The Music Man

The Music Man
Candlelight Dinner Playhouse
Johnstown, CO 
September 7 - November 5, 2017

Candlelight Dinner Playhouse is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. This group has found their sweet spot in the Colorado theater scene by presenting classic shows that aren’t often performed in the Denver metro area. The first show of their second decade is The Music Man – shows don’t get much more classic than this.

The show centered around Harold Hill, a smooth travelling salesman. Their Harold had a smile as wide as Iowa and enough charisma to charm the hardest of hearts. His antics gave the people of River City a much needed diversion from their dull daily lives. This character was so well performed that we couldn’t help but love him, despite his questionable motives.

Marian the librarian was lovely to look at and hear, even if she was a bit dull. She seemed too easily swayed by Harold’s charms, but it’s the scenario the audience longed for.

The main characters were surrounded by a wide range of crazy characters. The best was the Mayor’s wife who was a comedy show on her own. The barbershop quartet were spectacular to listen to, and I loved their silly antics when their situations were less than harmonious.

As always, the sets at the Candlelight transported the audience into the right setting. The scenes changed deftly and smoothly, never taking away from the action. I also appreciated how the characters changed costumes to denote changes in time. (A costumer for this show could easily decide to keep everyone dressed in the same costume throughout.)

There wasn’t anything to dislike about this show, It is not a deep social or political commentary and they never tried to make it into one. It’s a a fun time at the theater with something for everyone. And be prepared for one of the best curtain calls you will ever see.