[20][21], "Lida Rose" and "Will I Ever Tell You", sung first separately and then simultaneously, are examples of Broadway counterpoint (songs with separate lyrics and separate melodies that harmonize and are designed to be sung together). The next day, Harold walks into the library to woo Marian in earnest ("Marian the Librarian").

[10] The long-running US national tour opened in 1958, starring Forrest Tucker as Hill and Joan Weldon as Marian. Mayor Shinn, who owns the billiard parlor, tells the bickering school board to get Harold's credentials, but Harold gets them to sing as a Barbershop Quartet to distract them ("Ice Cream/Sincere").

As Marian waits alone for Harold, traveling salesman Charlie Cowell enters with evidence against Harold, hoping to tell Mayor Shinn. [17] Jefferson Mays and Jayne Houdyshell have been cast to play Mayor and Mrs. Shinn, with Shuler Hensley as Marcellus and Marie Mullen as Mrs. Paroo. [8] It remained at the Majestic for nearly three years before transferring to The Broadway Theatre to complete its 1,375-performance run on April 15, 1961. [30], "Till There Was You" was covered by Anita Bryant in 1959 as a single for Carlton Records, reaching #30 on the Billboard Hot 100. The curtain sails up to disclose the most energetic engine on the Rock Island Railroad (circa 1912) hurtling across the proscenium with real smoke pouring out of its smokestack and real steam rolling along the rails". Doro Merande and Sandy Duncan played, respectively, Eulalie and Zaneeta Shinn. Similarly, "Pickalittle" and "Good Night Ladies" are also sung first separately, and then in counterpoint. The townspeople begin an agitated search for Harold. Promotional copies of the 45 rpm single, Capitol P3847, were released on November 26, 1957, even before the Broadway production had premiered.

[9] Liza Redfield became the first woman to be the full-time conductor of a Broadway pit orchestra when she assumed the role of music director for the original production's final year of performances beginning in May 1960. Upon the train's arrival in River City, Iowa, a passenger leaves the train with a suitcase labeled "Professor Harold Hill". The year 1912 was a time of relative innocence, as recalled in 1957 after two world wars, the Great Depression and the arrival of atomic weapons. The town ladies ask Marian to join their dance committee, since she was "so dear dancing the Shipoopi" with Professor Hill ("Pick-a-Little, Talk-a-Little" [Reprise]). The song also appeared in the 1962 film and in the made-for-TV movie adaptation in 2003. Regarding Winthrop's cornet, Marian later questions Harold about his claim that "you don't have to bother with the notes". In this section, you are going to explore the beautiful Romantic Good night messages. He explains that this is what he calls "The Think System", and he arranges to call on Marian to discuss it. It was previously set to open in 2020 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[18].

At the end of the musical, lines from "Seventy-Six Trombones" and "Goodnight My Someone" are sung in alternation with each other.