In my opinion, The Music Man is one of the greatest pieces of musical theater and has been my favorite show for as long as I can remember. The story is engaging and funny, the characters endearing and eccentric, the songs memorable, and the orchestration is absolutely genius. There is an incredible unity between the book, music, and lyrics of the show due to the fact that one man, Meredith Willson, who was himself an Iowa native, wrote all the components. 
The Music Man has a reputation of being just another sappy, happy, old-fashioned musical, but it really is not. It is the story of a con man (who is also the hero) who seduces an innocent young woman only to keep her from ruining his plan to swindle the honest and hard-working people of a small Mid-Western town. The show takes some amusing jabs at the things many Americans hold dear – small town generosity, family values, representative government, education, the Fourth of July, and the great hope of so many parents that their child might have the talent to play a musical instrument. Yet among all this veiled satire, we somehow manage to find a soft and charming center that is reminiscent of a traditional comedy love story. On the first page of the libretto, there is a note from Willson to the director that says, “The Music Man was intended to be a Valentine and not a caricature”. So, with that in mind, we set off to put on a sincere and honest adaptation of The Music Man. But first, some history: The Music Man is set in 1912, a significant year that is an essential backdrop to the events in the show. One important shift in American culture during this time was the rise and fall of the traveling salesman, as large retail chains increasingly started to displace the small, independently owned stores that had been the status quo. The traveling salesmen’s rant in the first number is a perfect summary of all these changes and accurately explains their uneasiness about a transforming world. The other was the creation of marching bands. In the 1800s and 1900s, many towns in America had their very own marching bands that would perform for parades, Fourth of July celebrations, and other holidays, which gave the bands a strong patriotic identity. Because of these phenomena, The Music Man could not have been set in any other time. The historical aspect of this show is more meaningful than having cool costumes and props. It really does provide another dimension to the story and characters with themes that still ring true today. 
I want to thank everyone in FYP for everything they’ve done to make this show happen. The tech teams, Production Staff, and pit orchestra have all done an amazing job this semester and I am grateful to have been able to work with such talented and dedicated people. As for the cast and A-Staff, they have been absolutely wonderful. Their enthusiasm and devotion constantly amaze me and I could not have asked for better people to spend these past months with. Thank you all for coming out tonight, and I hope you enjoy the show!
-Leah Davis, Director

Welcome! As you hold this program in your hand, know that you are now part of something great. You are a part of a family, a legacy, and a community that celebrates and takes joy in the connective power of theater. Tonight, whether you are in the audience, onstage or offstage, you are a participant in something greater than yourself. You are a part of First Year Players.
First Year Players is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. During a semester celebrating this achievement, the richness of our history, the boundless oddities of our traditions and the diversity of people who have shaped this organization have overwhelmed me. However, as I reflect on our thirty years of existence, it is impossible not to linger upon the four that have mattered most to me. I joined FYP in the fall of 2008, a bright-eyed first year ready to cut “footloose” (forgive the pun, it was unavoidable!) Since that semester, FYP has been where I have turned to find the most loyal of friends, the most inspiring of characters, the most challenging of life experiences, and the most rewarding opportunities of leadership and creative expression. Heading into the last few weeks of my term as Producer, I can only say that I have never felt more honored to appear in a page of what is and will continue to be a long and life-changing story. 
The story you see on the stage tonight is a reflection of who we are as an organization and what we hope to share together. The Music Man is about community – both loyal and quirky – and the transformative process of creating something together. It is about discovering within yourself and within others potential that you didn’t know was there. I cannot think of a better way to celebrate everything that First Year Players is than by producing The Music Man on its stage. 
You, too, are now part of this story. Thank you to all for joining together in creating and supporting an organization that reminds me every day that home is not something you leave, but something you create. Enjoy one another and enjoy the show! 
-- Jessie Wright, Producer