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But He Doesn't Know the Territory by Meredith Willson (13-Aug-2009) Paperback
From the "One million Happy Theatre-goers have seen Meredith Wilson's 'The Music Man' at the MAjestic Theatre in New York since it opened on December 19th, 1957. Hundreds of thousands more have enjoyed the National Company as it played Los Angeles, Dallas, San Francisco, Denver, Omaha, Des Moines, Cincinnati, Kansas City and Chicago.Meredith Wilson wrote the music the lyrics and the libretto of 'The Music Man' -all delightful. Now he has written a book about writing the show - equally delightful. He claims he had Trouble (with a capital T)and he documents his case with behind-the-scenes anecdotes and theatrical characters unknown in his native Iowa.
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First published January 1, 1959
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
December 16, 2022
I LOVE The Music Man, so I was definitely interested in a book about how it came to be, especially when it was a book written by Meredith Willson. This book was originally published in 1959, and was reissued many years later. My big takeaway was that it's incredible this ended up getting made, let alone being such a huge hit, winning Tonys, etc. The road to MM was a long one, and there were many times it seemed like it just wasn't going to happen. But some 40+ drafts of the book later it did. As far as the actual book...Willson begins in his foreward by basically saying that a lot of the language is going to be rough and it will reflect the way he talks, and not be a "proper" book, as far as structure, grammar, etc. I don't mind the folksier elements of his prose, but his loose style did not make for the easiest read, and some of his inside baseball (music) passages were pretty dull. Still, when it was directly about making TMM, it was a captivating account.
May 30, 2019
I loved reading about Willson’s journey writing The Music Man. It was very inspiring to me and I want to start tackling some big projects now thanks to seeing everything he had to work through. But I would really only recommend this book to die-hard musical theatre fans, particularly fans of the Golden Age shows. Willson’s voice carried through the text very well which was cool to experience, but there were definitely times when i was skimming because the man liked to make lists. At one point, I think he listed off everything on the menu at a restaurant that they regularly went to throughout rehearsals. Like, why?
Now I feel more excited to music direct this show this summer!
Now I feel more excited to music direct this show this summer!
May 12, 2015
This short, swift read chronicles the birth of the classic musical, The Music Man, from conception to its opening night on Broadway in 1957. The book's most interesting parts are those that highlight Wilson's ethic at work in the show's genesis. It's pleasant, for example, to see borne out his staunch belief in the appeal of non-rhyming, rhythmic lyrics such as those in show standouts like "Rock Island" or "Trouble", as well as his conviction that an old-fashioned, real barbershop quartet could have modern stage appeal.
For the majority of the short book, though, to appropriate from Gertrude Stein, there really isn't any there there. Wilson made over forty revisions to The Music Man before it ever played on Broadway, but he doesn't really give much of an idea how drastically (or not) the work changed over the course of those revisions. There's very little inside gossip or insight about the show's stars or production team. The Music Man is a considerable accomplishment, and Wilson is right to be proud of the hard work he put into it over the better part of a decade, but I can't really say I knew much more about it coming out of Wilson's book than I knew going in.
And now matter how "Iowa stubborn" Wilson fancies himself, or no matter how much a man of the folk, there's really no excuse for a copy editor not to have fixed the multiple occurrences of "should of" throughout the work.
For the majority of the short book, though, to appropriate from Gertrude Stein, there really isn't any there there. Wilson made over forty revisions to The Music Man before it ever played on Broadway, but he doesn't really give much of an idea how drastically (or not) the work changed over the course of those revisions. There's very little inside gossip or insight about the show's stars or production team. The Music Man is a considerable accomplishment, and Wilson is right to be proud of the hard work he put into it over the better part of a decade, but I can't really say I knew much more about it coming out of Wilson's book than I knew going in.
And now matter how "Iowa stubborn" Wilson fancies himself, or no matter how much a man of the folk, there's really no excuse for a copy editor not to have fixed the multiple occurrences of "should of" throughout the work.
January 20, 2015
Remember "76 Trombones," "Goodnight, My Someone," and "Til There Was You"? The Music Man was a different kind of musical and is still unique in some ways. This book is how the musical came to be and why it is different from other musicals.
Meredith Willson wrote lyrics for various things. He had never done a musical. No one thought anyone could write a successful musical about Iowa, his home state. He took up the challenge.
The book is slow reading in some ways. For anyone who writes, especially screenplays it is interesting as the Willsons [Meredith and wife Rini] create the book, the play, the songs through draft after draft. They must audition it for directors, producers and others as they go along. Each audition brings another draft.
The Music Man was first performed in 1958 so many of the people Willson talks about are unfamiliar now. This makes the reading difficult as he talks about this person and that person who do this and that. The Majestic Theater where it was performed is still there on Broadway. I do remember Robert Preston, the star.
I did enjoy this book. But I enjoyed it because I found the process of writing, auditioning, rewriting, casting and all the other preparations going into the creation of a favorite musical interesting.
Meredith Willson wrote lyrics for various things. He had never done a musical. No one thought anyone could write a successful musical about Iowa, his home state. He took up the challenge.
The book is slow reading in some ways. For anyone who writes, especially screenplays it is interesting as the Willsons [Meredith and wife Rini] create the book, the play, the songs through draft after draft. They must audition it for directors, producers and others as they go along. Each audition brings another draft.
The Music Man was first performed in 1958 so many of the people Willson talks about are unfamiliar now. This makes the reading difficult as he talks about this person and that person who do this and that. The Majestic Theater where it was performed is still there on Broadway. I do remember Robert Preston, the star.
I did enjoy this book. But I enjoyed it because I found the process of writing, auditioning, rewriting, casting and all the other preparations going into the creation of a favorite musical interesting.
August 29, 2023
By no rights should a memoir about the making of a 65-year-old Broadway musical—all meetings and auditions, bolts of inspiration then rewrites, rewrites, rewrites—so tickle and charm and give cause to root for the writer as this one does, not even when the musical in question is already one of your favorites and a cornerstone of the canon as is "The Music Man." That this book does so tickle and charm and generate all manner of appreciation for the craft of creating a classic is due to the mighty pen—the friendly voice, really—of Meredith Willson. It's right there, from the foreword forward, a voice from another time, without a trace of irony or false modesty, just good humor and an uncanny feel for words that "rattle pleasantly around in the ear" like music itself.
Listen to "The Music Man" five to 50 times, read this book and feel good about things.
Listen to "The Music Man" five to 50 times, read this book and feel good about things.
April 17, 2019
I loved this book. It was a fascinating look behind the scenes of how one of my favorite, if not my absolute favorite, musical came to be. It’s witty and easy to read. The author/composer seems like such a fun and down to earth person who would be fun to get to know. Great book about a fabulous musical!
July 7, 2023
Interesting read. I enjoyed hearing from the man himself and the ups and downs of producing a musical. Worth the time.
July 6, 2023
I enjoyed it, but I would have enjoyed it more if Meredith Willson had been a barista or landscaper before finding his stunning success. How hard can it be to right a hit musical when you're friends with all the right people already? (I write musicals ... if only I had such friends, I think). So I'm a bit envious. Would have been interesting to hear how he ended up in where he did ... the prequel, I mean.
Still, very readable. Surprised it took me this long (about two weeks after I heard about it, but much, much longer than that since it was written).
(5* = one of my all-time favourites, 4* = really enjoyed it, 3* = readable but not thrilling, 2* = actually disappointing, and 1* = hated it. As a statistician I know most books are 3s, but I am biased in my selection and end up mostly with 4s, thank goodness.)
Still, very readable. Surprised it took me this long (about two weeks after I heard about it, but much, much longer than that since it was written).
(5* = one of my all-time favourites, 4* = really enjoyed it, 3* = readable but not thrilling, 2* = actually disappointing, and 1* = hated it. As a statistician I know most books are 3s, but I am biased in my selection and end up mostly with 4s, thank goodness.)
July 9, 2021
Sixty-three years ago I was one of the lucky people who got to see Robert Preston in The Music Man on Broadway. It has always been one of my favorite shows. Wilson's book about how it got written, and written, and written is fascinating. And very funny. It is wonderful to hear about all the bad ideas that finally got left out, and how the really great things got invented or worked out.
A caveat though. To fully appreciate this book you should first read And There I Stood With My Piccolo. Wilson's autobiography which explains how he got to the point where he could write The Music Man, and a really interesting biography of a life in show business on its own.
Both books are quick, fun reads.
A caveat though. To fully appreciate this book you should first read And There I Stood With My Piccolo. Wilson's autobiography which explains how he got to the point where he could write The Music Man, and a really interesting biography of a life in show business on its own.
Both books are quick, fun reads.
August 8, 2015
What I've read: This is a delightful little find. Meredith Wilson...the creator of "The Music Man"...wrote a book in 1958 about the making of this great musical. What gem, funny, self deprecating, and full of cool notes on the writing and rehearsals. I saw a production this week on Minneapolis at the Guthrie...it was great and this book was in the gift shop. If you love theater or just "The Music Man" try and find this. Four and half Jimmys out of five
August 28, 2016
I love the musical Music Man, and I'm looking forward to reading all about it from the horse's mouth, or I should say author's. 8/27/16 - finished reading this ebook, loved every minute of it, and even knowing Robert Preston played Harold Hill on Broadway as well as the movie, I anxiously awaited their finally figuring that out!
Then, last night, I watched my dvd of the movie Music Man. I can sing right along with all the songs in this movie.
Then, last night, I watched my dvd of the movie Music Man. I can sing right along with all the songs in this movie.
October 17, 2011
Cute read about the writing and mounting of "The Music Man" by Meredith Willson. Always one of my favorite movies and musical scores, it was interesting to learn how the show came about. Written in 1959 this was before the movie so no indication of what that was like.
January 22, 2023
Love The Music Man and loved this book. Can't get enough
February 23, 2023
After watching "The Music Man" for the umpteenth time I realized it was not at all the fluffly innocent musical I remembered. In addition, I met Meredith Willson in 1969 when he came to conduct our university orchestra. I suddenly became obsessed with the musical & everything surrounding it. What most interested me in the book was what his life was like in Mason City, Iowa in 1912, so once I got to chapter 3 I began scanning. He gets very detailed with things that were of no interest to me as I am more interested in the movie than the play. However, these historical chapters led me to do personal research into his family. This was a family of geniuses, he, his brother and sister. I also found his implied relationship with his family members very interesting. So, for me, the book was worth it just for the historical perspective that led me to do more research on my own. It also confirmed my take on todays reviewers of this musical as being too young and ignorant of history to be taken seriously.
August 16, 2018
Full disclosure...I'm a theatre nerd and I read this in anticipation of choosing The Music Man for my high school drama club's spring musical next year. I really enjoyed this book. I unfortunately did not recognize all of the names the author name dropped, but I still got the gist of it. This book walks the reader through the agonizingly long process of getting The Music Man from page to stage. Wilson shares tons of great nuggets for anyone interested in this show or theatre in general (did you know that "Sadder But Wiser Girl" and "My White Knight" actually musically compliment each other and originally were going to be a mash-up?! Seriously. Check it out here: http://www.elisbergindustries.com/blo...).
Read if:
You are a director or actor working on The Music Man
You love musical theatre history
Read if:
You are a director or actor working on The Music Man
You love musical theatre history
July 16, 2019
Meredith Willson’s account of the genesis, development, writing and rewriting (and rewriting and rewriting), and production of his fantastic The Music Man is utterly charming. His unique voice, which I only really knew from The Music Man, is on full display, and his enthusiasm and down-home charm are extremely infectious, making you understand exactly why so many theater pros took a chance on a guy who “didn’t know the territory” and put their faith in his creation. It was also a fascinating glimpse into how musicals got developed 60 years ago as opposed to today (for example: A LOT FASTER). It makes me wish that more creators had written firsthand accounts of the development of their musicals. But it’s doubtful that they would be as entertaining and engaging as Willson’s book.
January 30, 2022
I had the biggest grin on my face as I read this in one sitting. The Music Man is one of my favorite shows of all time and I read this as a precursor to seeing it on Broadway next week. Reading about the journey was a real treat. The name-dropping of old theatre legends was amazing and I felt like I was in the room. Meredith Wilson's insistence in writing as he talked (as he explains in the forward) made it feel like the book was one long conversation with him. I can't wait to see the show again, especially now that I understand how it all came together.
September 18, 2022
This is a beautiful and easy-to-read description of how something that seems inevitable - like a perfect Broadway musical, a brilliant work of art, a page-turner book, a favorite movie, a record, an opera... even a person - is actually the product of hundreds of decisions and boatloads of hard work and perseverance. Willson dug through 40+ drafts to get to the show we know and love. Things we think of as set-in-stone were added at the last second. A little tweak here. A tuck there.
So just... never give up.
So just... never give up.
September 8, 2024
I read this book for more insight into the musical, The Music Man. It was so interesting to read about the long, complicated process of writing and producing a Broadway musical in the 50s. This book is fairly short and easy to read, like reading a diary of Meredith Willson’s. My lasting impression is how much his first wife, Rini, was integral to him writing this musical. For every midnight living room audition, Rini was there singing and performing along, supporting her husband’s dream of seeing this musical to Broadway. Rini is truly the unsung hero!
September 23, 2020
Willing to admit I started this at a disadvantage. I have only ever seen one high school production of The Music Man. It was years ago, and I do not remember more than 25% of it. That being said, the writing felt quite dry. I also did not find very much information in this that felt noteworthy, though maybe I would feel differently if I were more familiar with the show.
October 4, 2022
This was such a delightful surprise! I didn't even know it existed until somehow I came across it in the Kindle Store. It's a memoir about the creation of The Music Man on Broadway, written by its composer/lyricist/co-librettist Meredith Willson.
It's a fascinating book, and a charming one as well. Willson covers the history of the project from its very beginnings through opening night. His process of shaping and reshaping the material is detailed with great insight. And the casting of the title role, Professor Harold Hill, is discussed with a frankness that I wasn't expecting. (My favorite casting idea: Ethel Merman. She would indeed have been something in the role.)
This is highly recommended for fans of The Music Man in particular and fans of American musical theater in general. A fun ride!
It's a fascinating book, and a charming one as well. Willson covers the history of the project from its very beginnings through opening night. His process of shaping and reshaping the material is detailed with great insight. And the casting of the title role, Professor Harold Hill, is discussed with a frankness that I wasn't expecting. (My favorite casting idea: Ethel Merman. She would indeed have been something in the role.)
This is highly recommended for fans of The Music Man in particular and fans of American musical theater in general. A fun ride!
September 21, 2024
This took more than one day to read, but I had forgotten to enter it when I started. I love reading about the amazing creative process through which great musicals such as The Music Man came to exist. I would love to hear some of the songs that didn't make the cut. Delightful style of writing and you feel like you're part of the drama of getting this masterpiece to the stage.
August 25, 2017
I picked this up on a whim at the library and really enjoyed it! Music Man is one of my all-time favorite musicals and it was so interesting to read how it all came to be! I also enjoyed the author's quick wit.
April 2, 2018
delightful! I loved the insight into where the characters in The Music Man came from, and hearing Willson's voice on the page makes you see that he and his beloved wife could have easily been characters themselves.
October 27, 2020
Lovely
An interesting view about the development of a Broadway musical from beginning to opening night. Willson, in his idiosyncratic way draws us in, with a mind-blowing memory for details of people, locations, and humor.
An interesting view about the development of a Broadway musical from beginning to opening night. Willson, in his idiosyncratic way draws us in, with a mind-blowing memory for details of people, locations, and humor.
November 27, 2021
The writing style and language is dated but an interesting look at the creation of one of my favorite musicals. I read it in anticipation of going to see the revival starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster
August 7, 2022
You can tell exactly where Harold Hill got his patter!
A probably missed some of the twists and turns from not knowing many of the mid-century Broadway figures name-dropped here, but it was really cool to see how one of my all-time favorite shows was born!!
A probably missed some of the twists and turns from not knowing many of the mid-century Broadway figures name-dropped here, but it was really cool to see how one of my all-time favorite shows was born!!
February 2, 2023
Delightful and fascinating! I’m a huge fan of The Music Man and Golden Age musicals so my interest level was high from the start. The read did not disappoint. I especially enjoyed the author’s writing style. The words seemed to flow and sing right off the page.
December 8, 2024
Such a delightful read.
Willson writes like Harold Hill speaks. If you like The Music Man, you’ll like this book.
My main criticism is the cover photo Goodreads chose to put on here……what happened there??? The real one is way cuter!
Willson writes like Harold Hill speaks. If you like The Music Man, you’ll like this book.
My main criticism is the cover photo Goodreads chose to put on here……what happened there??? The real one is way cuter!
December 26, 2025
Funny and entertaining, though better if you know the Music Man movie or play so you can appreciate the wordplay and process that Meredith went through with the years and years of drafts. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews