[NEohioPAL]Berko review: THE SOUND OF MUSIC (Carousel)

[Roy Berko]

‘THE SOUND OF MUSIC’ HITS RIGHT NOTES AT CAROUSEL

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times	


‘THE SOUND OF MUSIC,’ which is now on stage at
Carousel Dinner Theatre, is one of the most beloved
and produced musicals of all time.  The show, with
music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein
II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse,
opened on Broadway on November 16, 1959, and starred
Mary Martin as Maria and Theodore Bikel as Captain von
Trapp. 

Most theatre-goers are familiar with the story.   In
Salzburg, Austria, Maria, a young novice, is sent from
her convent to be the governess of the seven children
of Captain von Trapp, a widowed naval commander. The
children, initially hostile and mischievous, come to
like her, and she finds herself falling in love with
the captain. He is to be married to a baroness but he
marries Maria instead.   The Nazis take power in
Austria as part of the Anschluss, and want Captain von
Trapp to serve in the Reich’s Navy.  During a singing
performance at a musical competition the whole family
manages to flee and “climb every mountain” to
Switzerland.

This is a true story, right?  Well, not exactly.  Some
details of the von Trapp tale were altered for the
play and the film. The real Maria was sent to be a
nurse for one of the children, not to be a governess
to all of them. The Captain's eldest child was a boy,
not a girl, and the names of the children were changed
to avoid confusion, as the Captain's eldest daughter
was also named Maria.  Also, the von Trapps spent some
years in Austria after Maria and the Captain married
in 1927.  They did not have to flee right away.  And
when they did leave they fled to Italy, not
Switzerland.

The film version, which was released in 1965, was
named Best Picture of the Year.  Hammerstein died
before the movie was made, and the two songs that were
added to the film’s score ("I Have Confidence" and
"Something Good") were written solely by Rodgers.

How did the show come to be?  In 1956 Vincent Donahue,
a well known director, saw a German film called "The
Trapp Family Singers."  He proposed  to Mary Martin’s
husband that a stage musical with the score to consist
of  von Trapp songs star Martin.  Rogers and
Hammerstein, who were hired to write only one new
song, eventually proposed an entirely fresh score.  In
March, 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein laid out the
placement of the songs using a book prepared by
Lindsay and Crouse.  One of the difficulties faced by
Richard Rodgers, who was Jewish,  was that of writing
Catholic ecclesiastical music.  To add to the
problems, while working on the lyrics Hammerstein was
diagnosed with stomach cancer.  In spite of the
difficulties, on the 14th October 1959 the show opened
in Boston.  During that tryout the musical duo felt
the show needed a signature number.  So, one song was
added--”Edelweiss.”  (No, “Edelweiss” is not the
Austrian national anthem.  It was created specifically
for ‘THE SOUND OF MUSIC. Austrians never heard the
song before the musical was produced there.)   It was
the last song ever written by the most prolific of
musical theatre teams.  

On November 16th the show opened on Broadway.  The
reviews were mixed, mainly praising the score and
criticizing the sentimentality of the play.  In spite
of the reviews the show lasted over three-and-a-half
years on the Great White Way, thus becoming the second
longest running Broadway musical of the fifties.

The Carousel production, under the direction of Mitzi
Hamilton, will generally please audiences in spite of
the fact that it is stilted and drops some of the
material’s emotional triggers.  Part of this is due to
some of the performers, but it is mainly due to
Hamilton’s heavy handed interpretation.  For example,
the van Trapp children, who were noted for driving
away nanny’s with their mischievous tricks, show no
negative reaction to Maria when she first arrives. 
Therefore, there is none of the winning over which
makes the Maria role so endearing and pivotal.   The
foreshadowing of the eventual break up of the Captain
and his fiance is lost because Niclole Haimos’s Elsa
isn’t aloof enough.  Also, some of the cast seems on
automatic pilot, moving and responding with stilted
smiles, robot-like movements and a lack of
spontaneity.

Cristin Mortenson is effervescent as Maria.  Whenever
she comes on stage she shines like a moonbeam!  Her
characterization is right on target and her voice is
glorious.  The same can be said for Sharon Alexander,
The Mother Abbess.  Her version of “Climb Ev’ry
Mountain” is worth the price of admission and,
fortunately you get to hear it twice--at the end of
each act.  

The nuns are glorious.  Their vocal sounds are pure
beauty.  The children are all acceptable, but often
too preprogrammed to stand and smile and look
childlike...they lack the needed impishness.  The
usual delightful “So Long, Farewell” lacks playfulness
and charm.

Ray Luetters is unbelievable as Captain von Trapp.  He
seems uncomfortable, his acting is on the surface and
his singing voice is not up to the requirements of the
role.  Adam Crawford is physically right for Rolf, the
oldest van Trapp daughter’s suitor, but moves too
automatically, especially in what should be the
enchanting, “Sixteen Going on Seventeen.”

The sets and costumes are excellent, as are the
orchestrations.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  Carousel’s ‘THE SOUND OF MUSIC’
will please most audience members.  It’s a shame that
director Mitzi Hamilton found it necessary to stilt
some of the enthusiasm and delight of the show.

For tickets  call 800-362-4100.  Show times are
Tuesday through Thursday evenings at 8:00 p.m., Friday
and Saturday evenings at 8:30 p.m. and Sunday evenings
at 5 and Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 2 P.M. 
Matinees are on Wednesday and Saturday at 2.  Dinner
is served two hours prior to curtain.  Ticket prices
range from $39.50 to $47.50 for the show with dinner
and 27-$35 without dinner.


Roy Berko's web page can be found at www.royberko.info.  His theatre and dance reviews appear on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.fredsternfeld.com/mailman/listinfo/neohiopal.


		
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