`The Music Man’ brings family fun to Ellsworth

“The Music Man,” which opened Friday night at The Grand in Ellsworth, strikes a rollicking, frolicking, bring-the-kids note. When you see the glittering brass, hear the rolling drums and feel the blaring trumpets, you’re sure to feel something akin to the electric thrill that this magnificent cast of community crooners has captured during an evening of upbeat entertainment. But you’ll be hard-pressed to decide who’s having more fun: you, the little girl in front of you who’s sitting on the edge of her seat, or the 50-plus performers in the show.

Most everyone knows the tale of how the city slicker, con man Harold Hill, scams the town folk of River City, Iowa, with a sales pitch full of about as much hot air as the train that brought him into town. A blight on the good name of traveling salesmen around the country, Hill sells band instruments and flashy uniforms to undiscerning, hopeful parents, but skips town before revealing that he knows not a note of music. The debonair Hill lives by the “Think System”: you don’t actually learn to play notes; you just think them and eventually out they’ll come.

He makes his way into River City and begins his hoax by extolling the evils of a newly installed pool table which, as any “Music Man” maniac knows, spells trouble with a capital “T.” Instead, he proposes, the town should have a boys band. But his encounter with the “Iowa stubborn” folk of this shipoopi-ing town undoes the old charmer. And it’s not just that he gets caught downwind of his own spite, but he makes the most momentous (and essential) mistake a man in a musical can make: he falls in love with the town soprano. Indeed, Marian the librarian reforms the roguish Hill.

So it’s the white-knight-and-transformed-old-maid story at the center of this show, which is not the only outdated notion therein. But there’s a nest of other delightful townies who make this honeyed play a hoot. The stage is alive with the bustling Mayor Shinn, his wife Eulalie, her entourage of pickalittle-talkalittle biddies, a quartet of barbershop singing board members, and children, children, children.

Director Ken Stack must have a bit of Hill’s spellbinding powers himself to compose a show as successful and elaborate as this one. Despite the large cast, wobbly set pieces, an uncertain curtain and numerous scenes with a surprising variety of designs, the action progresses with commendable sophistication and smoothness.

Sounding like 76 trombones and 110 cornets, the 16-piece orchestra, under the direction of John Haskell, delivers a rousing performance of this rhythmic score. Unfortunately, many of the joking lyrics get lost in the fanfare.

Teen-age choreographer Meridith Schaller wows with wide-eyed, ducky group dance numbers (and guffaws with gusto in her stage role as Zaneeta Shinn, too).

Every captivating moment of Tom Ingham’s portrayal of Harold Hill is filled with cleverness, panache and zest. You won’t find a more dapper gentleman this side of the Mississippi. As his wiser-not-sadder girl Marian, Elaine Hewes is less dynamic, but charms with her beautiful voice. John Ballou is in rare form, stomping about making demands and waving a warning finger.

Steve Elliot, Luke S. Hedger, Irv Hodgkin and Ken Christian offer sidesplitting drollery as they wander through scenes with hilarious (and impressive) harmonies. Fine supporting performances are offered by Scott Dyer, Debra Lee, Lily Christian and Virginia Snapp Cunningham. And young Jeremy Sawyer, as Marian’s monosyllabic baby brother, gives a tickling performance, particularly during his solo “Gary, Indiana.”

In the words of Harold Hill: never put off tomorrow the pleasures of today. This peachy show is a winner that you don’t want to miss.

“The Music Man” by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey will be performed 8 p.m. May 17 and 18, and 2:30 p.m. May 19 at The Grand Auditorium. For tickets or information, call 667-9500.