(upbeat music)
- So glad you're with us
for this latest edition of "The Broadway Show."
I'm Tamsen Fadal, and it's gonna be a good one
but it always is.
Especially now that Broadway is back.
(marching band music)
It's Broadway's biggest opening night
since before the pandemic.
Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster lead the big parade
in the revival of "The Music Man."
And it was a star-studded opening night on the red carpet.
(upbeat music)
Let's send it out to Paul Wontorek.
- That's right Tamsen.
Broadway is buzzing tonight
because international superstar Hugh Jackman
is opening right behind me
as Harold Hill in "The Music Man."
Joined by Broadway favorite, two-time Tony Award winner
Sutton Foster as Marian the librarian.
I'm gonna go inside and cheer on these stars
as this long-awaited revival finally has its bow.
(audience applauding)
You know, your names have been really big
on that marquee for a real long time.
And I know that having your name on a Broadway marquee
means a lot to both of you.
So how does it feel to be here tonight?
- Yeah, I avoided this block for two years
because it was so terrifying, but yeah,
it feels surreal and thrilling and so proud
and so proud to be a part of this show.
And so proud to be a part of this company.
It's exceeded all expectations.
- You know, I was so excited to do this.
This has always been a dream role for me.
One of those things I hoped I would do eventually.
But somehow with everything that's happened
and what the city has been through
and what Broadway has been through,
it feels just even sweeter.
I feel even more grateful that it is possible to feel.
I'm having the time of my life.
- And every time we get to be on the stage
and do what we do and what we love to do,
feels like such a gift because it was gone.
- Even the great Professor Harold Hill
wouldn't try to sell them neck-bowed Hawkeyes out here.
- Boy!
- Gentlemen, you intrigue me.
(audience applauding)
- You have a long working relationship now
with Hugh Jackman.
What was it like finding his Herald Hill
with him over this very long process?
- It was amazing.
It actually was the gift that kept giving because, you know,
we worked three mornings a week the entire pandemic.
We had a little studio, it was just him and I,
but we actually really got to take our time
with figuring out who he is, how does he move,
and what does he think?
And it was really a gift for me.
And it's how I built the show, you know,
I really built the show from him outwards.
That was the true gift that he gave me.
- It's really an all-star Broadway lineup.
What's it been like developing this new take
on this classic show?
- I'm so happy to be amongst this cast.
And this is easily, I mean,
the happiest cast I've ever been in.
I think it's the leadership of Sutton and Hugh,
they have seen to it throughout this entire experience
that the morale is just sort of candy rush high,
and leadership from the bottom.
These kids inject this experience
with a feeling of pure joy that you cannot fake.
- We're surrounded by people who are not only inspiring,
but so deeply knowledged
in not just Broadway industry, any industry.
We're with the best and it's such an honor.
- I love, you know, sharing joy to our audience
and also, it makes me very happy.
(cheerful music)
- Sutton, you spent a large chunk of this show
resisting the charms of this guy.
Is this the toughest acting challenge of your career?
- It is very hard, but I really do like giving him
a little bit of sass.
It can't be easy, it just can't be easy so it is fun.
So that's fun.
- She's doing a really good job of it.
(Sutton and Paul laughing)
It's very, very convincing.
Sometimes I walk off in interval very like.
- You know, the first time I ever saw you on stage,
it was also the first time I ever saw
Mr. Hugh Jackman on stage.
You guys were in Oklahoma together 20 something years ago.
- (bubblers) years ago.
That was the last time we were on stage,
so this is the follow up.
And it's like, we've never left this.
We have not grown up at all.
- There's so much, I mean,
there's great chemistry with him and Sutton,
but you and Hugh have amazing chemistry.
- It's, you know, I actually went with Hugh
when he auditioned for Wolverine the first time,
so there's so much history.
- Were you up for the role also?
- No, no, no. Yes.
And I got it too, but I gave it to him.
I said, kid, go for it!
- "The Music Man" takes place in a small town.
We're dealing with real Americana.
Is it nice to dig into this very human story right now?
- I think it's perfect for right now.
I grew up in the Midwest
and lived for a number of years in Iowa.
And I know Mason City very well,
which is where Meredith Willson was from.
And I have to say,
even though this is an old-fashioned musical
and an old-fashioned story, those people still exist there.
It's not fictional, really.
I mean, it's a beautiful story for our time.
- Sometimes you just wanna sit and laugh
and not be taught anything,
or have any message that's coming through other than love
and a family and values that we all grew up knowing.
- Great comedy, great dancing
and a beautiful love story at the heart.
- They want to be transported to a different place
and uplifted and that's what we're trying to do.
- Well, what about this do you think
is really resonating right now for people?
- I think what it shows, I mean, you know,
we sing the song "Iowa Stubborn" with these sort of people
who are like, we're one way,
and it shows that we all can change.
It happens to Harold Hill,
It happens to our audiences and personally, it happens to me
because we have 21 Broadway debuts on our stage,
which I found out is the largest amount of Broadway debuts
in the Winter Garden's 111 year history.
- These 21 young professionals,
who I am lucky enough to call my friends,
please join me in saluting these young River citizens,
future stars and newest members of our Broadway community.
(all applauding)
- You know, in our dressing rooms,
we all as the older people, we said, this is all about them.
- Oh, absolutely.
- We're the aunties and uncles watching over them
and so proud of them.
And this opening night is really about them.
- And they just defy belief. They really do.
♪ Yes, it's you ♪
♪ Oh yes, it's you ♪
(all applauding)
- There are a lot of Tony Award winners in this show.
I don't know if you've done the math,
and you're one of them. - I am.
- But those two on the marquee,
Sutton Foster and Hugh Jackman, they are pretty fantastic.
- They are the most amazing stars.
It's a pleasure and an honor to work with them.
And every night the generosity coming off them towards us,
the way they look at you, they're wonderful people.
And so talented.
♪ We got trouble ♪
♪ Oh, we got trouble ♪
♪ Right here in River city ♪
♪ With a capital T that rhymes with P that stands for pool ♪
♪ That stands for pool ♪
- [Paul] I feel like this small town Americana setting
of this is really what people want right now
and sort of these simple lives
and these simple stories and this beautiful love story.
Do you feel like that's what people are really reacting to?
- [Sutton] It's about faith and the power of music
and how it heals people and even just believing in something
and how a community is changed.
He comes in and we say he's a bad guy who does good things?
- There you go. - Yeah.
He's a bad guy who does good things.
And he changes this town for the better.
So.
- Aw.
- You do. - See.