The Sound of Music Review – A Rich, Highly Relevant Revival of Bands | stage

YYou know what to expect from The Sound of Music (nuns, Nazis, Do-Re-Mi) — but Nikolai Foster’s richly entertaining revival honors its serious intent. The true-life story of the von Trapp family’s escape from occupied Austria may have musical numbers and a tense love story—but it also becomes a story of personal loss, political integrity, and the healing power of music.

This was Rodgers and Hammerstein’s last musical together — Hammerstein, the lyricist, died just months after opening in 1959 — and the tunes no longer survive. The title song begins the first half driven by Maria’s dreams and desires, especially her love for the widowed Captain von Trapp. Molly Lynch’s formidable Maria, as she trots through pools and over boulders in Michael Taylor’s mountain range, has a raging exuberance – more pagan than pious. At full force, it launches into its numbers with a guitar hero flourish.

This was not the only musical Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote about damaged men and surrogate mothers. Here, wounded Captain David Seddon Young feels at ease walking sick, trapped in a sadness that distorts his enjoyment of family life.

He seems even more lost in a musical world dominated by soaring female voices, chiming in unison: the nuns (warmly led by the superior Joanna Riding), children playing flutes, and a flaming Maria. Male authority, especially after the annexation process, is limited to flat dialogue devoid of humor. The servant eavesdrops, the telegraph boy cooperates, and the first Hitler salute we see lightens the mood considerably.

Foster’s production bursts with feeling, especially in the first half. This is where the bangers live, chiming in after the tune is played. Hammerstein’s lyrics are unforced (“Under her braids she has curls in her hair”) and Rodgers’ melodies are filtered to Alpine purity. The second half is full of plot and repetition, though Seadon-Young delivers Edelweiss with a memorable, desperate defiance.

The show’s central characters are drifting with loss: Maria Lynch helps them all play along. The bed turns into a sailing ship, and the walls move sideways to make room for fun. The Von Trapps’ small ensemble (there are three rotating ensembles) embrace Ebony Molina’s undulating choreography and graceful lunges, relishing the opportunity to sing, dance and feel again.