This is family entertainment at its most basic level.
“You don’t have to worry about this show,” said Charlene Rawson. “You can bring the whole entire family to this.”
“The Sound of Music” is a family-friendly classic. And keeping with the Northwest Savoyards’ tradition of bringing classical musical theater to Snohomish County, Rawson, the Savoyards’ community relations director, knows of what she speaks.
The Northwest Savoyards Musical Theatre Society is performing this musical to provide families with entertainment that is worry- and guilt-free. From grandma to little Suzie, this musical is one size fits all, Rawson said.
Members of the Savoyards theater troupe believe “The Sound of Music” is the kind of show that has much greater broad-based appeal, and early ticket sales seem to be echoing that belief.
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Sound of Music” originally premiered on Broadway in 1959. It went on to win six Tony Awards, including the award for Best Musical. Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse wrote the dialogue based on the autobiography “The Trapp Family Singers” by Maria Augusta Trapp.
In 1965, Hollywood released the film version starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The picture won five Oscars, including Best Picture.
The Savoyards’ show is directed by Susan Weingarten, with musical direction by Doug Lewis.
The plot of the Savoyards’ show follows the classic story:
Maria (played by University of Washington student Lindsay Powers of Woodinville) is a sweet young nun in training who obviously has such a zest for freedom with lots more of life to explore that her superiors decide she is not ready for religious life. Maria is sent from her abbey to take over as governess to Capt. von Trapp’s seven motherless children.
The children are far from darlings and try whatever schemes they can to make Maria miserable. Through love and music, Maria befriends the group and, eventually, even the severe Captain melts.
Maria and the Captain marry, but when the Nazis invade Austria, the entire family is forced to flee over the Alps to escape.
In this production, the children are Ashleigh Emmons of Bothell, Jonathan Fine of Lynnwood, Grace DiCrescentis of Edmonds, Drake Slansky of Everett, Lauren Rosenauer of Snohomish, Sierra Price of Marysville and Kennedy Miller of Mukilteo.
Several members of the cast have appeared in previous Savoyards’ productions, including Steve Pendleton of Lynnwood, who plays Capt. von Trapp. He appeared in “Cheaper by the Dozen” and last year’s “Gypsy.”
Laurie Miller of Camano Island, the 2006 Marysville Strawberry Festival Talent Show winner, is reprising the part of Mother Abbess, which she played previously with the Civic Light Opera of Seattle.
Other cast members include Lisa Thiroux as Sister Margretta and Scott Freshman as Franz. Edward Phillips is Rolf, Michael Domingo plays Herr Zeller and Kathleen Goff is Frau Schmidt.
“The Sound of Music” is the troupe’s second production of the 2006-2007 season. In October, the Savoyards opened the season with Gilbert and Sullivan’s popular operetta “The Mikado.”
Arts writer Theresa Goffredo: 425-339-3424 or goffredo@heraldnet.com.
Nathan Borcherdt photo
The von Trapp children singing with Maria (Lindsay Powers, center) are Marta (Sierra Price, left), Louisa (Grace DiCrescentis), Friedrich (Jonathan Fine), Liesl (Ashleigh Emmons), Gretl (Kennedy Miller), Curt (Drake Slansky) and Brigitta (Lauren Rosenauer).
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
