This evergreen musical, inspired by the lives of the actual von Trapp family as retold by Maria Augusta Trapp in her book The Trapp Family Singers, came together through the book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse and the music by Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein 11.
The uplifting story of Maria, a fun-loving governess who changes the lives of the widowed Captain von Trapp and his seven children by re-introducing them to music, culminating in the family’s escape from the Nazis across the mountains from Austria, has enthralled and captivated audiences around the world since it was first produced on Broadway in 1959.
Sydney music theatre lovers are currently being treated to the touring production of the show’s brilliant 2006 West End revival. Before closing up and going on tour Jeremy Sams revival had played the London Palladium, the musical theatre home of the West End, for a record breaking 954 performances and was seen by over 2 million people.
The producers- Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Ian, John Frost and The Really Useful Group– should be well pleased by our very talented team of home-grown performers who put on an excellent show.
Amy Lehpamer and Cameron Daddo make for a very appealing Maria Rainer and Captain von Trapp. Marina Prior plays Baroness Schraeder, Jacqueline Dark, of Opera Australia fame, shows off her stunning voice as Mother Abbess, Lorraine Bayly is very believable as the hunchback, ‘weather worn’ Frau Schmidt, and David James plays the very earnest, good hearted Max Detweiler. Stefanie Jones and Du Toit Bredenkamp make for a good match as the young sweethearts.
The ensemble cast includes Annie Aitkin, Johanna Allen (Sister Sophia), Eleanor Blythman (Sister Margaretta), Sophie Cheeseman, Connor Crawford,Colin Dean, Philip Dodd (Franz), Tony Farrell,Steven Grace,William Groucutt, Anthony Harkin, Daniel Humphris, Dominica Matthews (Sister Berthe),Katie McKee, Kathleen Moore, Meredith O’Reilly, Ashleigh Rubenach and Sophie Weiss.
The show’s classic songs, and there are many of them, were given rousing, heart-felt renditions by the performers accompanied by a wonderful live orchestra, including My Favorite Things, Edelweiss, Do-Re-Mi, Sixteen Going On Seventeen, The Lonely Goatherd, Climb Every Mountain and the title song, The Sound of Music, which started the evening off on a high and soaring note.
As one would expect from such an acclaimed and large scale production, the show’s production values were very strong, with the spectacular sets a particular highlight.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC is playing the Capitol Theatre for a strictly limited season until February 28. Performance times- Until January 31- Wednesdays till Saturdays at 8pm, also Wednesdays at 1pm, Saturdays at 2pm, and Sundays at 1pm and 6pm. And then from February 1- Tuesdays at 7pm, Wednesdays to Saturdays at 8pm, and also Wednesdays at 1pm, Saturdays at 2pm, and Sundays at 3pm. Tickets from $79.90. Bookings- www.soundofmusic.com.au or 13000111011.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC will then move on to the Brisbane’s Lyric Theatre from 11 March, 2016, Melbourne’s Regent Theatre from 13 May and the Festival Theatre Adelaide from 9 August.
Production photography by James Morgan. Featured photograph of the Capitol Theatre with posters of the current show by Mi-Jung Kim.