Miracle of The Music Man

Music publisher Cabaniss (Music Business Essentials: A Guide for Aspiring Professionals) pens a lovely tribute to Meredith Willson (1902–84), highlighting his role as lyricist and composer for one of the most beloved and successful Broadway musicals, 1957’s The Music Man. While providing biographical context and setting the stage with tales of Willson’s youth in small-town Iowa, touring with the Sousa Band, and a stint under Toscanini as a flutist in the New York Philharmonic, the author focuses more on the genesis of the show (and its 1962 film version), whose undimmed popularity after 65 years attests to its universality. Entertaining vignettes about members of the creative team and their contemporaries as well as excerpts from interviews with Willson’s widow and associates abound. Descriptions of Willson’s other musical endeavors, a smattering of photos and copious chapter notes complement the main narrative. Cabaniss’ discussions of more recent revivals of The Music Man on stage and television and his comparisons with other significant musicals prove invaluable.