Reviewed by James Karas
The Sound of Music is a grand old musical that gets a grand production at The Princess of Wales Theatre. At 66 (it premiered in 1959) it may be considered in advanced middle age but its oldness is irrelevant. It is a delightful musical with a very serious underbelly that is integral to the serious drama that underlies the humour and glorious music and songs by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II.
On the lighter side, it deals with a young girl who wants to become nun in a convent high in the Alps of Austria and we meet the Mother Abess (Christiane Noll). The convent is set in a breathtaking location and the would-be nun loves to sing but is a bit too lively for some of her superiors. Maria (Cayleigh Capaldi), the postulant, bursts out singing “The Hills Are Alive With The Sound of Music.” Its complex lyrics tell us that the hills are a repository of songs that they sing, they are a place of solace, and the sound of music is a blessing.
Maria is sent to the palatial house of Captain von Trapp (Kevin Earley) of the Austrian Navy to look after his seven children. Delightful songs follow, “Do-Re-Me,” “The Lonely Goatherd” and comedy with the lively children.
The romantic part of the musical starts developing as the Captain and
Maria are attracted to each other. He is betrothed to the aristocratic Elsa Schraeder
(Kate Loprest) and Maria is ready to to become a nun. These are obstacles that
must be overcome. They are.
(l to r) Ariana Ferch (Liesl), Eli Vander Griend (Friedrich), Ava Davis (Louisa), Benjamin
Stasiek (Kurt), Haddie Mac (Brigitta), Ruby Caramore (Marta), Luciana VanDette (Gretl)
in The Sound of Music. Photo Credit: Jeremy Daniel
Taking into account the story of a postulant being sent to look after seven children and teaching them to sing and have fun and then falling in love with their father, may seem as an obvious plotline and one may complain about it being saccharine. But, The Sound of Music is set on the eve of the infamous Anschluss, the takeover of Austria by the Nazis. Austria welcomed them and showed great loyalty to Hitler. It was a despicable capitulation to barbarity.
Seventeen-year-old Rolf Gruber (Ian Coursey) is courting sixteen-year-old Liesl (Ariana Ferch) but he has become a faithful Nazi and gives the Hitler salute. Max Detwiler (Nicholas Rodriguez) , a producer who wants the von Trapps to sing at a festival, is ready to embrace whoever will help him professionally. He does show loyalty to the von Trapps and helps them escape. Admiral von Schreiber (Corey Greenan) is a true Nazi and orders the Captain to report for duty immediately. When the von Trapps perform at the festival, huge Nazi banners form the backdrop.
It is a frightful scene as the specter of barbarism engulfs Austria (gladly) and the von Trapps terrifyingly. There is nothing saccharine about the Nazi uniforms and salute. That is the background against which The Sound of Music takes place.
The current revival is splendid. There is humor from the children and Maria. We see her dressed like a ragamuffin because she gave all her worldly goods to the poor. Asked about the ugly dress that she is wearing she replies that even the poor did not want it. The children and Detweiler are good for some laughs.
The music and wonderful songs have become classics and the singing by the soaring-voiced Cayleigh Capaldi and Earley as well as Christiane Noll is wonderful.
The sets by Douglas W. Schmidt, the costumes by Jane Greenwood and the lighting by Natasha Katz are superb. Danny Mefford’s choreography is outstanding.
Full marks to Jack O’Brien for directing this outsdtanding production at
the perfect time of the year.
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The Sound of Music by Richard Rodgers (music), Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics), Howard
Lindsay and Russel Crouse (book) continues until January 4, 2026, at the Princess of Wales Theatre, 300 King St. West,
James Karas is the Senior Editor, Culture, of The Greek Press, Toronto.
