‘Music Man’ hits the boards running

By TOM KANE

FORESTBURGH, NY — Whenever I go to a musical comedy, I try to observe my right foot. When it’s stomping away with the music, I know that I like what I’m hearing.

Last night at the dress rehearsal of Meredith Willson’s 1950s hit, “The Music Man,” at the Forestburgh Playhouse, my foot never stopped stomping.

Before the cast began the dress run-through, director and choreographer Brian Feehan rehearsed a couple of scenes to iron out some rough spots.

But I didn’t see any rough spots during those scenes or during the entire dress rehearsal.

Feehan looked like something of a magician when he corralled what looked like an unruly mob of actors, singers, dancers and assorted children into a buzzing machine of an ensemble on its way to a finale.

When I heard from someone in the cast that the company had only two weeks to prepare, I knew that I was among professionals.

The singing and dancing will stir up your stumps as you watch. How those people moved so easily around that rather tiny stage (at least by Broadway standards), I will never figure out.

Eighteen children from local school districts in Sullivan and Orange Counties moved in and around the older performers with ease and confidence. Some of them were “oldtimers,” like Erin Slaver of the Liberty School, who played the fiddler in “Fiddler on the Roof” two years ago and appeared in many productions over the last three years.

Timothy Booth, in the role of the shyster Harold Hill, has the right amount of sliminess and sincerity to make his conversion at the end believable. Booth is a sharp presence on the stage and has the voice to match it.

Michelle Lynn Bates, in the role of Marion the Librarian, makes a believable switch from initial skepticism to love of Hill’s braggadocio believable. Her strength and sweetness makes Hill’s deceit crumble and turns him into an honest man.

Another “oldtimer” at the Playhouse is Mary Burkart, a veteran of the Delaware Valley Opera, who portrays the zany Mrs. Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn. The actress and singer renders a ridiculous Eulalie (which is what she should do).

 In 1955, “The Music Man” with Robert Preston and Barbara Cook was the first Broadway production that I had ever seen, so I’m partial to it. While this production isn’t Broadway, it’s not very far behind.

“The Music Man” runs until July 20 at the Forestburgh Playhouse. The Box Office is open on Sunday and Monday from 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m., on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 12:00 noon to 8:00 p.m., and on Thursday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

For reservations call 845/794-1194.