Arena Stage Artistic Director Molly Smith was drawn to the musical she is currently directing, “The Music Man,” in part for personal reasons. “This is the story of an outsider who comes into a small community and totally changes it,” said Smith. “I’m from a small town. Yakima, Washington, and I’ve always been fascinated with small towns and how they operate. In this one, transformational change happens.”

This “Music Man” is set in River City, Iowa, as Meredith Willson’s original was. In terms of its placement in time, Smith said simply that “it’s set in a vision of America’s past with echoes of today.” “The Music Man,” with book, music and lyrics by Willson, tells the story of a lovable con man, Professor Harold Hill, who comes to River City after fleecing 102 counties in Illinois.