Photo Flash: THE SOUND OF MUSIC Opens Tonight At Beef & Boards!

If there's a musical that has captured the heart of even the most reluctant theatre-goer, it has to be The Sound of Music. The true story of Maria - a novice nun who brings joy, music, and love to a broken Austrian family during World War II - has enamored generations.

Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre has been bringing this beloved tale to life for more than 40 years in Central Indiana. In fact, Beef & Boards has presented The Sound of Music more than any other show in its 48-year history. The current production, on stage through Aug. 15, is the ninth time this musical has been presented at the Indianapolis dinner theatre.

Doug Stark, owner of Beef & Boards, said the story of the Von Trapp Family Singers is appealing to families.

"It's been the most-requested show because it is multi-generational," he explained. "It's good for grandparents. It's good for their kids; and it's good for the grandkids."

In recognition of this, The Sound of Music is the featured Family Show in Beef & Boards' 2021 Season, with $10 discounts off tickets for children ages 3-15, to make it easier for families to enjoy an outing together. Several generations have enjoyed this musical at Beef & Boards, which first presented it in 1979. It would be staged again in 1982, 1988, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2008, and 2013.

The Sound of Music debuted on Broadway in 1959, earning five Tony Awards and eventually a film adaptation starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer that remains one of the most popular movie musicals of all time. Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II embarked on what would be their final collaboration after stumbling upon the memoirs of Maria von Trapp.

While Maria's life was certainly extraordinary, the rambunctious children, their emotionally withdrawn father, and the impending Nazi invasion broaden the appeal. After fleeing their homeland, the von Trapps eventually settled in Vermont, where Stark himself met Maria von Trapp more than 30 years ago.

"We sat on her porch," Stark recalled, adding a particularly memorable anecdote: "She told me that she and Georg were seated at a restaurant next to Hitler once - before the invasion."

There are 60 performances of The Sound of Music scheduled in the intimate setting of Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre. Tickets range from $50 to $75 and include Chef Odell Ward's family-friendly dinner and select beverages.

For show schedule and reservations, visit beefandboards.com, or call the Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre Box Office at 317.872.9664. For complete show schedule, visit www.beefandboards.com.

Julia Bonnett

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