Review: THE SOUND OF MUSIC Comes Alive at Saenger

The Saenger Theatre kicked off its 2016 Broadway in New Orleans season with the classic musical "THE SOUND OF MUSIC," this week, and after the opening performance, Canal Street was just as alive as Maria's beloved hills as patrons sang songs from the musical on their way home.

The production, which runs through Sunday, Sept. 25, is an excellent example of why Rodgers and Hammerstein's work is eternal. Nearly 60 years have gone by when the musical first captured people's hearts, and now, several generations later, people are still enamored with such classics as "Climb Every Mountain," "My Favorite Things," "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" and the title tune. The Singing von Trapps are as welcomed on stage as they've ever been, if not more so.

The story falls on the central figure of Maria, a tomboyish postulant who becomes a governess to the young motherless von Trapp children. As she brings joy and music back into their lives, she also falls in love with their distant father Captain von Trapp while against the shadow of Nazi Germany's expansion into their homeland of Austria.

From the very beginning of the performance, the audience knew they were in for a special treat as the heavenly sound of a choir of nuns floated through the Saenger before introducing us to Maria's world. The production stays true to its original roots, with polished, heartwarming storytelling that hits all the right notes and brings back a flood of childhood memories.

With the original film spearheaded by the talented force that is Julie Andrews, one wonders if anyone else could even compare in the role of Maria. Let it rest assured that Kerstin Anderson not only did the character justice, but she is a budding star of the stage that you do not want to miss. With sweetness and sincerity, Anderson delivered a crowd-pleasing performance. As a young college student herself, Anderson was able to pull off the feeling of attempting to find one's place in the world. Her most humorous moments are always with the children, especially her moments with the painfully honest Brigitta. Truthfully, her additions of awkward nerdiness to Maria's personality gives her character a whole new fresh take and yet aids as to why the children become so quickly enamored by her. While measuring up to the likes of Julie Andrews is a tall order, Anderson's singing fills you up with its warmth and has you quickly fall in love with her just the same.

And it is with Anderson's interpretation of Maria that the show takes on a whole new appeal. With a rich, high-value production, the heart and meaning of the show can become lost, ending up with dead weight in between classic songs. It takes more than talented voices to bring a show to life, and director Jack O'Brien knows what is needed to give a musical life. His vision of the show brings out the underlying subtext of the work, whether it be the unspoken, sexual tension between Maria and the Captain, or the underlying dread of the impending Nazi invasion. It is these updated moments that breathe new life into the production without the cost of sacrificing traditionalism.

Playing opposite of Anderson is Ben Davis as Captain von Trapp. Strong throughout, his cold façade belies the vulnerable man within until he hears his children sing for the first time since the passing of his wife. It is a particularly moving moment watching as his mask crumbles before us.

There's also real heat between Davis and Anderson. Many of their most powerful moments are as they fall in love, beginning with their first meeting, to their first dance, to ultimately their first kiss, a beautiful moment. It all leads up to one of the most stunning wedding scenes I have ever witnessed on stage. Douglas Schmidt's staging for this musical is one of the better set designs I have seen in a very long time. Explicit in detail, each scene captures the beauty of the mountains of Austria, the hallowed arches of the abbey, or the sheer richness of the von Trapp home. Together with Natasha Katz's lighting design and costume design, it is a remarkably crafted package.

The von Trapp children are worth the ticket price alone. The magnificent seven sing and act their hearts out, causing many an audience member to give audible "awws" throughout the performance. There is a vast amount of fresh, fast-paced humor in the scenes with these children, and Maria; whether it's Maria sneaking about in the background of "Sixteen Going on Seventeen," or the especially cute staging of "Do-Re-Mi," or Iris Davies' Brigitta laying down harsh truths for the adults in her life.

The collective vocals of the nuns, led by the spine-tingling high notes of Mother Abbess (Melody Britt) is another delightful element to the production. Rounding out the remaining cast are Teri Hansen as the captain's short-lived girlfriend Baroness Schraeder and Merwin Foard as the comical, yet cynical Max. Their rendition of "No Way to Stop It," a song removed from the original film, serves as an excellent foil to Captain von Trapp's ideals in regards to the changing political climate.

If you have the chance to see this production, I encouraged you to do so before the cast says "So Long, Farewell."

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