Reviewed by Tony Annicone
Welcome to the true story of the Von Trapp family as well as to the Mountains of Austria. This year is the 60th Anniversary of “The Sound of Music” and is also the second summer show of Reagle Music Theatre’s 51st season. “The Sound Of Music” is the last collaboration of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein and is based on Maria Von Trapp’s autobiography, ”The Story of the Trapp Family Singers.” This musical takes place in Austria in 1938 and is about Maria Rainer, a postulant who is hired by Captain Georg Von Trapp to care for his seven children. Although the Captain is engaged to another woman, he and Maria eventually fall in love and marry but their happiness is soon shattered when the Nazis annex Austria. The Captain opposes the Nazis so he and his family are forced to escape to America. The original show opened on Broadway on November 16, 1959, starred Mary Martin and ran for 1443 performances becoming the second longest running show of the 1950’s. The highly successful movie starring Julie Andrews opened in 1965 and ran yearly on television. Daniel Forest Sullivan directs and choreographs this classic musical wonderfully. This heartwarming true to life 60 year old musical once again captures the hearts of every member of the audience and wins the astounding actress playing Maria a standing ovation at the curtain call.
The high production values of Reagle Music Theatre can be seen in the terrific sets by Richard E. Schreiber and the lovely costumes by Costume World. Daniel’s blocking of this huge show is terrific, especially the nun’s, children and concert scenes. The most emotionally draining scenes are the tearful goodbye with the Mother Abbess at the end of Act 1 and the final escape of the Von Trapp Family at the end of the show. These scenes in this musical are as poignant now as they were back in 1959. Music director Dan Rodriguez obtains an astounding harmonic balance from the cast and especially in the nun’s four part harmony in Latin as well as in the children’s numbers. Jeff Leonard conducts a splendid eighteen piece orchestra with the harp standing out. Sullivan’s choreography includes the Rolf and Liesl dance, “Do Re Mi”, “The Lonely Goatherd”, the party dance and “So Long, Farewell.”
Leading this large cast as Maria is gorgeous brunette, Aimee Doherty. She displays great depth in this role, being spunky and charming and realistic. Doherty captures the hearts of one and all with her warmth and caring for the children. She displays the angst of uncertainty and naive behavior when called for. Her marvelous soprano voice soars from the opening “Sound of Music” to “My Favorite Things” with the Mother Abbess, to “I Have Confidence” when she leaves the Abbey, to “Do, Re, Mi” where she teaches the children how to sing and “The Lonely Goatherd” where she comforts them during a thunderstorm. Her two duets with the Captain are “Sound of Music” and “Something Good” which is tenderly rendered when the couple finally admits their love for each other. Doherty breathes new life into this role, making it her own.
Tall, dark and handsome Mark Linehan shines as the debonair Captain with his strong acting prowess and marvelous singing voice. He first appears as a strict martinet, running his household like his battleship by whistling for everyone. His demeanor changes when he realizes that Maria has brought joy back into his and his children’s lives. Linehan handles the comic moments with the whistling sounds and some of his funny lines but also displays his tender side during the love song with Maria. He also brings tears to your eyes when he sings ”Sound of Music” with his children and especially tugs on your heartstrings when he sing “Edelweiss” at the concert. The quaver in his voice and tears in his eyes are perfectly done. This song becomes more poignant when you realize that it is the last song Oscar Hammerstein wrote before his death in 1960. Doherty and Linehan have excellent chemistry together. Thank goodness that the original dirge-like love song “An Ordinary Couple” was replaced with the far superior melody from the movie version, “Something Good” in this version of the show.
The Mother Abbess is excellently played Mara Bonde whom I reviewed as Sarah Brown in “Guys and Dolls” here four years ago. Bonde has a fabulous soprano voice which soars off the charts to a high A flat in the emotionally charged “Climb Every Mountain” at the end of both acts. She also leads the nuns chorus in “Dixit Dominus”, “Rex Admirabilis” in Act 1 and “Gaudeamus” and “Confitemini” at the wedding. Bonds also does a comic turn with Maria during “My Favorite Things” at the start of the show. She definitely commands the stage as this kindly older nun who shows Maria how to pick the true path of her life. Another emotion packed scene is when the Abbess says goodbye to Maria and her family at the end of the show.
Robert Orzalli plays Max Deitweiller. Orzalli seemed a little too laid back with his lines in this comical role but displays his voice in the two songs with Elsa. His counterpart in this show is Elsa, who is engaged to the Captain. Janis Hudson, a gorgeous blonde, brings this sophisticated woman to life splendidly. Hudson has a strong soprano voice which she displays with Orzalli and Linehan in my two favorite songs in this show, “How Can Love Survive?” and “No Way to Stop It.” The first describes how rich people overcome all obstacles to in their way to romance and the other advises it is best to compromise when faced with the difficulty of the Germans takeover of Austria which is done tongue in cheek. Her haughty behavior is perfect for this role.
Another highlight of this musical is the seven talented performers who play the children. From the exuberance of “Do, Re, Mi” and “The Lonely Goatherd” to the harmonic poignancy of “Sound of Music” to the excitement of “So Long, Farewell” and the frightened rendition of the concert numbers, these children not only sing well but run the gamut of emotions all night long with strong line deliveries and fantastic facial expressions. These talented children are Emma Heistand as Liesl, Wade Gleeson Turner as Friedrich, who sings the lead in the children’s “Sound of Music”, Jane Jakubowski as the mischievous, Louisa, Ryan Philpott as Kurt who hits a high G in his boy soprano voice in “So Long, Farewell”, Fiona Simeqi as Brigitta, who has many lines as the truth teller, delivering them like an old pro, Addison Toole as Marta and Libby Sweder as Gretl who are as cute as buttons. Emma also sings “Sixteen Going on Seventeen”, does a duet and dance with Max Curry as Rolf and the reprise with Aimee who explains “Love isn’t love till you give it away.” Curry also has a strong voice and handles the transition from naive boy to hated Nazi. Later on in the show, Rolf redeems himself by letting the family escape from Herr Zeller and the Nazis. So for a remarkable rendition of this classic musical, be sure to catch “The Sound of Music” at the Reagle Music Theatre. I have many fond memories of this musical, having worked on it three separate times, as Zeller in 1980, as Max in 1986 and directing it in 1994. (The show closed July 20)
