Miracle of The Music Man

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 be: 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.

Mark Cabaniss is a music publisher, writer, broadcaster, multiple recipient of ASCAP's Popular Music Award, and an award-winning producer. Cabaniss is a correspondent for the nationally syndicated radio show Hollywood 360 and frequent speaker at colleges and universities. He is the author of Miracle of The Music Man: The Classic American Story of Meredith Willson. He resides in Nashville. markcabaniss.com

Acknowledgments
Foreword by Rupert Holmes
Prologue: Against All Odds
1. Good Morning, River City
2. All in the Family
3. Manhattan Man
4. Forward, March!
5. On the Air
6. The Fabulous Forties
7. "Turn It into a Show, Mere!"
8. Fate and Feuer and Martin
9. The Best and Worst of Times
10. The Garden Blooms with Bloomgarden
11. Homegrown Magic
12. The Plot-and Characters-Thicken
13. Cash and Cast
14. The Final March to Broadway
15. The Band Heard 'Round the World
16. Lights, Camera, Hollywood!
17. Molly Brown Ain't Down Yet
18. From Claus to Columbus
19. Still Marching Forward
Epilogue: The Miracle Marches On
Notes
Index
About the Author