beloved piece of American musical theatre, frequently revived for its irresistible mix of comedy, romance, and nostalgic small-town Americana, and it remains a favorite for audiences drawn to classic, feel-good storytelling.
The Music Man: frequently asked questions
When did The Music Man open on Broadway?
The Music Man opened on Broadway in 1957.
Who composed The Music Man?
Meredith Willson wrote the music and lyrics, drawing on his own small-town Iowa upbringing.
What is The Music Man about?
It follows con artist Harold Hill as he schemes to swindle a small Iowa town before falling for its skeptical librarian, Marian.
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