THEATER REVIEW: The Sound Of Music

We should start this review with a disclaimer; THE SOUND OF MUSIC is not one of my favorite musicals. I feel that I have been overexposed to much of the music and some of the numbers are so long. That brings me to Millbrook Playhouse’s recent production. 

The history of the von Trapp family is well known. The story of the young woman who wanted to marry God and ends up marrying a man with seven children and together they all escape the Nazis was set to music by Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein in 1959. The following forty-some years have seen the show, the movie and the score become extremely popular. 

Millbrook director Ken Kaissar made the whole production seem fresh and new. The simple and elegant set by Mark DeLancey was used well by the cast, always a sign of good directing. The choreography by Lexie Fennell Frare was fresh and flowed with the story perfectly. 

The talent in the cast was a constant pleasure. Erika Strasburg was everything that Maria should be. Her facial expressions and body language made everyone in the audience want to share her joy of life. This is not to overlook her singing talent. Her duet with the Mother Abbess, played by Andrea Gregori, was beautiful. The duet gave us a hint of how Andrea would do on “Climb Ev’ry Mountain”. Exquisite.

Photo courtesy of Millbrook Playhouse.

I found myself waiting for Captain von Trapp to sing. Drew Pulver has that rich baritone voice that puts goose flesh on the back of my neck. (My teen-age crush was Howard Keel). I hope that Drew becomes a regular at Millbrook. The fact that he is handsome and can act did not hurt.

Again the skill of the director was evident with the children. Each child was so professional and stayed in character throughout the show. Each one also had the ability to sing out. Kali Haines as the oldest daughter Liesl and Johnny Haussener as Rolf made the overused “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” seem fresh. Their dance number was young, spirited and made me smile.

I felt cheated that Courtney Simmons as Elsa had only one number. She has a good voice and this production did not give her much of a chance to show it. (We will get to see Courtney later this summer as Patsy Cline). Dropping “How Can Love Survive?” and the contrast song “An Ordinary Couple” was a disappointment for me. 

It would be deficient on my part to skip mentioning Richard Guido as Max. Richard is at his best when he is playing an over the top character; I got the feeling that he kept this part under control with some effort. Also, watch for the name Jen Morris. We saw her earlier in Grease as Frenchy and as Sister Sophia in the present production, but she is my pick for big, good things in the future.

I really enjoyed THE SOUND OF MUSIC. Obviously the score works better in the hands of a good director and a talented cast. 

THE SOUND OF MUSIC runs until July 7^th on the Main Stage where it will be replaced by A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The Cabaret is showing The Woman in Black until July 14^th. Ticket information can be found at 570-748-8083. I will warn you though; the houses have been sell outs.