Watch: Jefferson Mays Says Goodbye to The Music Man and Hello to A Christmas Carol | Playbill

Video Watch: Jefferson Mays Says Goodbye to The Music Man and Hello to A Christmas Carol

The Tony winner left the musical revival October 23 to prepare for the Broadway debut of his solo adaptation of the Dickens classic.

Tony winner Jefferson Mays may have left Broadway's The Music Man, but he hasn't said goodbye to Broadway; his solo version of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, co-adapted by Mays with director Michael Arden and Susan Lyons, begins performances at the Nederlander Theatre November 8. See Mays take his final bow as the Mayor of River City and head to Victorian England as Ebenezer Scrooge—and everyone else—above.

Mays is no stranger to a solo tour de force, having won a Best Actor Tony Award in 2004 for the over 40 characters he created in Doug Wright's I Am My Own Wife. He was also Tony-nominated for his performances in Oslo and A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, also playing several roles in the latter.

A Christmas Carol made its world premiere in 2018 at Los Angeles’ Geffen Playhouse. In winter 2020, a film version, produced by Hunter Arnold, was released to benefit partner theatres during the height of the pandemic shutdown.

The Music Man, playing at the Winter Garden, stars Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster, along with fellow Tony winners Shuler Hensley as Marcellus Washburn, Jayne Houdyshell as Mrs. Shinn, and Marie Mullen as Mrs. Paroo, plus Remy Auberjonois as Charlie Cowell, Gino Cosculluela as Tommy Djilas, Emma Crow as Zaneeta Shinn, Benjamin Pajak as Winthrop, Emily Jewel Hoder as Amaryllis, Garrett Long as Ethel Toffelmier, Linda Mugleston as Alma Hix, Jessica Sheridan as Maud Dunlop, Rema Webb as Mrs. Squires, Tony nominee Phillip Boykin as Olin Britt, Eddie Korbich as Jacey Squires, Daniel Torres as Ewart Dunlop, Nicholas Ward as Oliver Hix, and Max Clayton as the standby for Harold Hill. Mays is succeeded by Mark Linn-Baker as of October 25.

The Music Man, which features a book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, tells the story of what happens when con artist Harold Hill arrives in River City and falls in love with the straight-laced librarian, Marian. It first opened on Broadway December 19, 1957, at the Majestic Theatre. A 2000 revival played the Neil Simon Theatre.

Jerry Zaks directs the production, which also features choreography by Warren Carlyle, sets and costumes by Santo Loquasto, sound design by Scott Lehrer, lighting by Brian MacDevitt, vocal and dance arrangements by David Chase, orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick, and music direction by Patrick Vaccariello.

The production was nominated for six 2022 Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical.

Get a First Look at Broadway The Music Man Revival, Starring Tony Winners Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster

 
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