[Charlie Cowell]

Hello I'm new here and well, in my school production of The Music Man I play Charlie Cowell and I would like to hear comments on this:
We didn't have anyone to play the other Salesmen in Rock Island so I have to compose a new beggining for a Charlie Cowell solo scene.(Harold Hill is at the end). Here's what I've come up with while using some lines from other salesman:
Ever meet a fellow by the name of Hill?
I'm an anvil salesman Charlie Cowell's the name and Harold Hill's given every last one of us a black eye!
He's just a bang-beat bell ringin', big haul, great go, neck or nothin', rip roarin', ever time a bull's eye salesman. That's professer Harold Hill, Harold Hill!
He's a fake and he doesn't know the territory!
The fella sells bands, boys bands and I don't know how he does it but he lives like a king and he dallies and he gathers and he plucks and he shines and when the man dances certainly boys what els the piper pays him. Yes sir, yes sir, yes sir, yes sir. When the man dances certainly biys what else the piper pays him!
But he doesn't know the territory!
After he's worked a town over the next salesman to arrive automatically gets tarred and feathered and rode out to the city limits on a rail.
Because in order to sell band instruments and uniforms and instruction books he has to garauntee to teech the kids to play and to form them kids into a band with himself as the leader.
Well it won't be on this in trip, not in Iowa not even the great proffesor Hill would try to sell them neck-bowed hawkeyes out here. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for him! (All while speeking to the audience)
Harold: Excuse me could you point me towards the center of town?
Charlie:Right up this way, don't believe I caught your name!
Harold: Don't believe I dropped it!
Charlie sees the briefcase and runs after him off stage.
What do you think? (Remember he's speeking to the audience and I'm using lines already in the play)

I have two more questions.
I came up with the idea of having Charlie looking for Harold (no speech) in three songs but, never quite catches him.
Iowa Stubborn: Continues chasing on stage but loses Harold in the crowd.
76 Trombones: Hides behind Baton Twirlers but Harold sees him and hides.
Wells Fargo Wagon: Comes looking for him but can't find him and as sson as he leaves Harold comes on with Winthrop's cornet.
Is that a good idea?
Another question, how much relevance do you think Charlie has to the play?

[what_the_heck013]

Wait, you're NOT doing the train scene? Although it's the hardest, it's the best, most impressive scene. And if you don't have enough guys, use girls.

Oh, (I don't want to sound mean), but don't try to put yourself into more scenes. It would annoy me if I was a director if an actor did that. No offense, just advice.

[Charlie Cowell]

I meant we don't have enough people in general to do the train scene.

I thought it would be funny if Charlie came in like that and the director decided he liked it and would do it! I didn't mean it to put myself in more scenes I just meant that I thought I would like some more comedy in there. But, honestly think that I wan't what I asked for what you thought of my ideas.

[what_the_heck013]

[Charlie Cowell]

We don't have enough people who even tried out to be able to perform the train scene. In case you didn't know, here in Wyoming aren't to big in population and therefore we have small schools making it hard to get many people to try out. Here in Wyoming not many people enjoy cheesy musicals like The Music Man.

[what_the_heck013]

Old ladies like The Music Man. When I was in it, we did a lot of matinees and lots of blue hairs came.

[Charlie Cowell]

People in Wyoming aren't always fond of The Music Man!
Most Wyoming citizens like Football, Sex, Beer and a Smoke!
At least in Evanston

[Baker]

You don't have a quartet? You don't have a mayor? You don't have a Marcellus? Just put them in coats and hats and throw them into the train scene. I've done the show three times, and that's always what we do.

Also, adding Charlie into other scenes takes away from the plot. If Charlie had been there the whole time, he would have exposed him a long time ago and most of the story would have never happened. It makes the scene with Marian at the end very confusing -- if he had been there the whole time, why didn't he approach Mayor Shinn before? Why doesn't he know where Mayor Shinn lives already? Why is in such a hurry to catch the train? It just doesn't work.

[Charlie Cowell]

Charlie doesn't say anything he just there for 4 or 5 seconds and gives up on looking for Harold Hill. We have a quartet played by girls we have Marcellus we just need salesmen and don't have them so we are going to have a solo scene for Charlie where he's basically saying the same thing to the audience just wihtout the other 5 salesmen. If you had payed any attention to my first post you would know what I mean by all this. Read slower.

[broadwayfreak67]

Wait.
Your quartet is by girls?
You aren't doing the train scene?
Ah, I really would love someone from MTI to see this show.
You MAY want to actually follow the script.
If you don't and people find out, you can get sued by MTI.
Plus, to be frank, the show would suck without all of Rock Island and Traveling Salesmen.
Whoa. Sorry.
Why didn't you just choose a show with a really small cast? (ie, Little Shop of Horrors? The plant CAN be made.)

[Charlie Cowell]

Well we did it and it was succesful, I was hoping for a little bit of a positive attitude from this forum but, I will make this post my last seeing how shitty the members here are.

[ShadowInTheWings]

You asked for our opinions on a not terribly great idea- they gave them. If you don't want to know, don't ask.

[Charlie Cowell]

BITCHES! DUECHEBAGS! SHIT-FLAPS! THIS IS THE ---- WORST COMMUNITY I'VE EVER BEEN A PART OF AND ALL OF YOU SUCK ASS! I ---- KNOW THAT THESE WEREN'T THE BEST IDEAS YOU ASSHOLES! WE HAVE A LOW SCHOOL BUDGET AND OUR DIRECTOR COULD ONLY GET THE ABRIDGED VERSION AND FEW PEOPLE TO JOIN SO WE HAD TO IMPROVISE I ---- HATE YOU ALL AND PRAY TO GOD THAT I DON'T EVER MAKE THE MISTAKE OF CHECKING UP ON THIS GOD DAMN TOPIC AGAIN LET ALONE THIS DAMN FORUM! ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS ALTHOUGH THE COMMENTS WERE TRUE THAT THEY COULD HAVE BEEN PUT FRIENDLIER ESPECIALLY TO A NEW MEMBER WHO NOW FEELS THAT HE WON'T RETURN TO THE FORUM PLUS FEELS LIKE A DUMBSHIT AND YOU ALL PROBABLY THINK I AM I REALLY FEEL STRESSED ABOUT THIS WHOLE ---- THING I WISH I NEVER WOULD HAVE AUDITIONED SO THEN ALL THIS SHIT WOULD NOT HAVE PUT ME IN A LIVING HELL! EXCUSE MY PROFANITY BUT I REALLY FEEL THIS WAY!

[LisaKitty]

^
Valium, anyone?

[what_the_heck013]

Honestly, I don't think directors should do shows with huge casts and no appeal (in their area). Do something small and more appealing (Little Shop comes to mind). If you can't do the musical without changing it--don't do it. We're not bitches or douche (you spelled it wrong) bags (although some people here are)--we're just trying to preserve the excellence of classic musicals such as The Music Man. I'm sorry if you were offended by our criticism/advice/suggetsions.

[Baker]

You know, he's got a point... typing in caps does indeed give off the impression of being stressed.

[Charlie Cowell]

[what_the_heck013]

Have fun! And I'm glad you enjoyed your stay! Come back real soon!

[JelliclePat]

Charlie, calm down. I'm sorry you took our comments the wrong way, but you did ask.

What BroadwayFreak said is correct: if someone from MTI had come and seen the show, your director could have been in big trouble. When a group pays for the rights to perform a show, they promise to perform it *as written*. Minor changes, such as women playing men's roles, are acceptable, as long as the gender of the character isn't changed. Major changes, such as your adaptation, needs special permission *in writing* from the company that owns the performing rights.

We understand the problems of low audition turn-out, believe me!! The members of this forum offered possible alternatives. There was no intention of putting you down, only commenting that your director could have made better choices.

You are still welcome to visit this forum, if you so choose. While I'm not a moderator on this forum, I would still advise you to please control your temper and not take your frustration out on fellow posters, especially not in such an insulting manner. It could get you banned from this website.

That being said, I hope you have a rewarding experience on Musicals.net.

[Charlie Cowell]

OMG! This is still on the front page of the forum! I realize that I took them the wrong way and people did not pay to see the performance it was free addmission and we just ordered some script books.

[JelliclePat]

Welcome back, Charlie!! I guess there just hasn't been much discussion about MM lately. What's happening on the Fiddler forum? I haven't been there in a while.

Not to worry, Charlie. We can all get upset when the shows we love are criticized. You should see what goes on with the CATS forum sometimes!! The discussion here was mild by comparision. Of course, on CATS, it's usually trolls who start the trouble.

That being said. it doesn't matter whether admission was charged or not. I doubt that your director 'just ordered some script books'. If he received official ones from MTI, then he signed a contract and should have abided by it. If he got library copies or something like that, he still needed permission to perform it. If he failed to get that permission, he could have jeopardized the whole show.

We're not blaming you or any other cast members, mind. I wouldn't work with this director in future, if I were you. He sounds awfully irresponsible.

[broadway_bound]

yeah i agree, i don't think that charlie should be there in the first act that basically takes away from the story if Harold has to hide from him all the time, I can't believe that there is not enough people for the train scene, I am in the process of doing this play and we don't have that many people but still enough to do the train scene you only need about 6 people!

[JelliclePat]

Generally speaking, doubling of roles is common practice, even in professional productions. It helps cut down on production costs, and why hire a person to play one role if he only appears briefly in one scene. Look at the original West End cast for 'My Fair Lady'; there is even tripling of roles, if I recall correctly.

[Theaterfan101]

Yep! In my product we only had like 7 males over the age on 14. (Harold and Marcellus were both guest artist. We had the seven males by traviling sales men. My friends dad played mayor, and sales men #1. My friend who 14 at the time was in the scene too, but he didn't sing. He was there to add the affect of many people travling.