‘The Sound of Music’ was the last
collaboration between Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein premiered on
Broadway in 1959, nine months before Hammerstein’s death. I have never
been one of those fanatics for the film or rushing to see the stage show
when possible. Nor did I watch the whole series of ‘How Do You Solve A
Problem Like Maria?’ through which Connie Fisher was named the peoples
Maria on Saturday 16th September 2006. She became the star of
Andrew Lloyd Webbers West End revival in November 2006.
This current UK tour again sees Connie Fisher
don her postulants robes before being sent to govern the von Trapp
family. We follow the wilful Maria from her beloved mountains, through
her life at Nonnberg Abbey and her enforced stay at the von Trapp Villa
to her final escape to safety through her mountains. It takes only a
short while for Maria to fall in love with the children and win their
affection and respect in return, leading inevitably to their father the
handsome and suave Captain Georg von Trapp (Michael Praed) becoming
aware of this phenomenon who has turned his naval crew like offspring
back in to children.
From the opening ‘Preludium’ starting with,
Margaret Preece as the Mother Abbess, singing a solo soon to be joined
by the whole cast just before we see Maria on her beloved mountain
singing ‘The Sound of Music’, to the final concert appearance of the
von Trapp Family singers, each and every musical number is beautifully
sung. The sets may not be the most spectacular or sumptuous but are well
suited for the subject material and give enough changes for each
location. The choreography is tight and clever and is particularly
poignant where the children are involved.
Although to a certain extent Connie has managed
to make Maria her own there were times Julie Andrews was in evidence.
Certain phrases and vocal nuances made it difficult to differentiate one
from the other. I have long since fallen for Michael Praed and as
Captain von Trapp we see both a sterner and occasionally a more gentle
side to his character. It was also lovely to hear him sing. Margaret
Preece as The Mother Abbess presents worldly understanding in the
embodiment of a holy reverend mother with a heavenly voice. Jacinta
Mulcahy as the Baroness Schraeder is not quite as manipulative and
demanding as I had expected. David O’Dell as Max Detweiler added some
comedy to the proceedings. The young lovers Claire Fishenden as Liesel
and Jeremy Taylor as Rolf perform a beautiful rendition of ‘Sixteen
Going on Seventeen’. It was obvious at times that the seven children
stole the show over and over again. On the 6th of February we
saw; Claire Fishenden as Liesl, Oliver Harper as Friedrich, Kirsten
White as Louisa, Joseph Brill as Kurt, Georgia Daltrey as Brigitta,
Summer Emery as Marta and Lydia Baker as the cute and endearing Gretl.
The youngster with the unenviable job of being swing is Sophia Millard.
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