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After years of playing bad guys on screen, Robert Preston carved out a brand new career for himself and became a household name when he was cast as fast-talking salesman Harold Hill in the original Broadway production of The Music Man back in, I believe, 1955 and had to screen test against Frank Sinatra to recreate the role in the original film version in 1962. Preston became forever associated with this role and its signature song "Trouble" and anyone who steps into Harold Hill's shoes and picks up his baton is going to be ripe for comparison.
Disney's 2003 TV remake of the musical gets an "A" for effort. It was remounted with a great deal of care and reproduced Meredith Wilson's original score intact (the opening number on the train "Rock Island" is performed in its entirety and Marian's number from the Broadway show, "My White Knight" was returned to its original place in the score instead the lackluster replacement song for the movie "Being in Love"), the scenery and costumes were exquisite and there was some first rate choreography, but no matter what else is going on with this show, if you don't have an electrifying Harold Hill, the show falls flat and Matthew Broderick was a disappointment in this role. And this is coming from a HUGE Matthew Broderick fan who has never been disappointed with him up to this point.
As much as I respect Broderick's talent (I saw him on Broadway in "How to Succeed" and he was fabulous), I thought his performance as Harold Hill was rather one-note and a little bland.
What made this musical worth watching, however, was the charismatic and luminous performance by the incredible Kristen Chenowith as Marian Paroo. Most Marians tend to fade next to Harold Hill whenever this show is mounted; however, Chenowith's engaging screen presence and breathtaking soprano made this film worth watching (Her rendition of "Goodnight My Someone" brought a tear to my eye and her "My White Knight" made the hair on the back of neck stand up).
Chenowith and Chenowith alone made this worth watching. Broderick was one note, Victor Garber and Molly Shannon were badly miscast as Mayor and Mrs. Shinn and Tommy and Zaneeta were snore-inducing, but Kristin Chenowith's magical turn as Marian Paroo makes this version of The Music Man completely watchable.
After years of playing bad guys on screen, Robert Preston carved out a brand new career for himself and became a household name when he was cast as fast-talking salesman Harold Hill in the original Broadway production of The Music Man back in, I believe, 1955 and had to screen test against Frank Sinatra to recreate the role in the original film version in 1962. Preston became forever associated with this role and its signature song "Trouble" and anyone who steps into Harold Hill's shoes and picks up his baton is going to be ripe for comparison.
Disney's 2003 TV remake of the musical gets an "A" for effort. It was remounted with a great deal of care and reproduced Meredith Wilson's original score intact (the opening number on the train "Rock Island" is performed in its entirety and Marian's number from the Broadway show, "My White Knight" was returned to its original place in the score instead the lackluster replacement song for the movie "Being in Love"), the scenery and costumes were exquisite and there was some first rate choreography, but no matter what else is going on with this show, if you don't have an electrifying Harold Hill, the show falls flat and Matthew Broderick was a disappointment in this role. And this is coming from a HUGE Matthew Broderick fan who has never been disappointed with him up to this point.
As much as I respect Broderick's talent (I saw him on Broadway in "How to Succeed" and he was fabulous), I thought his performance as Harold Hill was rather one-note and a little bland.
What made this musical worth watching, however, was the charismatic and luminous performance by the incredible Kristen Chenowith as Marian Paroo. Most Marians tend to fade next to Harold Hill whenever this show is mounted; however, Chenowith's engaging screen presence and breathtaking soprano made this film worth watching (Her rendition of "Goodnight My Someone" brought a tear to my eye and her "My White Knight" made the hair on the back of neck stand up).
Chenowith and Chenowith alone made this worth watching. Broderick was one note, Victor Garber and Molly Shannon were badly miscast as Mayor and Mrs. Shinn and Tommy and Zaneeta were snore-inducing, but Kristin Chenowith's magical turn as Marian Paroo makes this version of The Music Man completely watchable.