It’s a dangerous thing, mounting a production of a show people feel strongly about. When it comes to The Sound of Music, “feel strongly” maybe doesn’t cover it. Love deeply and have memorized every word having watched the movie every year at Christmas and a few times in between? Have stood solemnly with the lace curtain on your head in preparation of your upcoming nuptials with Captain von Trapp while forcing your brother to play the wedding version of How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? Have had your young feminism foment to the words of Rolf singing 16 going on 17? Yeah. That kind of feel strongly.
Lauren Kidwell as The Mother Abbess and Jill-Christine Wiley as Maria Rainer. Photo by Matthew Murphy
So you brace yourself. It will be good, you tell yourself while printing out tickets. You try to tone down your exuberance while explaining the plot to your son in case you set the bar too high and he is disappointed. But then you get there, and the nuns of the abbey are fretting that Maria isn’t back yet, and you hear her clear pretty voice ring out that the hills are alive! And you know it is okay. The people in charge of the theatrical production love the musical as much as you do, and they have brought it to life in a way that has endeared the story to you all over again. When Mother Abbess (the incredibly talented Lauren Kidwell) encourages Maria to Climb Every Mountain, there may have been a tear. There were definitely goosebumps!
Jill-Christine Wiley as Maria Rainer and the von Trapp children. Photo by Matthew Murphy
The characters of Frau Schraeder (Melissa McKamie) and Max Detweiler (Jake Mills) are nuanced in a way I hadn’t picked up on before. They aren’t outright Nazis, they are the more insidious subtle evil of those who see what is going on and decide to use it to their advantage instead of taking a stand. It contrasts well with the von Trapp family refusal to accept the new government and their escape out of Austria, and feels like a comment on the political situation of today. It all leads to give the audience yet another connection to the story, even those of us who are already pretty big fans!
If you love The Sound of Music, I hope you were able to get tickets. If you were unsure it could live up to your expectations, it does! You won’t be disappointed.
The Sound of Music Contact Details:
See Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music live on stage! From the jubilant “Hills are Alive” at the top of a mountain to the sweet “16 Going on 17” or impossibly romantic “Must Have Done Something Good” in the confines of the garden gazebo, the music you know by heart and the story you love is worth seeing again! This production hits the Jubilee Auditorium as part of the Broadway Across Canada series. Tickets go on sale August 14, 2017 for the public starting at only $30.50!
When: September 19-24, 2017
Time: Tuesday-Saturday: 8 pm; Saturday and Sunday matinee: 2 pm; Sunday: 7:30 pm
Where: Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
Address: 11455 87 Ave.
Phone: 1-855-985-5000 (Ticketmaster)
Website: www.soundofmusicontour.com/
