 |
Music by: Richard Rodgers Artistic Director - Kevin Sheard Musical Director - Sue Wilby Choreographer - Megan McGuire |
|
Executive Producer - Beth Cole Producer - Gale Richter | |
We are pleased to present the ever-popular and enduring family musical story Roger’s and Hammerstein’s "The Sound of Music". It first opened November 16, 1959, in a record breaking run of 1,442 on Broadway, The Sound of Music was made into a film in 1965 winning five Oscars including Best Picture. Photographed in the beautiful Austrian Alps the film was recently re-released as a popular sing-a-long version. It has also enjoyed several successful Broadway revival productions and national tours.
The real life story begins in 1938 at Nonnberg Abbey in Austria where very busy nuns are going about daily routine. Just before nightfall they notice that the postulant Maria is not among them. Maria is out on the mountain enjoying nature and The Sound of Music that fills the air, and although she has permission from the Mother Abbess, she returns very late indeed. The Mother Abbess and her assistants conclude that Maria is not ready for the religious life. Although the Mother Abbess shares much of Maria’s enthusiasm My Favorite Things she decides to send her out of the Abbey to be a governess for the seven children of retired naval captain von Trapp. The recently widowed captain has become a martinet and his children have become tiny machines. Maria soon teaches them to once again enjoy life and sing Do-Re-Mi. The eldest child Liesl is in the throes of first love and steals away at night to meet a village boy Sixteen Going on Seventeen. Maria easily earns her trust and entertains all of the children during a thunderstorm with The Lonely Goatherd.
The captain returns home from Vienna with his baroness fiancée and a friend Max. At a party the children sing goodnight So Long, Farewell. As ominous rumblings of Nazi infiltration begin to rock Austria, Maria falls in love with the captain. In dismay she returns to the abbey where the Mother Abbess advises her that love between a man and woman is holy Climb Ev’ry Mountain.
Maria returns to the von Trapp villa and learns that the captains engagement has been dissolved. The love between Maria and the captain evolves and they soon marry. Meanwhile, Max has booked the children to sing at a music festival without the captains approval. The Nazi’s invade Austria and the captain is summoned to their service. Maria gains time for him by agreeing to have the whole family sing at the festival Edelweiss. There, a military escort waits to take the captain to Berlin. Maria swiftly leads the captain and children to their exit song and one by one they disappear as Max stalls the escort. They hide at the Abbey, foiling all search efforts and escape to a new life of freedom. They cross the Alps into Switzerland and eventually come to America where all live happily ever after.
With this incredible wealth of material and rich history we are thrilled to bring this charming story of love and freedom to the stage. Our dedicated cast and crew are committed to the best values of production and performance to help bring this entertaining musical story to life. The Sound of Music offers the best combination of exhilarating music and compelling human drama and we look forward to joining our audience for an imaginative celebration of life, freedom and music.