At NSMT, ‘Sound of Music’ makes a glorious return

By Rich Fahey

BEVERLY – “The Sound of Music” will turn 64 this November, the very definition of a senior citizen.

Then how can it be that it still feels fresh and new, even as the musical, its companion 1965 film version and the Rodgers & Hammerstein score seem to be embedded in our collective memory banks.

The North Shore Music Theatre last performed “The Sound of Music” in 2013, and now a whole new set of grandparents and grandchildren could be seen entering the theater at a recent matinee performance. They weren’t seeking a re-staging of the iconic film; they were there to see how the magic of live theater makes everything more vibrant, more immediate, more memorable.

NSMT’s attention to detail is on display from the opening moments of this glorious revival. Did scenic designer Kyle Dixon have to build a mountain hillside into the in-the-round theater?  No, but it makes the entrance of young postulant Maria Rainer (Desi Oakley) and her performance of the iconic title song that much more impressive.

The musical tells the story, of course, of Rainer, a spirited young woman who often runs afoul of the rules the nuns have followed for centuries. Eventually, she leaves Nonnberg Abbey at the urging  of the Mother Abbess to become the governess for Captain Georg von Trapp (Joseph Spielbenner) of the Austrian Navy, a widower with seven children. After the death of his wife, he has shut down, banishing the music he once loved from his home.

It is up to Maria and the children to bring him back to life, and he gradually realizes that his future is with her and not with the wealthy, beautiful Frau Schrader (Kerry Conte).

Oakley is a dynamo throughout with a lovely voice and Spielbenner’s Georg has a less harsher edge and is younger and more vital than many others who have played the role, making the love story more believable. And he has lovely chemistry with Oakley.

The entire production plays out under the shadow of Nazi Germany’s Third Reich  becoming an ever more threatening presence in Austria prior to World War II. Georg’s friend, producer Max Detweiler (John Scherer) is trying to go along to get along with the Nazis, but Georg will not, making for the dramatic finale.  

The Mother Abbess (Janinah Burnett) who presides over Nonnberg Abbey  is tasked with delivering the iconic ballad “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” and does it beautifully. She is ably supported by Marlene Montes as Sister Margaretta, mistress of postulants, April Armstrong as Sister Bertha, mistress of novices, and Lisa Yuen as Sister Sophia.

Medford’s Kevin McGlynn. in his 11^th NSMT show, was a member of the 2013  production and he returns as the butler Franz; his niece Helen M. Brady alternates in the role of Marta von Trapp. Local favorite Mary Callanan is aboard as beleaguered housekeeper Frau Schmidt. Ellen Peterson, a member of the 2013 cast, also returns as a member of the ensemble.

NSMT Artistic Director Kevin P. Hill, at the helm for a series of lovely productions, and the design and creative teams work hand-in-hand to re-create the sights and sounds of the Austrian countryside.  It starts with the choreography by Brianna Fallon, skillfully adapted for the NSMT stage.

Nonpareil music director Milton Granger and his 13-piece orchestra give full voice to the final collaboration of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, from the first solemn notes of “Preludium” to “Do Re Mi,” “My Favorite Things,” “The Lonely Goatherd,” and “Edelweiss” to the closing reprise of “Climb Ev’ry Mountain.”

A cast of 37 – that’s right, 37 – are brightly and lavishly attired, with original costume design by Loren Shaw and costume coordination by Kelly Baker. The lighting by Jose Santiago and sound design by Alex Berg are pitch-perfect.

This musical goes nowhere without a talented corps of younger performers portraying the charming von Trapp brood.  Tori Heinlein performs Liesl von Trapp at all performances, and her rendition of “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” with Travis Anderson as Rolf Gruber is a musical highlight.

There are two casts of local young performers taking on the roles of the younger von Trapp children. At a recent matinee, it was Wade Gleeson Turner (Friedrich von Trapp), Isabella Carroll (Louisa von Trapp), Jack Baumrind  (Kurt von Trapp),  Penelope Rhoads (Brigitta von Trapp),  Dalya Eracar (Marta von Trapp), and Regan Shanahan (Gretl von Trapp),

July is NSMT’s traditional slot for a family-friendly show, and children 4-18 are 50 percent off at all performances Due to popular demand, another matinee show has been added on Thursday, July 20.

Decades from now, grandparents will still be bringing their grandchildren to see Maria descend from that mountain and break into glorious song. We journey on; iconic musicals are frozen in time.

The North Shore Music Theatre’s production of “The Sound of Music.” Music by Richard Rodgers, Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, suggested by “The Trapp Family Singers” by Maria Augusta Trapp. Directed by Kevin P. Hill. At the North Shore Music Theatre through July  23. Nsmt.org.