'The Music Man,' Starring Hugh Jackman & Sutton Foster, Opens On Broadway
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Broadway was singing a happy tune as the revival of "The Music Man," starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster, officially opened Thursday.
Nearly 76 trombones from three New York City high school marching bands kicked off the opening night celebrations.
"The city is on fire about this show, and we're just so thrilled that our New York City artists, our young artists, our kids, are gonna be the first people that the VIP are gonna be seeing," said Peter Avery, director of theater for the New York City Department of Education.
As CBS2's Ali Bauman reports, before the curtain rose at the Winter Garden Theatre, star ticketholders walked the red carpet, feeling that opening night energy.
"I'm so, so, so, so excited," actress Cynthia Nixon said.
"This show is very happy and very beautiful," designer Diane von Furstenberg said.
"To have a show like this on Broadway and a night like this, it's what we all need," composer Andrew Lloyd Webber said.
Jackman stars in the Broadway classic about a traveling salesman trying to con folks in a small town.
"It felt special because you can feel the city coming back, you can feel Broadway coming back, and you can feel this collective sort of almost sigh of relief and excitement," Jackman said.
"I think if anything that the last two years have taught me is that you just have to kind of, you have to kind of go with the flow," Foster said.
As CBS2's Dave Carlin reports, Jackman took time backstage on Thursday to deliver a message to fans on his Instagram account.
"We are backstage at the Winter Garden Theatre. It's February 10th, 2022, which means it's the opening night of 'The Music Man.' And I'm only chuckling because this date has been in my head for probably three years plus. I can't believe we're here. This is honestly the greatest blessing, greatest joy, the greatest cast and crew and orchestra I've had the privilege to work with, and tonight is going to be a celebration. I'm just so, so grateful," he said.
Opening night has been a long time in the making. The production was supposed to open in 2020, but then the coronavirus pandemic hit, shutting down Broadway.
When previews finally began in late 2021, the show took a 10-day hiatus after both Foster and Jackman tested positive for COVID.
"Rehearsals have been, like, a wooden board at home for the tap dancing and singing in the shower," said Jackman's wife, Deborra-Lee Furness.
As theater still slowly recovers from the impact of the Omicron variant, many are hoping "The Music Man" can bring crowds back to Broadway.
"I think we all got a little teary-eyed because ... we were missing that important component of the audience," one actress said.
"We love our city. Broadway is our city," another actress said.
"I hope that people get to come here and really experience it," one actor said.
Twenty-one young actors are making their Broadway debuts in this beloved musical.
"Tonight was so exciting," one child said.
"It was just so thrilling tonight and I'm so glad to be back," another child said.
"I want this show to make people happy, as simply as that," director Jerry Zaks said.
Producers of "The Music Man" are making available 10,000 tickets for New York City public school students, their families and teachers. The tickets are $20 each and donated to schools. Also helping with distribution are about a dozen nonprofit agencies.
Masks are still required in Broadway theaters until April 30, but Gov. Kathy Hochul, who attended opening night, said if numbers continue to trend down, we should be able to go mask-free in theaters before too long.