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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><b><span style="color:windowtext">SOUND OF MUSIC climbs
evry mountain at Porthouse</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><br><b><span style="color:windowtext"></span></b><span style="color:windowtext"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext">Many
consider THE SOUND OF MUSIC the greatest American musical.<span style> </span>Others think of it as a sentimental
piece of fluff.<span style> </span>Whatever their
view, few can sit and listen passively to the likes of such songs as <i>My
Favorite Things</i>, <i>Climb Evry Mountain</i>, <i>Do-Re-Mi</i>, and <i>Maria</i>.<span style> </span>This is Rogers and Hammerstein at their
best.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext">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.<span style> </span>Maria falls in
love with the children, and the children return the love that they do not get
from their overbearing father.<span style> </span>von
Trapp plans to marry a baroness, but their views of the upcoming Anschluss get
in the way.<span style> </span>Love blossoms between
Maria and the Captain.<span style> </span>The duo
marries.<span style> </span>In order to avoid Nazi
rule, the family flees the country.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext">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.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext">The
idea for the script was based on the 1956 West German film, THE TRAPP FAMILY,
and its 1958 sequel.<span style> </span>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.<span style> </span>Several additional songs were to be
written by Rodgers(music) <span style> </span>and Hammerstein
(lyrics).<span style> </span>Then the full-blown
Rodgers and Hammerstein show was proposed.<span style> </span>The rest is history.<span style>
</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext">An
award winning Broadway show, it ran 1443 performances with Theodore Bikel and
Mary Martin in the lead roles.<span style>
</span>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. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext">For
dramatic purposes, the actual familys life was altered.<span style> </span>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.<span style>
</span>The family went by train to Italy, then to London and then to the United
States. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext">Another
misconception is that <i>Edelweiss</i>, the song that the von Trapps sing at
the Salzburg Music Festival, is the Austrian national anthem.<span style> </span>It isnt.<span style> </span>It is simply a song that Rogers and Hammerstein wrote as a
plot device.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext">If
you are a SOUND OF MUSIC aficionado, youll know that the Porthouse production
includes two songs, <i>I Have Confidence</i> and <i>Something Good</i>, which
were not in the Broadway production, but which Rogers wrote for the film
version.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext">THE
SOUND OF MUSIC was the last show written by Rogers and Hammerstein.<span style> </span>Hammerstein died of cancer nine months
after the Broadway premiere.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext">The
Porthouse production, under the direction of Terri Kent, is joyous.<span style> </span>Its impossible not to smile your way
through the show.<span style> </span>It is the kind
of happy big cast production, that Kent does so well.<span style> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext">The
show is fleshed out by the creative choreography of MaryAnn Black.<span style> </span>Jonathan Swobodas musical direction is
good, but his brass section sometimes goes astray.<span style> </span>Nolan ODells scenic designs are creative, but the many set
changes become tiresome after a while.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext">The
lovely Kayce Cummings, who has been on the Porthouse stage many times, is
glorious as Maria.<span style> </span>She exudes
warmth and love.<span style> </span>Marla Berg, she
of big voice and strong vibrato, wails as the Mother Abbess.<span style> </span>Lenne Snively is properly uptight as Sister
Berthe, and Lissy Gulick is adorable as the cherubic Sister Margaretta.<span style> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="color:windowtext">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.<span style> </span>Kyle Kemph sings and dances
well as Rolph, Louisas boyfriend.<span style>
</span>He and Louisa do an excellent rendition of <i>Sixteen Going on Seventeen</i>.<span style> </span>All of the children are charming, with
Cameron Nelson a standout as the precocious Brigitta.<span style> </span>Eric van Baars hits the right comic notes as Max, as the
Captains friend.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;text-autospace:none"><i><span style="color:windowtext">Capsule judgement:
Porthouses 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.</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6pt;color:rgb(204,0,0)"><i><br>
</i></p>
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