I am going to see a production of 'The Music Man' today.

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
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More specifically, the last show of the run, at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign, Illinois.

I have never seen a stage production, though my high school put one on about five years ago. I was in middle school, didn’t get to see it, but my cousin played one of the trombones (no, they didn’t paint him gold and operate his slide, he actually PLAYED one). He told me about the movie, we caught it on TCM or AMC (they’re right next to each other, and I can’t ever remember which one I see which movies on).

Instantly, I realized that this is one of the better movies I had ever seen, that Robert Preston, Buddy Hackett, and Shirley Jones are really good actors (not to mention Hermione Gingold and Paul Ford), and that if I ever got the chance, I would BE Harold Hill. Well, I haven’t gotten that chance yet, but today, I’m going to see what it would be like.

I think I may have my expectations set a bit too high, but I’ll enjoy it either way.

Seriously, this is one of my Favorite Movies of All Time. Yeah, yeah, I know. . .I haven’t seen quite a few of the “classics” and I’m thinking of starting a thread in IMHO about that soon.

But anyway. . .just to let everyone know what’s going on with me today. . .

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Open your mind.

Open your heart.

Bear in mind that, while you may love Preston, Jones, et al., the people who you are watching have spent weeks on their lines, choreography and music.

If this is your first exposure to live theatre, bubbe, you’re in for a treat. This is, bar none, one of the BEST shows ever written for the stage.

I honestly envy you, because i wish to be truly entranced by a show like this again, like I have not been entanced for years.

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*entranced

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Love the show. I’ve seen the movie many times and have seen a local theater group do it on stage (a friend of ours was Mrs. Paroo).

My only gripe is tha damn “Gary Indiana” song. I think the only qualification for the role of the Winthrop Paroo is to have an annoying voice. I still haven’t forgiven Ronnie Howard (yes, him), the movie’s original Winthrop, for planting that song in my head.

“Pick-a-little, Talk-a-little, Pick-a-little, Talk-a-little, …”