Marian Paroo walked to the middle of a footbridge to meet the man who had tried to deceive her the entire show. Hesitantly making her way to its center, Paroo found her way into his arms, after having resisted him for hours. And then, beneath the dim lighting of the Shapiro Theater, she gave Professor Harold Hill a long and authentic kiss, one the audience had been waiting for, despite all of Hill's past tricks."I think the lesson is there's a little bit of good in everyone," director Samantha Saltzman '06 said after Sunday evening's show. "Sometimes you just have to look in the right places, through the right lens."

The Hillel Theatre Group's production of Meredith Wilson's The Music Man showed audiences how to find that good in everyone this weekend: energetic dancing and heartfelt singing mixed with splashes of humor here and there. In her directorial debut, Saltzman weaved together a show that did its script justice. Overcoming only occasional lulls in the captivating, tightly choreographed dancing, the show was a success because of the majestic singing of its lead characters and the chemistry among its supporting cast.

Paroo (Jessie Podell '06) and Hill (Jason Fenster '06) led the way, complementing each other almost perfectly, and never losing sight of the romance brewing between their characters.

Fenster plays a shrewd but crooked salesman who travels from town to Midwest town, swindling folks for money for a children's band he promises to start for local youngsters.

But Professor Hill skips every town without leaving any semblance of a band, just as Charlie Cowell (Scott Moerdler '08), a competing salesman who loathes Hill, warns to a train full of people in the musical's opening scene.

The rest of the production sees Hill gradually winning over the people of River City, Iowa, much to the chagrin of Mayor George Shinn (Beck Holden '08). Shinn was an audience favorite because of his stumbling, incoherent and angry outbursts at everyone from the lowliest town troublemaker to his wife. As Hill gains control over the town, Shinn loses it, providing some needed comic relief.

His wife, Eulalie MacKechnie Shinn (Rebecca Kotlicky '06) provides the rest of the show's comedy, true to the actress's legacy. Kotlicky has been a staple of hilarity in Undergraduate Theatre Collective shows during her time at Brandeis, and while her role was smaller than usual, her insertion of outrageous facial expressions offered a familiar comfort.

The dancing was key to the production, with the large cast staying true to the music despite complex choreography that filled the stage to the brim.

But the show belonged to the stars. Fenster's dancing was executed with a punch, and every time Podell sang, her operatic voice rang true to the emotions of her character. Most impressive was Fenster's ability to place his character in a place of adoration for the audience. Marian's affection for Hill-which blossoms out of an initial disgust in early scenes-is a critical component in this effect.

"[Marian] sees the good in him from the beginning, even if he can't see it himself," Saltzman said. "That's the important thing about Marian."

Saltzman's point is proven near the end of the show, when, confronted with his deception, Hill says "I always think there's a band, kid."

"He's really telling the truth," Saltzman said, "He really does wish . that he didn't have to be this swindler. He really wishes he could be good."

The audience, it would seem, forgave him.