It wasn't a bad idea to make Columbus energetic, enthusiastic, talkative, and inventive, but Willson failed to come up with a musical style that evoked the period and made his lead character believable instead of ridiculous. According to Mandlebaum in Not Since Carrie, "rhythm numbers in Willson's 'speak song' style from The Music Man" did not work for a story set in 15th century Spain.
However, Weill and Gershwin's comic opera inventiveness in Where Do We Go from Here? succeeded beautifully. Their Columbus number can be viewed on YouTube. |
