I think it’s fair to say that most people have seen – or at least heard of – The Sound of Music. This charming yet poignant story is based on the real-life Von Trapp Family Singers – who escaped from Nazi-invaded Europe – and adapted for stage and screen from Maria Augusta Von Trapp’s memoir. Starring Julie Andrews as Maria and Christopher Plummer as Captain Von Trapp, the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic has been a family favourite since its film release in 1965.
However, the stage show actually came first, with its original Broadway production taking place in 1959 and hitting the London Palace Theatre in 1961. The Sound of Music walked away from the 1960 Tony Awards with five trophies – including Best Musical. In fact, fast-forward to 1998, and it won another Tony Award for the Best Revival of a Musical. So it’s pretty good. Lots of people think so.
With that in mind, it seemed obvious that bringing The Sound of Music to the Grand Opera House would attract large audiences. So the exceptional local theatre company York Stage Musicals (YSM), led by Director Nik Briggs, did exactly that. And the queues of people trying to get to their seats confirmed its popularity.
I was one of those people. And I’m also a huge fan of The Sound of Music. I literally know the film word-for-word. But I went into this with an open mind – I’ve seen the stage show several times and each performance has been very different. I could tell the second I saw the set that Briggs’ version was going to be equally unique. At first glance I thought I’d gone to the wrong Rodgers and Hammerstein show – the off-white steps and ancient columns looked like something out of The King and I. And while the nuns were genuinely climbing every mountain (see what I did there) when manoeuvring up and down the humongous stairs upon their entrance, it quickly became apparent why the unusual set had been chosen. The coloured lighting turned the pyramids at the back into green hills without a single scene change, and the grand staircase became the perfect setting for the exterior of the Von Trapp residency.
The nuns’ opening ‘Preludium’ at the beginning of the show confirmed to the audience members that we really were in for a treat. All I can say is: Wow. With a capital W. Absolutely stunning vocals and immaculate harmonies from what appeared to be a very diversely-aged ensemble. This flawlessness continued as the nuns went on to perform the entertaining number ‘Maria’.
The talents among the cast are really quite diverse and mixed. It can’t be denied that they’re all – and I mean every single one of them – very talented in their own individual ways. However, the one thing that really struck me was that this performance could have quite easily got away with being a concert version of the show. The casting in general seemed to be based on vocal ability over anything else – as they’re all (especially the principal cast) phenomenal singers. However, in places, I felt that some of the acting and dancing wasn’t as convincing as it could have been.
I’m in no doubt that the children steal the show – and that includes older sister Liesl (Louise Henry). Completely and utterly. They’re full of energy throughout and give the grown-ups a good run for their money. That being said, Elsa Schraeder (Carly Morton) and Max Detweiler (Alex Papachristou) really shone for me. Papachristou’s portrayal of Max was nigh on perfect without being a carbon copy of Richard Haydn’s famous performance in the original film. Equally, Morton’s Elsa was very different from Eleanor Parker’s – and both really came to life during their duet of ‘How Can Love Survive’.
It would be sacrilege to write a review on The Sound of Music without mentioning Maria (Jo Theaker) and Captain Von Trapp (Cal O’Connell). It’s no easy feat to take on such iconic roles from the legendary actors that are Andrews and Plummer – and YSM’s leads are brave to say the least. However, I do feel that they both played their roles quite ‘safe’ – choosing to stick to what’s expected of their characters’ personalities instead of making the roles their own. Unfortunately, for me, I didn’t find that Theaker and O’Connell had as much chemistry as I’d hoped, and that made certain scenes – such as the famous Ländler dance scene – hard to believe. Their vocals, however, are not to be sniffed at as they glide through the score with power, control, and stunning harmonies. I could especially imagine Theaker as an excellent Narrator in Joseph with her warm and dynamic tones.
All in all, this is a beautiful performance of a heart-warming classic that no musical theatre fan should miss. Plaudits have to go to Briggs’ direction and Jessica Hardcastle’s choreography – especially in the final scene and the iconic ‘So Long, Farewell’. The band were also on absolute top form, not missing a single note and filling the auditorium with the famous music we all know and love so well.
Tickets are still available and the show runs daily until Saturday 20th April. Click here to book tickets.
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