From the moment the curtain goes up on the traveling salesman on the Rock Island Railway in 1912, during Maine State Music Theatre's production of “The Music Man,” you will become enthusiastic passenger, thankful for your own ticket to ride.

The songs and music, set off with imaginative choreography, costuming and sets, are embraced by this company of exceptionally talented performers — and their audiences. This reviewer is not known for her love of classic musicals, but this production is a different story.

The first scene has members of the ensemble singing about the bad business of extending credit and how the times are changing, making their jobs harder, while simulating the sounds and movement of the train. This is brilliantly accomplished by the talented cast portraying the salesmen — some with unusual voices, but all with pitch perfect timing.

One of the salesmen, Charlie Cowell, tells the salesmen that River City, Iowa, is a challenging place to try to sell anything. Folks there are just too practical. Cowell then goes on to tell the salesmen about a particular, highly successful “salesman,” one Professor Harold Hill. Unbeknownst to the salesmen, Hill is on train and announces his intention to go River City.

For those of you not completely familiar with the story, “The Music Man” is Harold Hill. Hill is a most talented swindler who decides to head for River City, Iowa, after hearing about it from the salesmen on the train.

Hill arrives in the rather strait-laced town with his best scam: pretending to be a music man/band conductor who sells instruments, from clarinets to tubas and fancy uniforms, to families under the pretense of forming an all boy band in the town.

Once the “Professor” has collected the money, he's gone — not having a musical bone in his body. And, although we're not sure how he does it, he tells everyone playing an instrument that it all comes down to his “think system.” You don't have to know the notes because you can think them, or hear the song in your head. Huh?

Curt Dale Clark, one of the 10 Actors’ Equity cast members, does a superb job with the role. Charming and disarming, he draws you to him beginning with the classic song, “Trouble (in River City).” The Professor must come up with a reason why the town needs a boy band, and he finds one in the billiard hall, recently opened, owned by Mayor Shinn (David Girolmo) and his wife, Eualie Mackecknie Shinn (Charis Leos).

Hill convinces the townspeople that the only way to keep the youngsters moral is to get them in a band practicing and playing instruments, so they won't have time to be led astray.

However, there is one roadblock in Hill's plan: Marian the librarian (Lauren Blackman). Marian Paroo that is.

Marian is a very attractive, educated young woman who is immediately put off by the slick professor. Marian doesn't believe the billiard hall is as devilish as Hill makes it out to be, knowing the townspeople as well as she does.

Some of those folk, particularly Mrs. Shinn and five other “upstanding” ladies of the community are show-stoppers. Their song “Pick a Little, Talk a Little” a gossipy little tune about Marian the librarian, is punctuated by chicken movements with their heads and bodies as they sing the chorus from the song: “Pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, talk a little, cheep cheep cheep, talk a lot, pick a little more.”

Marian’s much younger brother (Andrew Lyndaker), Winthrop, speaks with a lisp, when he speaks, and is still grieving for his father. The boy doesn't talk much to anyone, including his mother (April Woodall) and sister.

But as Hill convinces many other members of the community that a band is just what River City needs, Marian and her mother see Winthrop becoming excited about something. The professor convinces Mrs. Paroo that being in a band is just what her boy needs — and he turns out to be right.

The love story between Hill and Marian the librarian is as classic as the musical; boy and girl meet, girl dislikes boy, boy tries harder to win girl over.

In this case, Hill initially is trying to win the lovely Marian over only to further his plans; however, soon after he arrives, love also comes to town, even for Professor Harold Hill.

The preparations for the Fourth of July extravaganza are a hoot — Mrs. Shinn and her ladies rehearsing for their Grecian number is killer, particularly when they portray a fountain.

Charis Leos' Mrs. Shinn radiates presence from the stage and will keep you in stitches with her comedic timing, endless facial expressions and body movements. David Girolmo as her husband, the Mayor of River City, is masterful in his character's seemingly constant state of being tongue tied while being full of self-importance.

The barbershop quartet is made up of four River City school board members. Hill escapes their demands for his credentials, sought by the mayor, by starting them off in song — something they cannot stop themselves from doing. These four are funny — and sound great!

Soprano Lauren Blackman has an outstanding voice and complements Curt Dale Clark's Professor Harold Hill beautifully.

Andrew Lyndaker.

This is the talented young man from Newcastle you may remember from Heartwood's “Les Miserables,” and “The Legend of Jim Cullen.” Lyndaker is spot on as Winthrop Paroo, as he speaks and sings with the lisp and has just the right amount of stage presence. The audience loved him.

The choreography by Marc Robin, also the director, is outstanding, and the acrobatics, particularly during “Shipoopi,” are dazzling.

Yes, MSMT's “The Music Man,” is a fun, brilliant production of what is quite possibly the classic musical — of 1957, '87 or 2015.

Departures from the Rock Island Railroad continue only through Aug. 1. Call 207-725-8769 to make a reservation!

Follow this link to MSMT’s sneak peek of “The Music Man”: http://msmt.org/main-stage/music-man.