“Feore is both delivering the kind of “Music Man” that can attract 1,800 people or more to the Festival Theatre — her own choreography is richly engaging and plenty showy and, on the surface, the show checks every box that any Ontarian might wish — while also emphasizing the radical ideas that lie at the core of Meredith Willson’s musical.

In this production, Hill mentors the young townsperson Tommy Djilas, who is also played by an African-American actor, Devon Michael Brown of course, he turns the world of Marian the Librarian, played with longing and sadness by Danielle Wade, completely topsy-turvy.”

“Even if tinkering with classics annoys you, it would be hard to be disappointed with Mr. Herbert’s eely Hill or the delicious enthusiasm of the many children in the 41-person cast or the vivacity and variety of dance and song that Ms. Feore puts onstage. Her jaw-dropping “Seventy-Six Trombones” far outshines the version seen in the most recent Broadway revival; the final scene of understanding between opposites has never played as movingly.”

“If this crabby critic found the piece irresistible, so will any musical-loving audience.”

“You will love The Music Man because: those tunes, that dancing, that energy… Alexander Elliot is sensational as young Winthrop Paroo (Marion’s little brother) & sings the best Gary, Indiana ever…The adults in the cast are pros, but those kids. Cute. But not too cute. The result? You will love the nine (or so) tykes as much as Feore obviously does.”

“To see burgeoning youthful talent flourish on the Festival Stage gives me tremendous hope that Stratford will continue to be in solid hands of professional artists for the future. The Music Man offers a most enjoyable afternoon or evening of fine entertainment.”

“You start having a good feeling about the Stratford Festival’s latest revival of The Music Man from the very beginning.

That‘s because of how brilliantly it brings off that audacious opening scene on a train bound for River City, Iowa, in 1912. It’s a guy setting — a lot of traveling salesmen here — and they can’t stop talking and attempting bits of one-upmanship with each other. But it’s no normal conversation — no music, just snippets of dialogue snapping back and forth to the jiggling rhythms of the passenger car and reaching an almost fugal complexity.

The execution of this number at Stratford, as funny as it is culturally revealing, testifies to the high ensemble qualities of this production — qualities that will continue to dazzle as the show progresses.”

“As Marian the Librarian, Danielle Wade’s début appearance here was a gem of haughtiness, understatement then genuine, unabashed love. As Professor Harold Hill, Stratford newcomer Daren Herbert proved to be an excellent choice…the characterization of the fly-by-night salesman was a joy in its metamorphosis from huckster to hero.”

“The ‘Seventy-Six Trombones’ number was utterly spectacular and deserved every moment of the mid-show standing ovation that it received on opening night…. Music Director Franklin Brasz’s 19-person orchestra is superb.”

“By leaning into the material’s folksiness Feore also goes a long way toward selling a story that has, by contemporary standards, some icky elements in terms of its representation of women, men and courtship….But there’s so much else going on that’s captivating, starting and ending with Feore’s total command of the staging…Two hours and 40 minutes fly by… I didn’t want this show to end.”

“The Music Man has something that will appeal to all ages. It’s a great play for the kids, or anyone who hasn’t been a frequent theatre-goer. Like the good folks in River City, they’re likely to fall under Harold Hill’s charismatic spell and may just discover for themselves the incredible power of the arts.”

“The strongest aspect of Feore’s production is Danielle Wade’s performance…As for Herbert’s Hill, I was impressed by the salesmanship in his patter songs, the fresh and funny gospel howls he brought to Ya Got Trouble and the groovy curlicues in his choreography that suggest the professor may have run into the ancestors of the Jackson family when he was studying in Gary, Ind.”

“Herbert is supercharged as a con artist ready to take in a whole town, but rapidly becomes sympathetic as man who realizes he has been caught in his own trap and is noble enough to face the consequences….As Marion’s mother and brother, Denise Oucharek and Alexander Elliot are absolutely delightful…Buy your tickets now.  This will be, no doubt, the hit of the season.  “

“It’s truly a company performance with stunning singing and dazzling dance…

A well written musical with a stellar cast makes this the perfect evening out for multi-generational families. All ages will love it. The humour holds up, despite being written in the 1950s about 1912 and everyone will enjoy the laughs and engaging story.”