The world renowned musical “The Sound of Music” will be featured by the drama department as this year’s annual spring musical.
Based on “The Story of the Trapp Family Singers”, a memoir by Maria Von Trapp, the play is about a nun turned baroness who marries a rich Austrian man, Georg “the captain” Von Trapp, and becomes the step mother of the musically inclined children. As Georg refuses to serve the Third Reich (Germany under Hitler) as part of the army, the family is forced to leave Austria in order to avoid persecution.
The musical will be performed from March 5-8 at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium, with a 1:00 p.m. matinee on March 6 and 7. The tickets will cost $15 for adults and $10 for students.
Music teacher Beth Richey and drama teacher Dave Huber chose “The Sound of Music” because they believe that it is a “must do” musical for kids to perform because it is “absolutely amazing.”
Huber thinks that every school needs to showcase the musical once every 20 years. He will be directing with junior Katy Gneier, who says that it is an “an honor to direct such a famous play.”
Richey will be the music director and will be conducting the orchestra, which is composed of selected music students enrolled in the school’s various music programs.
“There are different moods to all the songs throughout the play and although it is challenging, playing the music is really fun,” trumpet player Greg Kalfayan (’11) said. “The audience will really feel the intended emotions during the scenes.”
The cast has been meeting consistently during the months of January and February to make this production very professional. After school, students rehearse in the auditorium from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. There is a very strict schedule set by Huber in order to achieve productive rehearsals. On Mondays and Wednesdays, all cast members work on blocking and dancing, Tuesdays and Thursdays are for music practice, and Fridays are usually only for the main characters. Those who do not rehearse on stage on a particular day memorize their lines.
The musical not only includes high school students, but middle school and elementary students as well. One of them is a fifth grader from Keppel, Jeong-A Cha, who auditioned with Richey after the music teacher announced that they will need young cast members. She will be playing Brigitta Von Trapp, the third youngest daughter in the musical.
“It is my first play and I am very excited since I get to act with high school students,” Cha said. “‘The Sound of Music’ is one of my favorite musicals.”
The members of the pit ensemble have only ten rehearsals. They are all individually responsible for their parts and are required to know the music before attending the rehearsals.
Though “The Sound of Music” is a popular and familiar musical, the school’s play will differ as it contains song pieces not in the original version such as “No Way to Stop It” and “An Ordinary Couple,” and instead of singing “My Favorite Things” in the bedroom scene where the kids are afraid, they sing “The Lonely Goat Herd.”
Cast member Manny Ohanesyan (’10) is “very excited” for all the new things they have learned. In January, the cast received waltz and fox trot lessons.
Melissa Montaño (’11), who will be playing Maria Von Trapp, is also ecstatic because taking on this character has been on Montaño’s “bucket list.”
Sophomore Alyssa Landreth plays Leisl Von Trapp, most famous for singing the song “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” with a Nazi sympathizer, Rolf, who is played by sophomore Josh Briggs.
Both starred in last year’s spring musical, “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” as Sally Brown and Linus Van Pelt.
The two will have one of the few kissing scenes in the musical but both view it as a “part of acting” and see it as being “strictly professional.”
Mother Bonita Montaño thinks that “The Sound of Music” was a good choice for the spring musical because of its “nice theme and music compared to other musicals.” She believes that it best shows the musical and dramatic abilities of the cast and is “really looking forward to watching it.”
