It’s been a long time since I watched The Music Man, the 1962 musical starring Robert Preston and Shirley Jones (as well as a very young Ron Howard). Preston plays a con man who arrives in a small town in 1910s Iowa and poses as a boy’s band leader, with the aim of fleecing the citizens out of their money and skipping town.

Within minutes, I was enthralled once again by Preston’s energy, voice, and comedic talent. And when Shirley Jones sang, I was blown away by what a magnificent voice she had. I’m not sure she got the recognition she deserved. At any rate, I easily slipped back into this simpler-time story and was happy to spend a couple of hours with some amazing singers, dancers, and actors.

I first saw The Music Man in the sixties, when I was a kid. My best friend Rebecca and I loved the movie. Her parents had the album, and we used to listen to it all the time. This was back when a record