Telling the story of the Von Trapp family’s flight across the mountains from Austria, with an unforgettable score that includes some of the most memorable and best-loved songs of all time, including My Favourite Things, Edelweiss, Do-Re-Mi, Sixteen Going on Seventeen, The Lonely Goatherd, Climb Ev’ry Mountain, and the title song, The Sound of Music.
The Sound of Music is an iconic musical that has returned to South African stages this year.
Enjoying a full house at its opening at the Montecasino Teatro in Fourways on Sunday night, young and old audience members delighted in the beautifully produced musical.
From the stage to the lights, everything was in an intricate puzzle that worked seamlessly to give you the feeling that you were in 1938.
The Sound of Music. Picture: Karen Sandison/ANA
I particularly loved the opening scene, in which Maria (Carmen Pretorius) is sitting in the Austrian mountains, singing The Sound of Music.
The lounge area of the Von Trapp family mansion also looked very authentic, from the floral covered couch to the chandelier that hangs adjacent to the staircase. The set of this production is not only aesthetically pleasing, but it’s functional.
In terms of the performances, the cast works together like a well-oiled machine.
It would have been an utter disappointment if Pretorius had been unable to embody the spirit of Maria wholly.
Thankfully, she ranks right up there with some of the finest actresses that have taken on Maria Von Trapp. She looks the part, sounds the part and it’s a tribute to her acting talent.
Carmen Pretorius as Maria, with children, in a scene from The Sound of Music. Picture: Karen Sandison
The Von Trapp children were a joy to watch, with Liesel (Zoe Beavon) portraying the innocence of her 16-year-old character so well that you’d believe she was really that age.
My favourite performer of the evening was The Mother Abbess, as portrayed by Janelle Visagie.
Her vocal abilities made Climb Ev’ry Mountain a goosebumps moment in the play. I’m inclined to believe that Visagie can reach notes that some vocalists can only dream of.
The production also looks into the politics of the region in 1938, which had Austria sitting on the brink of a Nazi German invasion.
The Sound of Music. Picture: Karen Sandison/ANA
The last three scenes of act two deal slightly more extensively with the subject matter and the cast and crew must be commended on how stylistically, in their acting, they made this possibly the most sombre moments of the play.
The scene where the Von Trapp family run away at the concert hall is tragicomic because while you want to laugh and cheer that they’ve managed to escape.
However, Max is seen being led off stage by the soldiers, which makes you wonder what ended up happening to him in their custody.
Carmen Pretorius as Maria, with children, in a scene from The Sound of Music. Picture: Karen Sandison/ANA
Ultimately, going out to see The Sound of Music would be a decision I can confidently say would be a wise one.
It’s filled with beautiful music that’s complemented by great acting and a beautiful set.
The Sound of Music. Picture: Karen Sandison/ANA
It’s also quite family-friendly. It’s the perfect outing for both young and old.
* The Sound of Music runs until April 29 at the Teatro at Montecasino. Tickets are available from Computicket.