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Reunion
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How classmate Bill Saul got pool-shooting tips from Meredith Willson on Band Festival Day in 1962
By Jim Moen After the play Music Man was such a success on Broadway, and the music became widely known, the play was made into a film starring Robert Preston and Shirley Jones. Although most films are premiered to the press in Los Angeles, it was decided to hold Music Man's Press Premier in Mason City, to coincide with the Band Festival. Robert Preston was there, and well known radio show host Arthur Godfrey came out to host the event. As usual, they had many great-looking floats that year. The Rotary Club's float depicted the pool parlor scene from Music Man, with a real pool table, and somehow Bill Saul and I , along with several others, were chosen to dress up in early 1900s knickers and shoot pool as the float rolled down Federal. When we got to Central Park and the main viewing stand, the float stopped. I could see Meredith Willson watching as Bill played the part and shot pool. I doubt Bill had spent a lot of time growing up in pool parlors, yet it looked to me like he knew what he was doing. But after a few moments, Mr. Willson got up out of the viewing stand, walked directly to our float and climbed up on it. He walked over to Bill, grabbed the pool cue and said, 'Here kid, let me show you how to shoot pool."
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