[NEohioPAL] Berko review: THE SOUND OF MUSIC @ Porthouse

[Roy Berko]

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*SOUND OF MUSIC climbs ev’ry mountain at Porthouse*


**

Many consider THE SOUND OF MUSIC the greatest American musical.  Others
think of it as a sentimental piece of fluff.  Whatever their view, few can
sit and listen passively to the likes of such songs as *My Favorite Things*,
*Climb Ev’ry Mountain*, *Do-Re-Mi*, and *Maria*.  This is Rogers and
Hammerstein at their best.

The musical centers on Maria, a young Austrian who is studying to be a nun.
She is sent to be a governess for the children of Captain von Trapp, a
widower who was a naval commander.  Maria falls in love with the children,
and the children return the love that they do not get from their
overbearing father.  von Trapp plans to marry a baroness, but their views
of the upcoming Anschluss get in the way.  Love blossoms between Maria and
the Captain.  The duo marries.  In order to avoid Nazi rule, the family
flees the country.

Interestingly, there are facts about the von Trapp family and the show
itself that have been lost as viewers assume that the musical is a factual
story.

The idea for the script was based on the 1956 West German film, THE TRAPP
FAMILY, and its 1958 sequel.  Originally it was to be made into a
non-musical, written by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, that would
feature songs from the repertoire of the Trapp Family Singers.  Several
additional songs were to be written by Rodgers(music)  and Hammerstein
(lyrics).  Then the full-blown Rodgers and Hammerstein show was proposed.  The
rest is history.

An award winning Broadway show, it ran 1443 performances with Theodore
Bikel and Mary Martin in the lead roles.  Then it was transformed into an
award winning film with Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, which is
generally regarded as one of the most popular films of all time.

For dramatic purposes, the actual family’s life was altered.  In reality,
Maria was only hired to tutor one of the children, the names and ages of
the children were altered, the family spent years in Austria after Maria
and the Captain were married, and, no there was no escape over the
mountains.  The family went by train to Italy, then to London and then to
the United States.

Another misconception is that *Edelweiss*, the song that the von Trapp’s
sing at the Salzburg Music Festival, is the Austrian national anthem.  It
isn’t.  It is simply a song that Rogers and Hammerstein wrote as a plot
device.

If you are a SOUND OF MUSIC aficionado, you’ll know that the Porthouse
production includes two songs, *I Have Confidence* and *Something Good*,
which were not in the Broadway production, but which Rogers wrote for the
film version.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC was the last show written by Rogers and
Hammerstein.  Hammerstein
died of cancer nine months after the Broadway premiere.

The Porthouse production, under the direction of Terri Kent, is joyous.  It’s
impossible not to smile your way through the show.  It is the kind of happy
big cast production, that Kent does so well.

The show is fleshed out by the creative choreography of MaryAnn Black.
 Jonathan
Swoboda’s musical direction is good, but his brass section sometimes goes
astray.  Nolan O’Dell’s scenic designs are creative, but the many set
changes become tiresome after a while.

The lovely Kayce Cummings, who has been on the Porthouse stage many times,
is glorious as Maria.  She exudes warmth and love.  Marla Berg, she of big
voice and strong vibrato, wails as the Mother Abbess.  Lenne Snively is
properly uptight as Sister Berthe, and Lissy Gulick is adorable as the
cherubic Sister Margaretta.

Larry Nehring is fine as Captain von Trapp, though he could have been a
little more strict at the start, so his transition to the nurturing father
would be obvious later.  Kyle Kemph sings and dances well as Rolph,
Louisa’s boyfriend.  He and Louisa do an excellent rendition of *Sixteen
Going on Seventeen*.  All of the children are charming, with Cameron Nelson
a standout as the precocious Brigitta.  Eric van Baars hits the right comic
notes as Max, as the Captain’s friend.

*Capsule judgement: Porthouse’s THE SOUND OF MUSIC is a crowd pleaser that
brings out the best of the script through good pacing, fine singing,
dancing and line interpretation.*

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