Inside ‘The Seller of Illusions’ Very Scary Moment in ‘It: Welcome to Derry’

The first episode of the new series HBO, It: Welcome to Derrydelivered genuinely dark television. The production is a prelude to It – The Thingfrom Stephen Kingset in 1962 in the fictional town of Derry, Maine. Although not directly based on any of Kingthe series is inspired by the 1986 book and its mythology to create an original plot. And if you haven’t watched it yet — fair warning — there are spoilers ahead. (Although you might want to know in advance what kind of nightmare you’re about to walk into.)

Of the disappearance of the local boy Matthew Clements to the movie theater massacre committed by a demonic baby (yes, that really happens), the hour-long premiere was filled with horror. But beyond the horrors displayed on screen, there was another element that made the prequel It even more disturbing: Illusion Seller. No, this is not about a sinister street musician with a theremin, but about the film released in 1962, directed by Morton DaCosta.

The showrunners of Welcome to Derry they brilliantly reused one of the songs from Illusion Seller as a ghostly soundtrack to Derry’s descent into madness.

For those who don’t know the story, Illusion Seller tells the story of the charismatic coup plotter Harold Hill (played by Robert Preston), which arrives in the small, perfect town of River City, Iowa. His scam consisted of convincing residents to buy instruments for a child band (which would never exist), pocket the money and disappear as quickly as he arrived. The musical — originally a show by Broadway — was written by the American composer Meredith Wilson and had hits like “Seventy-Six Trombones”, “The Wells Fargo Wagon” and “(Ya Got) Trouble”.

Illusion Seller received one of the first awards Grammy of Best Musical Theater Albumand the interpretation of Preston in “(Ya Got) Trouble” even earned him a nomination for Golden Globe.

This same song played a special — or rather, chilling — role in Welcome to Derry. The lines “Ya got trouble, my friend” (“You have problems, my friend”) echo discreetly, but unsettlingly, in the background of some of the most tense moments of the episode. What was once a cheery, 1960s Broadway song now sounds like a grim warning to Derry residents.

HBO and Warner Bros.. called the brothers Andy and Barbara Muschietti to produce Welcome to Derryfollowing their success as executive producers on other recent adaptations of Stephen Kingincluding It and It – Chapter Two (2019).

“Andy and I have wanted to do a musical for a long time — and we will at some point. Then Andy thought it would be great to open the episode with an original musical number [da Broadway]”, he said Barbara the Rolling Stone. “And ‘trouble’ is exactly what this ominous scene represented. The film Illusion Seller it talks about fear being used as a weapon in a small town, so the themes are very aligned.”

Decades after its debut — and years before it was referenced in Welcome to Derry —, the musical has become a landmark in pop culture, being one of the most played songs in theme parks in the world. Disney and appearing in cult films such as The Bride’s Best Friend (2008). In 2003, Matthew Broderick interpreted Harold Hill in a TV adaptation. In 2012, the creator of Family Guy, Seth MacFarlanepresented “(Ya Got) Trouble” in BBC Promsa concert series that highlights new talent in the UK.

More recently, the reassembly of the Broadway in 2022 brought Hugh Jackman as Harold Hill next to Sutton Foster — himself wolverine singing “Ya Got Trouble” countless times over the course of a year-long season. Theater legends like Patti LuPone have also performed the song (she performed it on Carnegie Hall in 2002), and it has been parodied in series such as The Simpsons and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

But more than a popular song, Barbara and Andy Muschietti they chose it for its dark themes. “Danger, danger. Something is coming. A cloud is gathering. There is trouble in sight. And that’s what It treats. That’s what Pennywise it’s about — keeping this constant message that you’re never safe, because there’s something dangerous just around the corner,” he explained. Barbara. “Our soundtrack and score feature several tracks from the 60s, full of naivety, beauty and sweetness, while what happens in Derry is terrible and terrifying.”

In addition to the music of Illusion Seller appear in the first episode, in the opening scene the city’s local cinema shows the film itself — with Matthew Clements present before disappearing. Throughout the episode, “(Ya Got) Trouble” echoes in a frightening way through the pipes and drains, reaching other children in the community and calling on them to look for Matty. From beginning to end, it functions as an ominous omen that something dark is about to happen in Derry.

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• It: Welcome to Derry

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• The Music Man

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