'Sound of Music' at Toby's: The Hills Are Alive!

◊◊◊◊◊ out of five.  2 hours, 35 minutes, including intermission. 

In this day and age of movies being turned into musicals, and, finally, musicals being turned into movies again, it is sometimes hard to judge quality between the original, source and the "newer version."  It can be even harder when both versions are considered classics in their respective genres.  Such is the case with a perennial classic, The Sound of Music.  Perhaps here the specter of the film version is even greater – it won a bunch of Oscars, but it also was filmed on location, so that Maria is really singing in the Alps, castle like homes become the set, and the scenery becomes a character.  Add to that an iconic performance by Julie Andrews and several holiday showings on national television.  Seeing it now on stage makes for some thought – one needs to separate oneself from the film version to give the stage version a fair shake, given all of the differences between the two.  Well, the absolutely charming Sound of Music, which opened this weekend at Toby's Dinner Theatre in Columbia, makes an excellent case for the brilliance of the stage version.

Toby's continues its string of amazing hits (at both locations, I might add) with this beautiful production under the earnest direction of Samn Huffer.  Everything about this show suggests a reverence for its classic status.  Huffer is very careful not to mess with a good thing – in this case, a very wise decision.  He gives us just enough of the movie version in his staging to keep those only familiar with that version happy (you'd almost swear Maria was really in the mountains singing "The Sound of Music" and the children parade around almost exactly like in the film).  And he celebrates all that only live theatre can truly bring to an audience – a bird's eye view of humanity, up close and personal.  You can literally feel the chemistry between Captain von Trapp and Maria, and the love Maria instantly feels for her charges is palpable.  Still, Mr. Huffer has his uniquely creative moments, mainly due to the fact that this staging venue is in the round.  And those moments are as lovely and genuine as the rest of his staging, particularly any time we are in the Abbey with those cheeky, if devout, nuns.  His staging of the wedding is stunning for its simplicity and beauty – you are not cheated one second of the hoopla, and yet the whole thing takes maybe three minutes, tops.  This may very well be the single best staging of The Sound of Music I have ever seen.

Of course, the best direction in the world needs the rest of the theatrical elements to come together to make one excellent whole.  And this production is tops in that department, as well.  Mr. Huffer, himself, designed the costumes, which like his staging, pay homage to both the stage and screen versions.  And they are terrific.  David A. Hopkins, truly an underappreciated master of design in our area, scores again with a set that surrounds us and plays out in front of us.  And this is no small task, given the monumental sweep of the scenes this old-school musical demands.  One wall gives us a panorama of the Alps, complete with a Swiss chalet-like landing, and mismatched rock-steps.  Another gives us a stately-grand wall of the von Trapp manse, complete with flickering candles and grand stair case.  The rest of the theatre surrounds us with the church, the other chief element of this drama, beautifully lit stained glass windows and all.  By surrounding us as such, Mr. Hopkins' set never lets us forget the outside elements which bring together our lovers and threaten to tear them apart.  Similarly, Lynn Joslin's lighting easily creates mood, time and place, and effectively so, as one rarely notices the changes.  (Lighting is best seen and not called attention to in this case.)  It should also be noted that Rodgers and Hammerstein's lavish music is not given short-shrift, either. The five-piece orchestra (under the direction of Reenie Codelka) that accompanies the singing, as well as the beautifully balanced sound (designed by Drew Dedrick) creates a full-bodied complete rendition of the famous score.

There really is no other way to describe the cast of The Sound of Music but to say they are uniformly brilliant.  From the smallest ensemble roles to the leads, each and every actor on that stage gives an all out marvelous performance; I am envious that they get to spend the next two months together!  Under Huffer's direction, even the "background" characters have a story to tell, and it is a credit to these actors that one or two lines (or in some cases, no lines) and a brief appearance allows them to reveal full characterizations.  John Dellaporta, Laura Van Duzer, Dan Sonntag, Bernadette Gietka, Laura Keena and Kerry Dietrick, all play several walk on roles and are always interesting to watch (no easy fete when there are cute kids on stage, either).  Adam Grabau, rapidly becoming one of this critic's "people to watch", is absolutely frightening as Herr Zeller, Nazi extremist.

Melynda Burdette, Genevieve Williams and Ariel Vinitsky as the nun-confidantes to The Mother Abbess are charming and funny (and a little bit scary, the way nuns should be) in that three-fairies-to-Sleeping Beauty way.  Each has a stunning voice, and when all of the nuns really let loose with their spiritual singing, it is truly beautiful.  Their "(How Do You Solve a Problem Like) Maria" is great fun.

Jerry Gietka and Victoria Winter as Franz and Frau Schmidt, the butler and housekeeper of the von Trapp estate do their very best stiff upper lip, no-nonsense take on these characters to the point where they are kind of funny, but it all makes sense when they begin to melt under the charming spell of the new governess.  Both have their moments to shine, and both add to every scene they are in.

As Max (friend and cultural secretary) and Elsa (potential baroness-to-be), Toby's regulars Andrew Horn and Debra Buonaccorsi shine in ways they haven't before.  Both seem to relish both their time in the spotlight and in making their characters a part of the greater tapestry of the whole show.  Mr. Horn is downright cuddly when he plays with the children, and can be equally infuriating as he finagles his way into getting the family to sing at the music festival.  That combination makes his subtle shift to saving hero all the more satisfying.  Ms. Buonaccorsi is elegance and worldly-wise all at once, the perfect combination which keeps her Elsa from becoming the bad guy, as I have seen in other stagings.  She recognizes instantly her opponent in Maria, gives it her best shot with the Captain, and makes a gracious surrender.  Both actors do very well with the one number most unfamiliar to audiences, "No Way to Stop It."

"Brilliant" and "stunning" are but two words of many I could use to describe the breakout performance of Lynn Sharp-Spears as The Mother Abbess.  Her thrilling voice invokes waves of chills in the act one closer, "Climb Ev'ry Mountain."  The hand that number got lasted well after the houselights came up to start intermission.  Her larger than life presence, balanced with an inspiring sense of piety combine to make this a completely satisfying performance.  You feel in awe and profoundly comforted by this woman, so much so, that one finds it hard to believe that Ms. Spears is not actually a Mother Superior on loan from a local convent. 

Once again, David Bosley-Reynolds has created a bravura performance.  His Captain von Trapp is man to fear, respect and love.  The pain at the loss of his first wife is clearly etched into every line on his face, and the starchy militaristic way he deals with things proves to be a rather thin veil for all of his suffering.  What is nice about his initial scenes is that Mr. Bosley-Reynolds isn't too extreme a tyrant, but you know he means business.  His children aren't scared, but are rather respectful, if not fully understanding of why their father is so cold toward them.  He gives just enough love to show them and us that his family is still most important even as he grieves alone.  And the moment when he, and the rest of us, knows that he loves Maria is pure magic.  The sparks fly, and we are close witness to it – ahh, the joy of live theatre!  His "Edelweiss" is touching, and his inclusion in the final "So Long, Farewell" is both charming and sad.

The one thing you never have to worry about with any Toby's production that includes children is that they will be annoying stage hogs, mugging their way through cute performances.  No, 100% of the time the kids she hires are brimming with talent, a professional attitude, and a healthy dose of "kids-will-be-kids."  The group assembled for the night I attended got every note right, every line said and every step of blocking perfect.  But what really makes them stand out is the very real children they are – flaws, tiny imperfections, and a genuine feeling that they love being onstage.  Each one is a credit to all child actors, really.  I can think of more than one Broadway show that would have benefitted from having these kids.  (That said, I am positive that the alternate cast of children – see below- will be equally satisfying to audience.)  Gabriella DeLuca's Leisl is sweet and cleverly rambunctious.  Her "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" duet with the equally clever and surprisingly tough Charlie Eichler as Rolf is a highlight of the act.  Mr. Eichler is astonishing as he yells out his devotion to the Third Reich.  But his performance, remarkable for any aged actor, is so nuanced that you get the feel that there is enough ambiguity there that perhaps he is all talk, really using his new station to warn and save the von Trapps from certain death down the road.

Casey Klein (Friedrich) has a startlingly fine voice – man can this kid hit a high note – and Hutson Bauman (Kurt) makes a terrific impression as the oft forgotten youngest son.  Rachel Petti, Maya Goldman and Megan Tavares (Louisa, Marta and Gretl) are sweet young ladies, be it when they are being little tricksters or little cuties with cuts on their fingers.  Bailey Gabrish (a darling in last season's Here's Love) is captivating as the observant and rather un-quiet Brigitta.  This little charmer has the coy sweet look of Shirley Temple combined with the rye delivery of Shirley MacLaine.  One can only imagine how good she'll be when she is older!

This past weekend, the biggest news in local theatre had to have been the star-making performance by Jessica Ball as Maria.  I knew going in that she'd be good – she has an impressive list of credits, ranging from a bit part in The Full Monty to Sandy in Grease to the beguiling Kate in Titanic.  But nothing really prepared me for the absolutely joyous, original and devastatingly touching performance she gives as Maria in The Sound of Music.  Her stunning coloratura in the title number is matched only by her character-y rendition of "The Lonely Goatherd" and her bona fide musical theatre star turn in "My Favorite Things."  This young woman really can do it all – she is equally brilliant in dramatic, comedic and romantic scenes.  She arrives like a whirlwind, grabbing you up in her no holds barred, yet still delicate performance, and doesn't let you go until after the curtain call.  Ok, most of you won't believe this, but when something this good is live right in front of me, I am a big softy.  Miss Ball brought me to tears on several occasions – both sad and happy – and I got so swept up in her performance I actually worried she wouldn't escape the Nazis.  That is how genuine and really of the moment her performance is.  She has thrown caution to the wind, channeling neither Mary Martin (the original) nor Julie Andrews.  And boy does it pay off!  Her Maria is profoundly conflicted – a young girl caught between childhood and womanhood, caught between the safety of the Abbey walls and the big bright world.  Her journey from odd-ball fish out of convent water to warm mother and loving wife is one Miss Ball takes full on, and we are willing participants.  One need only watch her genuine laughter when she trips or goofily misses a step, or watch her for one second as she instantly falls in love with each of her new charges, or see the look of complete devotion as she dances with her prince charming, the Captain.  It is her way with the children that really grabs you, though.  You can see that Maria (and Miss Ball) truly loves her co-stars, and that really takes her performance to the next level – she is at once teacher, best friend, confidante and mother.  What a lovely combination.  This is a complete, all-encompassing performance, one likely to be talked about for seasons to come.  Brava, Jessica!

So, all of you who think you've had enough of The Sound of Music, or those of you who have only seen the movie, this production is one you need to see.  And if you are truly a musical theatre fan, put this on your must-see list!  It really is the best Sound of Music I have ever seen.

PHOTOS by Kirstine Christiansen, courtesy of Toby's Dinner Theatre.  TOP to BOTTOM: Maria and the von Trapp Children: (Top Row) Bailey Gabrish, Hutson Bauman, Rachel Petti, Casey Klein (Bottom Row) Megan Tavares, Gabriella DeLuca, Jessica Ball, Chloe Yetter (alt. Marta) and Maya Goldman; Maria and The Mother Abbess; Debra Buonaccorsi as Elsa; Captain von Trapp and Maria; Gabriella DeLuca, "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" ; "The Lonely Goatherd"; Escape! (Jessica Ball (top) and David Bosley-Reynolds (bottom, left) with the children.  The alternate cast of von Trapp Children:  Jessica Ball center, bottom.  Clockwise from the left of Miss Ball: Meghan Jarvie, Laura Keena, Aviad Bernstein, Maddie Brown, Michael Wilcox, Madeline Ulman, and Kaila Friedman.

 

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