The Music Man (4) "Wells Fargo Wagon"

Continuing The Adventures of Me in the Gahanna Community Theatre production of THE MUSIC MAN by Meredith Wilson.

We're now in our last week of rehearsals before the show opens this Friday. Have you gotten your tickets yet?

A shady character going by the name of Professor Harold Hill stops off in River City, Iowa to try to con people out of their money to fund a boys' band. Of course, he has no intention of ever actually starting the band. Problems ensue when he starts to have feelings for the local librarian.

As a member of the chorus I play a citizen of River City. We sing four songs: "Iowa Stubborn," "76 Trombones," "Trouble," and my favorite, "Wells Fargo Wagon." (I've talked about all of these songs except "Trouble," so if you want to hear Robert Preston's THE MUSIC MAN versions of them, search The Theatre thread for the month of January and February and they should pop right up.) As a kid I sometimes would order stickers or model kids from magazines, or I subscribed to comic-books. I *loved* the idea that the mailman or the deliveryman would stop and bring me something cool, delivered right to my door. And this is a fun song all about that phenomenon. 

By the way, as a citizen of River City I have ONE line. Here it is in its entirety: "What are you doing about getting our money back!?!"

You'll have to come see me to find out what my cue is to say the line, though.

I've had a lot of fun doing this show, and I hope only two things: (1) that I don't mess up my rat-a-tat "Rock Island" salesman bit at the very beginning, and (2) that I don't trip or otherwise cause myself or others embarrassment. I always say that as long as I am not the least talented person on stage, I'm doing okay.

Oddly enough, in the movie of THE MUSIC MAN the Mayor and Shirley Jones (as the librarian) have their conversation between verse 1 and verse 2. In the stage version, their conversation occurs before the song starts. I wonder why that was changed.

If you want to wish me luck, tell me "break a leg." That is the traditional theatre way of saying, "Good luck." 

If you would like to know more about when and where our production will be, please click the Gahanna Community Theatre homepage. or purchase tickets from iTickets here