The Sound of Music
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the film of the same name, see The Sound of Music (film)
- For the St. Paul, Minnesota store of the same name, see Sound of Music stores
| The Sound of Music | |
 |
|
| Cover of the original Broadway cast recording | |
|---|---|
| Music | Richard Rodgers |
| Lyrics | Oscar Hammerstein II |
| Book | Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse |
| Based upon | The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria von Trapp |
| Productions | 1959 Original Broadway production 1961 Original London production |
| Awards | 1960 Tony Award for Best Musical |
The Sound of Music is a Broadway musical based on the book The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria von Trapp. The famous soundtrack includes the songs "Edelweiss", "My Favorite Things", "Climb Every Mountain", "Do-Re-Mi", and "Sixteen Going On Seventeen".
The music was written by Richard Rodgers and the lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. The script was written by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It would prove to be the final musical written by Rodgers and Hammerstein; the latter would die of cancer nine months after the premiere.
After screening a German film about the von Trapp family, stage director Vincent J. Donehue began shopping the project around before it was picked up by Broadway producers Leland Hayward and Richard Halliday (husband of star Mary Martin). It was originally envisioned as a non-musical play to be written by Lindsay and Crouse with authentic Austrian music. Then it was decided to add an original song or two, perhaps by Rodgers and Hammerstein. However, it was soon agreed that the project should feature all new songs and be a musical rather than a play.
[edit] Synopsis
In the town of Salzburg in Austria, Maria, a woman studying for the Roman Catholic sisterhood in a convent, is sent out to be a governess to the seven children of Captain Georg Ritter von Trapp, a widower and a decorated World War I captain in the Austro-Hungarian Navy. Von Trapp is also an Austrian patriot at a time when it is safer to be friendly to the ascendant Nazi regime. The children, initially hostile and mischievous, soon come to like Maria. She finds herself falling in love with the stern Captain, who is engaged to be married to Baroness Elsa Schräder. He too finds himself warming to the young governess. After winning the children's hearts by teaching the family the joy of song, and after some soul searching by Maria and misunderstandings fostered by the Baroness, Maria leaves the convent and marries the Captain. Maria and the Captain arrange for the family to escape, after a family concert, through the convent and over the mountains to Switzerland so that the Captain does not have to serve in the Kriegsmarine of the Third Reich.
[edit] Versions
[edit] Early films
Two German/Austrian films, Die Trapp-Familie (The Trapp Family, 1956) and a sequel, Die Trapp-Familie in Amerika (1958), were written by Herbert Reinecker and directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner. Ruth Leuwerik played Maria, Hans Holt was Captain Von Trapp.
[edit] 1959 Broadway musical
The Sound of Music, with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, opened on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on November 16, 1959, and starred Mary Martin as Maria and Theodore Bikel as Captain Georg von Trapp. The original Broadway cast album sold three million copies and ran for 1,443 performances.
Original opening night cast:
- Mary Martin as Maria
- Theodore Bikel as Captain von Trapp
- Patricia Neway as Mother Abbess
- Kurt Kasznar as Max Detweiler
- Marion Marlowe as Elsa Schraeder
- Brian Davies as Rolfe
- Lauri Peters as Liesl
The production shared the Tony Award for Best Musical with Fiorello!. It also won for Best Actress in a Musical (Mary Martin), Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Patricia Neway), Best Scenic Design of a Musical (Oliver Smith) and Best Musical Direction. It was also nominated for Best Featured Actor in a Musical (both Theodore Bikel and Kurt Kasznar), Best Director of a Musical (Vincent J. Donehue) and the entire children's cast was nominated for Best Featured Actress category as a single nominee, despite the fact that two of them were boys.
The choreographer was Joe Layton.
Martha Wright, Jeannie Carson and Nancy Dussault starred as Maria. Florence Henderson headlined the national tour.
Jon Voight was a replacement for the part of Rolfe, and he eventually married co-star Lauri Peters.
[edit] 1961 London production
The London production opened at the Palace Theatre on May 18, 1961 and ran for 2,385 performances. It was directed by Jerome Whyte. With the original New York choreography supervised by Joe Layton and the original New York sets designed by Oliver Smith.
Cast:
- Jean Bayless as Maria
- Roger Dann as Captain von Trapp
- Constance Shacklock as Mother Abbess
- Eunice Gayson as Elsa Schraeder
- Harold Kasket as Max Detweiler
- Barbara Brown as Liesl
- Nicholas Bennett as Rolfe
[edit] 1961 Australian production
The Australian Production opened at the Princess Theatre, Melbourne in 1961, and ran for 3 years. It then toured Australia for many years, with Vanessa Lee (Peter Graves' wife), taking the role of Maria. The production was directed by Charles Hickman, with musical numbers staged by Ernest Parham.
Cast:
- June Bronhill as Maria
- Peter Graves as Captain von Trapp
- Rosina Raisbeck as Mother Abbess
- Lola Brooks as Elsa Schraeder
- Eric Reiman as Max Detweiler
- Julie Day as Liesl
- Tony Jenkins as Rolf
A recording was made in 1961. It was the first time a major overseas production had been transferred to disc featuring Australian artists.
[edit] 1965 Salzburg
The musical and film present a history of the von Trapp family which is not wholly accurate. Baron Georg von Trapp lived with his family in a villa in a suburb of Salzburg, called Aigen.
Even though the film does not recount the real story of the family, it was filmed at original locations in the city and county of Salzburg and Upper Austria.
[edit] The Locations
- Palace and Garden Mirabell in Salzburg where Maria and the children sing the song "Do-Re-Mi"
- Café Winkler, today's restaurant "M32" on the "Mönchsberg" in the midst of Salzburg where Maria and the children sing a verse from "Do-Re-Mi"
- Residenz Square in Salzburg city: Maria on the way from the Nonnberg Convent to the Trapp Trapp singing the song "I Have Confidence in Me"
- Nonnberg Convent: Maria sings "Maria"
- Summer Riding Schoolf: Baron Georg Ludwig von Trapp sings "Edelweiss"
- St. Peter's Cemetery: where the family Trapp hides behind the tombstones
- Leopoldskron Palace: was the Trapp Villa in the film
- Frohnburg Palace along the avenue to Castle Hellbrunn: was even used as Trapp Villa
- Mountain Untersberg: Opening scene and fleeing scence
- Hellbrunn Palace: The gazebo (relocated to the Hellbrunn Palace park) was located in the
Leopoldskron Palace gardens during the film
- Anif Palace: the moated castle can be seen in the opening scene
- Hohenwerfen Castle: picturesque backdrop for the song "Do-Re-Mi"
- Mondsee, Upper Austria: Maria runs across the Hill to the covent and in the Mondsee Church: where the Baron and Maria are married in the film (originally in the Nonnberg Convent)
- Fuschl, St. Gilgen and St. Wolfgang in the Lake District "Salzkammergut": opening scene and aerial shots.
[edit] 1981 London revival
In 1981, at producer Ross Taylor's urging, Petula Clark signed to star in a revival of the show at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in London's West End, alongside Michael Jayston as Captain von Trapp and Honor Blackman as the Baroness. Despite her misgivings that at age 51 she was too old to play the role convincingly, Clark opened to unanimous rave reviews (and the largest advance sale in the history of British theatre at that time). Maria von Trapp herself, present at the opening night performance, described her as "the best" Maria ever. Due to an unprecedented demand for tickets, Clark extended her initial six-month contract to thirteen months. Playing to 101% of seating capacity, the show set the highest attendance figure for a single week (October 26–31, 1981) of any British musical production in history, as chronicled by The Guinness Book of Theatre. This was the first stage production to incorporate the two additional songs that Richard Rodgers had composed for the film version. The cast recording of this production was the first to be recorded digitally, but the recording has never been released on compact disc.
[edit] The 1987 Telarc studio cast recording
The Telarc label made a studio cast recording of The Sound of Music with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra conducted by Erich Kunzel, casting opera stars in the lead roles. Frederica von Stade sang the role of Maria opposite Håkan Hagegård's Captain von Trapp and Eileen Farrell as the Mother Abbess. Kunzel cast children from the Cincinnati School for the Creative and Performing Arts to sing the children's parts. This all-digital recording combined the songs of both the stage and screen versions, and included sections of music that had been recorded for the first time.
[edit] The 1988 Takarazuka version
In 1988, the Snow Troupe of Takarazuka Revue performed the musical at the Bow Hall, starring Harukaze Hitomi and Gou Mayuka.
[edit] 1990 New York City Opera production
In 1990, the New York City Opera production was directed by Oscar Hammerstein II's son, James. It featured Debby Boone as Maria; Laurence Guittard as Captain von Trapp; Werner Klemperer as Max Detweiler; and Claudia Cummings as Mother Abbess.
[edit] The 1998 revival
In 1998, director Susan H. Schulman staged the first Broadway revival of The Sound of Music, with Rebecca Luker as Maria and Michael Siberry as Captain von Trapp. It also featured Patti Cohenour as Mother Abbess, Jan Maxwell as Elsa Schraeder, Fred Applegate as Max Detweiler, Dashiell Eaves as Rolf, and Laura Benanti in her Broadway debut. Later, Luker and Siberry were replaced by Richard Chamberlain as the Captain and Benanti as Maria. Lou Taylor Pucci made his Broadway debut as the understudy for Kurt von Trapp. This revival opened on March 12, 1998 at the Martin Beck Theatre, where it ran for 15 months and then went on to tour in North America. This production was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.
[edit] The Australian revival
The Australian revival of The Sound of Music opened in the Lyric Theatre, in Sydney, New South Wales, with the star of the popular Australian drama Blue Heelers, Lisa McCune, playing the role of Maria von Trapp, TV personality Bert Newton as Max and John Waters as Captain von Trapp. The children's cast included Pia Morley, Christopher Nolan, Stephanie Martonhelyi, Mathew Gammel, Nikki Webster, Rachel Marley and Lauren Vartanian. This production was based on the 1998 Broadway revival staging, directed by Susan Schulman. The show was produced by the Gordon Frost Organisation and Sports and Entertainment Limited.
The production also toured Melbourne, Victoria, and Brisbane, Queensland. The show also was also performed in Perth, Western Australia, with Rachael Beck replacing Lisa McCune as Maria and Rob Guest assuming the role of Captain von Trapp.
[edit] 2006 London revival
An Andrew Lloyd Webber production opened in London's West End on 15 November 2006. It is being performed at the London Palladium with Live Nation's David Ian co-producing with Jeremy Sams.
Following failed negotiations with Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson, the role of Maria was cast through a search across the talent of the UK in a reality TV show called How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?. The reality show was produced by (and starred) Lloyd Webber as well as comedian Graham Norton. The show also featured a judging panel of David Ian, Zoe Tyler and John Barrowman. Connie Fisher was voted by the public as the winner of the show after a close final between her, Helena Blackman and Siobhan Dillon and is therefore performing the lead role of Maria.
[edit] 2006 revival cast
Simon Shepherd was originally confirmed for the role of Captain von Trapp with Lesley Garrett as Mother Abbess. However, after two preview performances, Simon Shepherd was withdrawn from the production, as his performance was "not working". Understudy Christopher Dickens was immediately drafted in to take the role of Captain von Trapp until replacement Alexander Hanson (who has had plenty of West End experience including "We Will Rock You") took over the reins in time for the official opening date of 15th November 2006. It opened on schedule.
- Maria - Connie Fisher
- Captain von Trapp - Alexander Hanson
- Mother Abbess - Lesley Garrett
- The Baroness - Lauren Ward
- Max - Ian Gelber
- Liesl - Sophie Bould
- Rolfe - Neil McDermott
- Friedrich - John McCrea/Greg West/Joe Cooper
- Louisa - Christine Tucker/Poppy Friar/Georgia Russell
- Kurt - Jack Montgomery/Piers Stubbs/Michael Parsons
- Brigitta - Grace Vance/Caroline Riley/Olivia Gould
- Marta - Yasmin Garrad/Molly May Keston/Emily Lane
- Gretl - Dora Gee/Alicia Gould/Adrianna Bertola/Lauren Downing
Ensemble Christopher Blades, Anthony Cable, Ian Caddick, Vivien Care, Tanya Caridia, Christopher Connah, Kate Coysten, Deborah Crowe, Christopher Dickens, Katie Fabel, Susie Fenwick, John Griffiths, Amanda Hall, Paul Kemble, Emma Lindars, Ian Male, Claire Massie, Nicholas Maude, Gavin Mitford, Jo Napthine, Verity Quade, Katie Ray, Simon Schofield, Nicola Sloane, Alan Vicary, Helen Walsh, Elen Mon Wayne, Jane Webster, Kerry Winter and Vanessa Woodfine.
Margaret Preece will understudy Lesley Garrett in certain performances, and Fisher is understudied as Maria by Sophie Bould, ( who has had rave reviews)Katie Fabel and Kerry Winter.
A soundtrack recording of the London Palladium Cast has also been recorded and released.
This show has now opened to huge critical acclaim.[1]
[edit] List of songs in the stage musical
- Praeludium; The Sound of Music (Maria)
- Maria (The Nuns)
- My Favorite Things (Maria and the Mother Abbess)
- Do-Re-Mi (Maria and the Children)
- Sixteen Going On Seventeen (Rolfe and Liesl)
- The Lonely Goatherd (Maria and the Children)
- How Can Love Survive (Max and Elsa)
- The Sound of Music (Maria, the Captain and the Children)
- Laendler
- So Long, Farewell (The Children)
- Climb Ev'ry Mountain (Mother Abbess)
- No Way To Stop It (Max, the Captain and Elsa)
- An Ordinary Couple (Maria and the Captain)
- Processional (The Nuns)
- Sixteen Going On Seventeen Reprise (Maria and Liesl)
- Edelweiss (Maria, the Captain and the Children)
- Finale (The Nuns)
[edit] Trivia
- Many people believe "Edelweiss" to be a traditional Austrian song, or even a national hymn. In fact the song was written for the musical and is little known in Austria.[2]
- The Edelweiss is the unofficial national flower of Switzerland and popular in Austria. In the Republic of Austria, it appeared on the 1 Schilling coin and can now be seen on the 2 cent Euro coin. The edelweiss is also worn as a cap device by certain Austrian Army mountain units.
- The musical itself is virtually unknown in Austria, except in backpacker's hostels in Salzburg, where the film is screened daily on DVD.[3]
- Maria von Trapp's book, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers, was made into two successful German films before it was adapted as The Sound of Music. Maria sold the rights for less than $10,000, so the von Trapp family did not benefit greatly from its success.
- The Ländler dance as performed by Maria and the Captain during the party is only loosely based on the traditional Austrian dance of the same name.[4]
- The song lists of the stage play and film are slightly different, thanks to the screenwriting of Ernest Lehman. In the musical, "My Favorite Things" is sung at the convent, whereas in the movie it is sung to the children in the von Trapp house. "No Way to Stop it" was dropped for the film, and "How Can Love Survive?" (deemed to not fit the flow of the movie) was reduced to being only one of the several waltz numbers played at the party. The title song's four-line prelude ("My day in the hills has come to an end, I know..."), sung by Mary Martin in the stage play, is also reduced to an instrumental hint during the overture and dramatic opening shot of Julie Andrews.
- On an episode of Seinfeld, George and Jerry decide to use a song as a signal to let each other know when George's girlfriend is coming while they replace an answering-machine tape containing numerous insulting messages. George requests "Maria" and then proceeds to sing it, much to Jerry's chagrin.
- The Guinness Book of World Records once had an entry for "worst film editing", noting that when a Hong Kong exhibitor felt that the movie was overly long, he remedied the situation by cutting out all the musical numbers.
- During the Cold War, in the event of a nuclear strike on the United Kingdom, the BBC planned to broadcast The Sound of Music on radio as part of an emergency timetable of programmes designed to "reassure" the public in the aftermath of the attack. A television broadcast would not have been planned or possible, though, as televisions would be rendered inoperable by the Electromagnetic pulse effect. [5]
- Gwen Stefani's 2006 single "Wind It Up", from her second solo album The Sweet Escape, samples "The Lonely Goatherd."
- On The OC, the Cooper family watch The Sound Of Music every year on Kaitlins birthday. Melinda Clarke, a colotura soprano, can be heard singing "Sixteen Going On Seventeen" in episode 313, The Pot Stirrer.
- "So Long, Farewell" was used in early 2007 in TV ads for Kia Motors, with orchestration similar to the play's version, as a team of car dealers sang to the many sold cars that were leaving their lot.
[edit] External links
- Details of the touring singalong version of the movie
- The Sound Of Music Kids - Where are they now
- Movie vs. Reality: The Real Story of the von Trapp Family - Prologue magazine, Winter 2005 - published by the National Archives and Records Administration
- Salzburg, Austria - sites where filming occurred
- Robert Wise biography at Associated Content
- The "Sound of Music" Bus in Salzburg used for the excursion on the tracks of the film
| Musicals of Rodgers and Hammerstein |
|---|
| Oklahoma! • Carousel • Allegro • South Pacific • The King and I • Me and Juliet • Pipe Dream • Cinderella • Flower Drum Song • The Sound of Music • State Fair |
