The happiest sound in all the world

Last night, I had a thoroughly enjoyable evening of broadway musical listening to "The Happiest sound in all the world"? Hehehe...I watched a broadway musical, The Sound of Music. As most of us know, The Sound of Music is quite possibly and easily the most famous musical film in Hollywood history. I believe, most of us grown-ups still love it, me included.

So far, I've only watched The Sound of Music remake of the 1965 original directed by Robert Wise when I was young (hahaha probably when I was sixteen going on eighteen) where Julie Andrews takes her MARY POPPINS success and adds even more to it with her delightful rendition of the role that Mary Martin originated on the Broadway stage in 1959 and ran even farther with it than Martin ever could.

One of the things I remember about the musical remake was the breathtaking locales. Especially the opening scenes which is probably the most beautiful aerial shot in all of film history and the cunning floral designs of the public Austrian gardens during the DO-RE-MI sequence). I keep watching this most cherished of all musical films almost every other year to savour it's universal sentiment: to 'climb ev'ry mountain, ford ev'ry stream, follow ev'ry rainbow till you find your dream'. But I've never see its broadway musical live!

So, last night, I was glad the world-famous von Trapp story comes to Malaysian stage! (as www.kakiseni.com puts it). I managed to get one of the best seats in the house at Istana Budaya, so the view was fantastic. Not only that, seat came with pre-performance cocktail dinner and intermission refreshments.

For the live musical theatre, the cast comprises Jennifer Semrick (Maria von Trapp), Jim Ballard (Captain Georg Von Trapp), Beth Kirkpatrick (Mother Abbess), Stewart Brown (Max Detweiler) and Todd Fennstermaker (Admiral Von Schreiber), Heidi Dean (Liesl), Ian Leonard (Rolf), as well as Lisa Kay Carter, Adriana Gabriela Tomeu, Ashley Caroline, Mary Katelyn Easterly, Charles P. M. Easterly, J. T. Musson and Friesia Schuil.

For the benefit of your knowledge, if you haven't watched the musical, it's a story about a woman, Maria, who had longed to be a nun since she was a young girl, yet when she became old enough discovered that it wasn't at all what she thought.

Often in trouble and doing the wrong things, Maria is sent to the house of a retired naval captain, named Captain Von Trapp, to care for his children. Von Trapp was widowed several years before and was left to care for seven 'rowdy' children. The children have run off countless governesses.

Baron Von Trapp, a widower, runs his home near Salzburg like the ship he once commanded. That changes when Maria arrives from the convent to be the new governess of his seven children. Maria soon learns that all these children need is a little love to change their attitudes. Maria teaches the children to sing, and through her, music is brought back into the hearts and home of the Von Trapp family.

Their romps through the hills inspire all to sing and to find joy in the smallest things -- like raindrops on window panes. The music becomes their bonding force. Captain von Trapp's heart opens up to feelings he had forgotten and unknowingly, Maria and Captain Von Trapp are falling helplessly in love, except there are two problems, the Captain is engaged, and Maria is a postulant!

Marie and Georg von Trapp eventually married, only to have their world brought down around them by the 1938 Anschluss of Austria, where Nazi Germany takes control of the country and demands that Captain von Trapp assume a position in the German Navy. As this is happening Austria votes to be assumed by Germany on the eve of World war. II.

If you're interested to watch, the live musical is on from March 12 - April 3 at Istana Budaya, Jalan Tun Razak. Show time is 8.30 p.m. Matinees are on Saturdays & Sundays at 3 p.m. (No performances on Mondays). Tickets are priced from RM82 to RM252. For tickets, contact: Istana Budaya Box Office / Axcess at 603-7711 5000 (Axcess hotline). Hurry up, folks!

Nel thinks: Hehehe the Censorship Board missed the live kissing part :)