'The Music Man' cast reflect on rehearsing in Goodman Theatre's restaging

CHICAGO (WLS) -- 'The Music Man' stars reflect on rehearsing for Goodman Theatre's restaging

There's trouble in River City when Professor Harold Hill comes to town; that's the story of one of America's favorite musicals. The Goodman Theatre is restaging a beloved classic, "The Music Man."

ABC 7 Chicago's Janet Davies went to a rehearsal for the show and spoke with the cast.

For a theatre company not known for staging American musicals, the Goodman has assembled a company of 38 for a revival of Meredith Wilson's "The Music Man." Tony Award-winning Director Mary Zimmerman sees this 1957 musical as a hopeful metaphor for today.

Monica West plays Marion Paroo and Geoff Packard plays Harold Hill.

Mary Zimmerman: "The community starts off very divided and divisive and argumentative. People don't get along they're stubborn, they have their grudges and their quarrels. And through this dream of the band they come together, they begin to harmonize."

Monica West: "What a beautiful way to tell someone I'm in love, I'm in love with you and I'm in love with the world around me. The music, the flowers, the birds all these things I never saw until there was you."

Geoff Packard: Meredith Wilson who was the singular voice that wrote the book, lyrics and music constructed a pretty perfect musical as far as all the pieces you need and tension built - I think that's why people respond to it - so well made.

With this production, Zimmerman celebrates a 25 year collaboration with Goodman.

Zimmerman: "I can't even imagine how long it's been - I can't but it has."

The show is so popular that a Broadway revival is coming in fall 2020.

You can have trombones in "The Music Man" starting June 29. The musical runs through August 11, 2019 at Goodman's Albert Theatre. To purchase tickets, visit www.goodmantheatre.org.