Touring ‘Sound of Music’ bids so long, farewell at Playhouse Square Bob Abelman Cleveland Jewish News, The News Herald, The Morning Journal Member, International Association of Theatre Critics The 1965 film version of “The Sound of Music” has pretty much ruined things for every subsequent stage production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s last musical. The now-iconic, Academy Award-winning film’s gorgeous cinematography, rich orchestration and brilliant casting – including the practically perfect Julie Andrews as Maria – has been and will forever be the familiar point of comparison for theater goers. It will be the source of their great disappointment as production after production fails to meet those high expectations. So it is a bold move, indeed, for director Jack O’Brien and the brain trust at Grove Entertainment to go in the opposite direction and rely squarely on the 1959 Broadway production of “The Sound of Music” as the source material for their national tour. This wonderful production, which is ending its two-year run this week at Playhouse Square, showcases the core strengths of a good, old fashioned, live musical. For more of this article, go to www.clevelandjewishnews.com/columnists/.