The Music Man stands as one of the greatest achievements in American musical theatre but few know about its rocky beginnings and the againstallodds success story of its creator Meredith Willson.Mark Cabaniss steps back into the Golden Age of Broadway and brings to life the origins of this classic show the music behind it and the unlikely story of its creator. Interweaving behindthescenes accounts of people who worked with Willson Cabaniss looks at his long and unusual career as a composer conductor radio personality and flutist which reached its pinnacle in The Music Man.No one initially believed in Willsonamprsquos ampldquoValentine to Iowaamprdquo seeing it as nothing but a corny flop or worse a recipe for disaster. But when the curtain fell on opening night a star called The Music Man was born. Over 65 years later that star is still marching right to this day endeared by millions around the world. To understand Willson his career and his music is to understand how The Music Man came to be he was truly the only person who could have ever written this show due to his unique background talent incredible persistence and belief. The showamprsquos ultimate success and longevity was anything but inevitableampmdashrather it was truly a miracle.