I’ve had a
deep love for music and musicals for as long as I can remember. One of my favorite musicals is The Music
Man, the 2003 film version of the same name starring Matthew Broderick and
Kristin Chenowith. Meredith Willson
wrote the script and songs for The Music Man which started as a Broadway
musical (one of the most successful musicals of all time) before first being
turned into a film in 1962. I really connected to this musical because of the small town setting that's similar to where I grew up and the compelling characters. The Music
Man also features some of my favorite songs like “Till There Was You,” “Goodnight,
My Someone,” and “76 Trombones.” A
couple of my favorite Christmas carols, “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like
Christmas” and “Pinecones and Holly Berries,” were also written by Meredith
Willson. Willson’s songs are meaningful, classic, and catchy in my opinion which is why I choose to spotlight him.
The Masterworks
Broadway website features short, yet detailed, biographies of notable
contributors to the Broadway stage including actors, singers, playwrights,
composers, lyricists, producers, directors, etc. This particular page describes some of
Meredith Willson’s personal life with more focus on his contributions to the
Broadway stage and music fields in general.
The Songwriter’s
Hall of Fame honors Meredith Willson through this page featuring a short
biography focusing more on his personal life and his songwriting
contributions. There are interactive
elements on this page that make navigating the information lots of fun.
This is the
tourism website for Mason City, Iowa where Meredith Willson grew up. Willson used his hometown as the inspiration
for the setting of The Music Man and the 1962 film version was filmed on
location in Mason City. The Visit Mason
City website features a biographical timeline of Willson’s life and loads of
photos showcasing important locations from the film and Willson’s personal life.