Review: THE SOUND OF MUSIC at Popejoy Hall

The Sound of Music, the much-loved musical based on the lives of the von Trapp family, is now playing at Popejoy Hall. The Rogers and Hammerstein musical, with a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, has been delighting audiences since 1959 on stage and in film. With an incredible cast and gorgeous staging by Douglas W. Schmidt, the audience on Thursday night was transported to Austria just before World War II.

The Sound of Music follows the life of Maria Ranier, a postulant of the Nonnberg Abbey, as she leaves the abbey for the life of a governess to the von Trapp family, to see if she suited for a monastic life. From the moment Maria arrives at the von Trapp family's home, she is at odds with Captain von Trapp and his militaristic ways. Unlike the submarine captain, Maria believes that the children should be allowed to be children. As Maria starts to fall in love with Captain von Trapp as well as his children, she runs away back to the abbey. After some guidance by The Mother Abbess, Maria returns to the von Trapp family, realizing there is nothing wrong with loving the captain and his family. After Captain von Trapp and Maria are married, the Nazi hold on Austria becomes too much for the captain to bear. Using a talent show as a cover, the von Trapp family escapes from Austria to Switzerland and the freedom it provides.

From the von Trapp children to the ensemble, the cast of The Sound of Music is absolutely incredible, each bringing a depth to their character, no matter the size of their role. Jill-Christine Wiley is perfectly cast as Maria. With an infectious optimism and bubbly personality, it's easy to see how the whole Von Trapp family fell in love with Maria. These aspects of Maria's personality shine when she is teaching the children to sing ("Do-Re-Mi") or comforting the children when they are upset or scared ("My Favorite Things (reprise 1 and 2)"). Mike McLean deftly balances the intricacies of Captain Georg von Trapp, a man who is still mourning his deceased wife and unable to be present for his children because of this. During Act II, Captain von Trapp's love for his country is tested by his hatred of the Nazi party ("Edleweiss"), and McLean captures the combination of emotions with ease. Lauren Kidwell shines as The Mother Abbess, and her performance of "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" left the audience cheering.

The wonderful cast, beautiful scenery, and enchanting score by Rogers and Hammerstein, made The Sound of Music for a delightful evening for the whole family. The tour of Sound of Music runs from January 24th - January 27th at Popejoy Hall with performances at 7:30 pm Thursday, January 24th and Friday January 25th, 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm on January 26th, and 1:00 pm and 6:30 pm on January 27th. Tickets are $43 - $93, plus fees. They can be purchased at unmtickets.com, the UNM Bookstore ticket office, or by phone at 025-5858 or 877-664-8661.

Image credit: Popejoy Hall

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