The Hills Are Alive...
I don't think I need to say more, you SHOULD know what I am talking about.
Though not the first movie I
ever saw, it The Sound of Music was the first movie I saw from a balcony
when I was very young. (I may not have even been in elementary school
yet.) I remember my mom took me and (I believe) my friend Sandy. I
think we arrived a little late, the theater was already dark and the movie may
have already started. (This was a long time ago.) Back in that
century, movies were often re-leased, so this would not have been the film's
first go round. I saw it again when I was older (though still pretty
young) at a movie theater that was closer to my house. I had been called
in by the television commercial which showed Julie Andrews walking down the
long church aisle in her ivory wedding dress.
My mother had the original
Broadway album, as well as the movie soundtrack. For my 7th birthday (I
think) I got a cassette recorder (how’s that for old school?) and The Sound
of Music was one of the first tapes I got and I listened to it ALOT.
Whenever the movie is on tv, I
tune in, even though I have the film on DVD with a multitude of extras. I've
watched the tv production (The Sound of Music Live!) with Carrie Underwood
which gave me a better idea of what differences there were between the stage
show and the movie. (I already was well aware of the differences between
the actual life of the Von Trapp family and the dramatized version having read
both books written by Maria Von Trapp many years ago. VERY different, as
reality often is, but still very moving.)
So you get the idea that I'm
really into the The Sound of Music, right?
Over the weekend, my family and
I finally saw the show at the
Paper Mill Playhouse. We had excellent seats (center section, less
than 10 rows back). To say I was excited is an understatement. I
was also quite emotional as it brought back memories of my mom. (So yes, I
cried through the opening two scenes as well as the final scene of act one,
even though "Climb Every Mountain" has never been a favorite or moved
me. It moved me to tears twice; Caitlin Burke captured the song and the
part of Mother Abbess perfectly.) I don't think I have ever seen a bad
production at the Paper
Mill (I've seen many over the years, although hardly as many as I
would have liked), and this one may have topped the list. The lighting
and the sets were amazing. The orchestra under the direction of Meghann Zervoulis
Bate was wonderful. Every single performer was spot on; not a weak link
anywhere. (And when dealing with a large cast with children you expect a
weak link or two.)
I'll admit my own bias when it
came to the color blind casting of the show. (I don't like to admit it, but
need to be honest.) However, this cast was so strong within minutes
all I could focus on was the incredible talent on stage. (I was
particularly blown away by Coleman Simmons as Friedrich.)
While I love the movie, I've
never been a fan of Christopher Plummer's performance as Captain von
Trapp. Why did Maria love him? He was such a cold (pardon me)
ass. I just never "got it." Not the case with Graham
Rowat; he was stern, but never a complete jerk and you could see his transformation
back into a loving father and man that Maria could love. (Not to mention
the fact that his voice was incredible.) Furthermore, while I like
Eleanor Parker (as the Baroness) and Richard Haydn (as Max Detweiler) in the
movie, I've always felt their characters (particularly the Baronesses) were
undeveloped. The stage production gives them songs to sing (which Emily
Borromeo and Gavin Lee do impeccably) and the parts are more fleshed out.
The Baroness is not just a charming bitch, but a (wealthy) woman trying
to survive in a man's world. Gavin Lee, makes you understand that Max
isn't just using the Captain's friendship to benefit his own life (although
that is certainly part of it), but that he truly cares for him and his
family. Everything makes more sense when the stage production allows this
characters to be part of the whole story and gives us an understanding (if we
didn't already) of what was going on in their world at the time.
With the rest of the audience,
I stood (despite my bum knee...yes it still bothers me three weeks later) to
applaud this wonderful cast. If I could I would have seen it again (and
again). During an awful year for my family, this was definitely a
highlight, which perhaps one of the best gifts that this amazing cast and crew
gave us. (And will probably never know.)
Funnily enough, last night I
turned on the tv and guess what was playing? Did I watch? Of course
I did. For me The Sound of Music, whether it be the movie or
theater is a classic full of hope that I always need.
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