Last night I stayed for the entire rehearsal of the Music Man. I have been going to the Bushnell for over 50 years. Last night's performance was one of--if not THE--best shows I have ever seen at the Bushnell!! It may have been one of the best shows I have ever seen anywhere. My hat is off to you and the rest of the spectacular cast. I cannot believe anything so well done could be produced locally--and in so short a time. This should be playing across the country!!

Please accept this as my most sincere, highest compliment. I can't wait for my wife and I to see it again Saturday.

I had the privilege of watching the dress rehersal last night and was impressed with the quality of the production. The comedy was funny and the music superb. But the best part is how much those on stage enjoy themselves, particularly the kids. Great job Bushnell!

Good Morning to All,

Last night, my wife and I had the opportunity to attend the final dress rehearsal for The Bushnell’s fabulous new production and presentation of Meredith Wilson’s “The Music Man” staring Shirley Jones and Patrick Cassidy. This show, originally designed as a concert version to celebrate the 50th anniversary of this wonderful musical play, now boasts great choreography, wonderful production numbers and a top flight cast, including a terrific on stage orchestra, conducted by Edward Cumming (HSO Maestro), singers from The Hartt School and big brass bands. It is a must see and I hope you will try to catch this great theatrical event.

It runs from today through Sunday and you can visit www.bushnell.org for additional information. Have a good day and enjoy the music!!!

Hartford IS River City!! Patrick Cassidy's devilish smile and energy is contagious. The entire cast is clearly having fun and the result is great entertainment. We loved hearing the classic songs we all know and did not even perhaps realize come from "Music Man." Thank you Scott Galbraith and others for taking the big step of producing this great musical!

BRAVO!!! My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the show! We have been Music Man fans for years. Our oldest son can even recite many of the lines. To see it here in Hartford, produced by the Bushnell, and with Shirley Jones in the cast, was a major treat. But the credit does not stop there. The entire cast did a remarkable job. I had chills when the curtain came down in the final scene. It was heart-warming!
Congratulations to the Bushnell and all concerned!

As Bushnell volunteers, we had the good fortune of working opening night of "The Music Man". Bravo to all involved in this wonderful production. If you have the opportunity, do not miss this show. It is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. In one word this show was "magnificent"!

What an awesome show, and to think that it all came together in one week is absolutely amazing. The entire cast was fabulous - from Shirley Jones to the children, the Symphony, Hartt School choir, and of course, our wonderful niece and cousin, Tracy Funke, aka Ethel Toffelmier!! You rocked, Trace - we are SO proud of you.

Congratulations to everyone involved for such a wonderful performance. It’s so hard to believe that this show was put together in just one week.
The cast’s dancing was lively and laced with humor and many comedic moments found us chuckling throughout the whole show.
The children were amazing and adorable.
The Quartet was amusing and very talented.
Lisa Vroman amazed us with her voice and Jason Graae’s Shipoopi was fantastic!
David Coffee as Mayor Shinn and Mary Stout as the Mayor's wife were hysterical
Patrick Cassidy was charming and charismatic as Prof. Harold Hill.
Shirley Jones was magical, from her first appearance on stage to her last “story”. What a touching way to reach out and share such an emotional experience with all of us! Thank you, so much!
The icing on the cake was to watch “our” daughter perform as Ethel Toffelmier on her hometown stage!
If you want to have fun, and a great evening, pay a visit to River City via the BUSHNELL!

What a wonderful Music Man and a great coup for the Bushnell in it's first producing foray.Everyone in the cast looked like they were having a fantastic time. Great work Scott!

What a magical performance! I came to see Shirley Jones because since seeing her in the movie Oklahoma, I thought her voice was (and still is) heaven on earth! It was great seeing Patrick again (I saw him perform at the Hartford Stage in Martin Guere in the early 90s) and had not forgotten him. He is even more handsome and talented than I remembered. How special it was to see Shirley and Patrick together especially after the conclusion of the performance when they spoke to the audience and sang one last song together. You moved me and are both pure joy!

Kudos to all involved in creating this 50th anniversary performance. From the exceptional cast, the orchestra, the additional vocals and those behind the scenes you made this a night to remember. Congratulations on putting this all together with just one week of rehearsal. Thank you for sharing your talents and creating such a memorable performance!

Last night, my wife and I had the privilage to see "The Music Man - A 50th Anniversary Tribute". In all of the years that we have subscribed to The Broadway Series (including two previous productions of The Music Man), this Bushnell production of a timeless classic was one of the best shows we have ever seen. The casting was exceptional with Lisa Vroman, Patrick Cassidy, David Coffee and of course Shirley Jones. The children, the ensemble, the Hartt School choir and the on-stage presence of Edward Cumming and the orchestra were all perfectly incorporated into the show. This is a must see for young and old. Congratulations to everyone involved.

I saw opening night of Music Man yesterday. What can I say? I was not that impressed. As a designer and theatre professional myself I was quite disappointed with the outcome. I felt for the caliber of designers in all aspects, this show lacked that punch that you get from large shows like this. it didn't feel complete and I felt the lighting design was awkward and jumpy. and the set design was just to cheesy. I also was not quite sure the purpose of the choir in the back that basically did nothing. I didn't mind the stars, but come on, the kids playing tommy and Zaneeta, especially tommy should have been some of the best dancers especially being in front and yet he couldn't do the choreography. Overall, I am happy to know that the bushnell is trying to do their own work, I think thats fantastic, and i am glad they tried, but I don't think it was quite up to the caliber it should have been for the money and talent they had. overall I felt like I could have been watching a college level performance.

The "premier" show last night was OUTSTANDING.It's hard to believe it was put together in such a brief span...although,the hard work & long rehearsals were quite evident.As David Coffee said in his blog, the scene with the three generations (Lisa,Shirley, & Little Abigail McMillan) brought tears to many eyes...a memorable performance to say the least !!

What a great show !! Great voices,dance, & acting by all....especially the children with their wide-eyed innocence & amazing performances. Andrew Shipman & Abigail McMillan are quite the talented pair - their combined efforts unforgettable !!

I concur with the enthusiastic endorsement of Music man! It was exciting, joyous, and spontaneous --and very professionally produced with an exhuberant and very professional cast---I look forward to seeing it again on Friday.

I had performed in Whistle Down the Wind here at the Bushnell with Andrew (Winthrop), Abby (Amarilas), and Grace (ensemble) and they were awesome. I saw there dress rehearsal and there performance was fanominal!!! I wish I could perform with you guys! I'll see you at the Saturday night show. Break a leg to them and the whole cast! I love you guys "No Matter What"!

Great job on the Music Man. My 9 year old loved it, my teenager said it was good, and my husband found it very entertaining! That is a fun night out. Thanks for trying somthing new.

Last night we saw a fantastic performance, The Music Man 50th Anniversary Tribute at the Bushnell. As season subscribers we are used to seeing first rate shows. This has to rate
as the best we've seen! Our friends grandson & grand nephew, Andrew Shipman, shined
as Winthrop. Shirley Jones had us all misty eyed at the end with her story and duet with Patrick.

What an incredible performance of The Music Man on Wednesday night at the Bushnell! It brought me right back to a summer night in 1968 when, at the tender age of 5, I saw my very first musical...The Music Man(with Broadway legend John Raitt as Harold Hill) under the tent at the Oakdale Theater in Wallingford. I was hooked! To this day it's my very favorite show. Every performer on stage, from the amazing Shirley Jones and Patrick Cassidy to the Newington High School Marching Band (Go Indians!)were just phenomenal!

Major congrats to the Bushnell and to all involved with The Music Man.

I have to admit, I was not all that enthusiastic about seeing The Music Man and almost was going to miss it, I am so glad I didn't! WHAT A GREAT NIGHT OF THEATER! From start to finish this was one of the best productions The Bushnell has ever had and we have been seeing shows there for more than 20 years! It's too bad it's not playing longer so more people can experience it.

We cannot find the words to describe how perfect The Music Man 50th Anniv. show was. The singing was magnificant, acting superb, the music outstanding. We didn't see or hear one flaw - it was perfect from start to finish and warranted being on Broadway. Our hats go off to all the many people who were involved in this production. We hope the Bushnell will use this huge success as a message to themselves to create similar productions on their own in the future. YOU HAVE A WINNER HERE! Congratulations and thanks for an absolutely delightful evening. Oh what memories it brought back of Broadway!

Spring is the time that my husband and I go to Ohio to pick up my mother and bring her back to CT so she can visit with grandchildren and great grandchildren. As I was setting up our travel plans I got an email from the Bushnell telling about the upcoming show, The Music Man. As this is one of my favorite musicals, I right away purchased tickets, including for my mother. Right afterwards, I called my mother to tell her when we would be coming to Ohio to get her. When she answered the phone I heard very familiar music in the background...76 trombones, anyone!?! I was hard put to keep from telling her about tickets as it was to be a surprise birthday present for her. She was surprised! All 3 of us were in awe of the performance. Music, setting, actors, costumes...all were part of one of the most thrilling events we have ever seen and heard!! Thank you.

I attended opening night of The Music Man and have to admit that I didn't want the show to end. Both Shirley and her son brought River City to Life. This was an event that should be experienced by all, young and old. There are not that many shows that would appeal to young and young at heart but this is truly one of them. BRAVE!

I'm very sorry to say this show was not the caliber of show I expect to see in the Broadway series at the Bushnell. I felt like I was seeing a high school or college level show. If this is the kind of show that are going into the Broadway series I will not be getting my season tickets anymore.

My family and I saw the show last night and loved it!!! I couldn't believe that it took only 8 days to put what we saw last night together. Everyone did an amazing job and seemed to be completely enjoying themselves. We loved the set up of the stage with the band and that chorus in the background. We had thought that it was going to be purely a concert, but to have to whole story being told made it much more enjoyable. Great show!! I hope everyone has been pick-a-little-ing about this show!
Pick-a-little talk-a-little CHEEP!

It get's better every time!Last night we attended Music Man for the second time and were fortunate to sit in the first row...closer to see our Granddaughter,Abigail...or I should say Amaryllis.Our enthusiasm and praise was shared by everyone in our section during intermission especially for"Goodnight My Someone".To see her on the Bushnell stage,so comfortable beyond her 8 years, instilled immense pride & joy.
Abby,you're fabulous & we love you !!

JoJo & Bompa

Congratulations! Bravo! If The Music Man is one of the first examples of The Bushnell's production abilities, I can not wait to see what is next. Great job and thank you for bringing this production to Hartford.

I saw this show with my mother tonight, and we were very dissapointed. I expected alot more then what I saw of the show. We actually left early. While I think that the Bushnell doing there own shows is a nice thing, they should next time, put a better effort in.

Congratulations to all connected to this wonderful production of Music Man. I attended last night's performance and just sat there with a huge smile throughout. The casting of Shirley Jones and Patrick Cassidy introduced a palpable warmth to the show-elevating it to a "must-see" experience.
Sorry, Bob, but Patrick Cassidy will now be the definitive Harold Hill for me. He brought the element of a conman/salesman who believes in the dreams he sells, aspires to see it happen, but knows he falls short. Utterly charming. To have brought this together in just one week of rehearsal speaks to the professionalism of all involved, and I am sure, a ton of planning ahead of time to set the stage, literally and figuratively.
Kudos and many thanks,
Sue

The Bushnell did an excellent job producing the Music Man. I was in attendance on Wednesday. It was a wonderful musical experience. My only critique of the production is that the US flags did not appear to be period flags (1912). The US flag had 46 stars at the beginning of 1912 and then added 2 more for a total of 48 stars. Keep up the good work.

I was absolutely taken away by the cast, music, choreography and talent. I am so proud of you Tracy!!! An amazing show, absolutely amazing to be put together in a week!

My mother and I were fortunate enough to attend the Music Man matinee today and were brought to tears by the tremendous performance from the entire cast!!! We were apprehensive at first knowing it was going to be a concert-style production, but felt as if we were at a Broadway show by the end. Shirley Jones speaking afterwards created such a special added touch. We feel truly honored having witnessed such a wonderful production. Congratulations to all those involved!!!!

Last night's show was EXCELLENT! To be honest, I was not looking forward to it, but was SURPRISINGLY ENTERTAINED throughout the high energy, well-acted/-sang show. The cast was superb - spectacular - outstanding, and to have Shirley Jones and her son Patrick tell that story at the end just made it all even more special (and to hear Shirley sing her song at the end too!) We've been subscribers since the first season, and I have to say it was one of your best shows.
p.s. if this goes on the road, one suggestion is to eliminate or shorten the Marian dance, which we thought went on a little too long, even if it is in the movie... Thanks for a wonderful exciting show!

I attended the Sunday matinee performance of the Music Man with my 80 year old mother and my 5 year old daughter. It was my daughter's first live 'Broadway' musical. We were all entranced from start to finish! It was also great seeing some Hartt classmates of mine playing in the onstage orchestra, and also of course: Shirley Jones, Patrick Cassidy, the wonderful children performers and the rest of the talented cast! It was an experience we won't soon forget! I highly recommend that everyone goes to see it, and that they put on more shows!:)

My wife and I had the good fortune to be given tickets by a friend. We couldn't be more pleased to have seen this wonderful show.

My Mother,Sister and I attended Wednesday night's presentation of The Music Man.We all thought,it was wonderful and certainly a very enjoyable experience.My favorite portion was the ending.When Shirley Jones and her son,Patrick stood in front of the stage and they shared a few comments about the original Music Man.It just was a just the right ending. It put a wonderful personal touch to a very nice play(Just like putting a cherry on top of the ice cream sundae.thank you
Diane Franklin

I saw the Music Man tonight with my 10 year old daughter, and we thoroughly enjoyed the performance. We'd both appeared in a local production recently, and it was wonderful to relive the music and story together from the audience's point of view.

I must say that I am disappointed in The Bushnell's little use of true local talent in this production. Auditions were held in February for all parts, and I personally auditioned, as well as others that have extensive experience singing with CT Opera, Hartford Chorale, and appearing in local theater. Minimally, local talent could have been cast in the ensemble, the chorus and the smaller roles rather than drawing talent from NY and AEA. I was glad to see local children cast in the production; the same consideration should have been extended to the local adult talent that may not otherwise have the opportunity to appear in a production such as this.

There are many "diamonds in the rough" here in Hartford - take advantage of what local talent has to offer. The Bushnell audience may be pleasantly surprised!

We came in from Brooklyn today to see the matinee--we came because we are huge Music Man fans (and Cassidy family fans) and could not miss the opportunity to experience it live with Shirley Jones and Patrick Cassidy. It was wonderful and more than worth the trip!! Our children loved it as well. The casting was perfect and talent was incredible. Jason Graae was a treat to watch (we are big fans of his too). The band at the end was a great effect. I am so grateful to have heard Shirley and Patrick share their stories and song. Thank you for putting this together-it was a special event for our family to look forward to and go to!!!

I am delighted to add my praise for this terrific theater experience. My wife and I sat in the front row Sat. night, with my mother as our guest. Between The Bushnell, Goodspeed Opera House, and various New York theaters, the two of us have probably seen 70 or 80 shows in our thirty years of marriage. We agree that this production of The Music Man provided us with the most enjoyable evening of theater we have ever experienced. What beautiful voices! What a perfect treatment of a heartwarming story! And add to that the sidenote of Shirley Jones performing with her son... just a beautiful evening. We enjoyed it so much, we bought four more tickets for Sunday night, and came back with my daughter and grandson, (who were also thrilled). THANKS TO ALL WHO WERE A PART OF THIS SHOW!

Went to see the closing performance Sunday night. (It was an early birthday present for a friend of mine). The production was absolutely superb! Having Patrick Cassidy and Shirley Jones was a delightful surprise too. Would love to see more Bushnell-produced performances.

What a wonderful week, the show was magical from all senses. It was magical not just because our daughter Alisha was a part of it but because it was an artwork well presented from all angles, the casting, the choreography, the costumes, the Hartt School Theatre division Chorus, the Hartford Orchestra Symphony and the actors. They all brought to life a show that did not allow you to avert your eyes even for a moment for the fear you may miss an expression or line and kept you smiling throughout. Congratulations to the team on a show that my husband who can barely sit through once, whether his kids are a part of it or not, watched it twice and laughed and smiled his way through it all. Love you all and Alisha awesome job, you were beautiful on stage and your grandparents are swollen with pride as were all the others. WOW...

My wife and I attended the Saturday matinee and were both thorughly moved by the performance. I am sorry that some people didn't see the performance for what it really was. I felt it was history being made with Shirley Jones, who is synonomous with Marion Paroo, joining her son Patrick on stage, recreating the memories that started 50 years ago. The Music man has always been my favorite ever since I was a young child. I like it so much I even surprised my wife when we got married and sang "Till There Was You" during our vows. This performance will be right there at the top of my list of all time musical performances. Thank you Bushnell for those memories.

I would give the Bushnell's presentation of "The Music Man" an A+. What a great idea to persuade Shirley Jones and Patrick Cassidy to appear. And the show was much more than the "concert" version I was expecting.

However, the Bushnell loses a few points for a gaffe in the program notes on what was happening in the U.S. in 1912. I doubt President Taft was the "hand-picked" successor of FDR!! More likely, his cousin Teddy!

A friend and I attended The Music Man on Sunday April 27, evening performance. The tickets were my bithday gift from my husband.
I was concerned when I read that the show was planned as a concert. I had nothing to worry about. It was absolutely wonderful. The show and the cast were great. My friend and I thoughly enjoyed it and I would not hesitate to buy tickets to another show produced by the Bushnell.
Sincerely,
Catherine Murray

What a glorious evening of theater "The Music Man" was. Patrick Cassidy was perfect as the charismatic con man Harold Hill, Shirley Jones was a delight as the forthright Mrs. Paroo, David Coffee was a scream as Mayor Shinn and Jason Graae was, as always, delightful. I dare say the Bushnell needs to use the "Think System" and devise a way to give this show a life beyond Hartford. A PBS special and subsequent DVD/CD release would be the perfect way to permanently capture the magic of this show's historic 50th anniversary. I for one am already wishing I could see it again — and I just saw it yesterday!

THE MUSICMAN WAS AWESOME......WE ESPECIALLY ENJOYED THE KIDS, THAT LIL TINY BOY WAS SOOOOO CUTE. HE STOLE THE SHOW. SHIRLY JONES AND HER SON PATRICK WERE FANTASTIC, I THINK THEY BROUGHT EVERYONE TO TEARS AT SOME POINT. I LOVES MAYOR SHINN AND HIS WIFE,AND THE DANCERS WERE AMAZING. LISA VROMAN HAS AN AMAZING VOICE, AND YOU COULDNT HELP BUT FEEL THE CHEMISTRY BETWEEN HER, PATRICK AND SHIRLEY.....MY ONLY CRITICISIM WOULD BE SET OR PROPS, I REALIZE IT WAS CONCERT STYLE,THUS LIMITING THE SET, BUT THAT FENCE, WITH THE TACKIE PLASTIC FLOWERS STAPLED TO IT, WERE A FAR CRY FROM PROFESSIONAL LOOKING, AND WHEN WINTHROP KNELT BEHIND IT, IT WAS VERY STRANGE. ALL IN ALL A GREAT SHOW, GREAT TO SEE LOCAL,TALENTED KIDS TAKING THE STAGE, WE ALL KNOW KIDS SELL TICKETS...GREAT JOB BUSHNELL, CANT WAIT TO SEE THE NEXT ONE.

we saw the final performance of the music man sun pm this show must continue i can't stop telling people how great it was

Congratulations on a terrific show, especially when considering the length of time you had to put it together! I was thrilled that Patrick Cassidy was cast in the role of Harold Hill. I have had the great pleasure of seeing him several times in NY in Aida and 42nd Street, and Joseph in Boston for both of his tours. He is an incredible performer and an absolute joy to watch. It was even more wonderful seeing him perform with his mom - they were terrific together! We made the two hour trek to Hartford from northern Massachusetts and it was definitely worth the trip. David Coffee was also outstanding as always. The Bushnell is a nice theatre and the staff was friendly and helpful! Kudos on all counts!!!! We attend Boston theatre frequently and would definitely return.

The Music Man was fantastic. My husband, mother in law and I enjoyed it thoroughly! To think that it was put together in 8 days is amazing!! You would never know it!! This show was one of my parents' favorite shows and it brought back so many memories and I know they were there watching it with me! Patrick Cassidy was terrific - I never thought anyone could play the part of Harold Hill other than Robert Preston but you did it, Mr. Cassidy!! You had incredible energy and showmanship! Seeing Shirley Jones again was fabulous! She looked fantastic and brought us all to tears once again! The cast did a great job and you knew they were having a lot of fun!! I'm sure the memories for them of doing the show will stay with them for a long time.........just like the memory of seeing it will stay with us for a long time!! Keep putting together these local productions. The Bushnell makes us very proud!!