“One of a bare handful of hit Broadway musicals to have been written in its entirety by a single person, The Music Man opened to rave reviews in 1957, beat out West Side Story at the Tony Awards, and ran for 1,375 performances. Then it was turned into one of the most popular Hollywood musicals ever filmed. It was successfully revived on Broadway in 2000, filmed a second time for TV in 2003, and continues to be performed regularly by regional and amateur theater companies throughout America. Why, then, is Meredith Willson–the author of its libretto and music and lyrics–so completely forgotten?…”
Terry Teachout on the arts in New York City
An ArtsJournal Blog