Miracle of The Music Man: The Classic American Story of Meredith Willson

by Mark Cabaniss, Rupert Holmes (Foreword)

The Music Man stands as one of the greatest achievements in American musical theatre, but few know about its rocky beginnings and the against-all-odds success story of its creator Meredith Willson. Mark Cabaniss steps back into the Golden Age of Broadway and brings to life the origins of this classic show, the music behind it, and the unlikely story of its creator. Interweaving behind-the-scenes accounts of people who worked with Willson, Cabaniss looks at his long and unusual career as a composer, conductor, radio personality, and flutist, which reached its pinnacle in The Music Man. No one initially believed in Willson’s “Valentine to Iowa,” seeing it as nothing but a corny flop or, worse, a recipe for disaster. But when the curtain fell on opening night, a star called The Music Man was born. Over 65 years later, that star is still marching right to this day, endeared by millions around the world. To understand Willson, his career, and his music is to understand how The Music Man came to he was truly the only person who could have ever written this show due to his unique background, talent, incredible persistence, and belief. The show’s ultimate success and longevity was anything but inevitable—rather, it was truly a miracle.

Genres: Nonfiction, Music

232 pages, Hardcover

Published September 15, 2022

Reviews

[Elena Henreckson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great background on the show and the author (who I thought was a woman up until 3 days ago...)

[Elizabeth C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I agree the editing could have been sharper on this book, but for me that didn't detract from its readable and authentic tone. As for hagiography (from another review), check out the late, great Barbara Cook's (the original Marian the Librarian) summation of Meredith Willson on Broadway aficionado's Michael Riedel's “Theater Talk” program (YouTube) and she also glows about Willson. Just because this author shares his personal opinions about Willson, and they’re not laced with blemishes doesn't minimize the book for me. I'm sure Willson was far from perfect and perhaps another book will reveal whatever dark side he may have had. But I was willing to take this book's picture of him at face value and enjoyed the ride.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad to have had an opportunity to read this wonderful book. It is a biography of Meredith Willson and of The Music Man. I heard about it one day on the Broadway Channel on Sirius, probably from Seth. From this book I learned about Meredith Willson’s talents as a musician, including as a piccolo player in the Sousa Band. Wow. My sister and I both received the Sousa award in our high school in our respective senior years, she on piccolo and me on clarinet. I also learned that while The Music Man may seem to be inspired from the Heavens (and truly it is) it was a mighty effort to bring to the stage in 1957. And I also really appreciated the quote from Meredith Willson’s friend Max Terr near the end of the book “fame and fortune are fleeting but kindness is everlasting.” That is a life motto we should all ascribe to. Sheila and I were fortunate to see The Music Man in New York in January 2022 after a year and a half of COVID delays. It was a very special time. And I am so glad the film version exists to let us see the same show that Meredith Willson himself wrote and saw. Thank you Mark Cabaniss for writing this book for all of us who are grateful for the transformative power of music and the music men in our lives. For me, my music men are Dois Pace, Bill Bradley, Bonnie Anderson, Dean Killion, Eddie Fargason, Kim Campbell and Joe Hardin. JIM

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was once in a community theatre production of this musical, and it was by far one of the most fun I had done! It was so great to see the Midwest be represented so fondly in a show, and even as a lady living in Michigan and family from Indiana, Mason City/River City, Iowa felt very much like home.

The book itself was straightforward, which matched the Iowa-ness I should expect. I listened to the audiobook and the reader did a wonderful job making me feel like I was just hanging out with the local theater buff who wanted to tell me about his favorite play. For those who want an entertaining but simple audiobook, I would recommend this, especially if you also have the music that you can play on your drive to work!

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book - The Music Man is one of my favorite shows, and I knew very little about Meredith Willson before reading it. The book is a fairly straightforward and uncritical telling of Willson's life. While I was a little disappointed that the book rarely strayed from hagiography, I was most disappointed in just how poorly written it was. It suffers from lack of an editor, someone who might have helped with Cabaniss' breathless tone, inconsistent organization and odd repetitions of minor details.

Go see the show, but skip the book.

[soup · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read! Very well paced, and has many happy moments. Parts do feel a bit biased towards Meredith, but that is to be expected with a passion project. Wonderful book for fans of the music man and theater history

[Miss Stamm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biography aren't usually my go to genre, but after directing The Music Man this summer, this book was very interesting.

[Amy Howes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book! I enjoyed learning the backstory on how "The Music Man" musical came to be, and other details about Meredith Willson's life and legacy. There are a few other books about Willson out there but this one is succinct while bringing first-ever pictures, information, and quotes from his late widow and others who knew him first-hand. It's an easy and highly entertaining read.

[David Deitemyer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I agree with the 2-star review by David, August 2024. Excellent content. But stunningly poor writing and no sign of an editor. Factual errors. Lapses into 1st and 2nd person narrative. Expressions/phrases that would only be verbal - never written. I know the musical and a bit about Willson. Now I am better informed, and I appreciate that. But the writing itself was a big barrier for me.