For the first time ever, the Broadway production The Sound of Music has landed in Kuala Lumpur. Originally based on the 1949 memoir The Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp, the musical is set in Austria and tells the story of Maria, who takes a job as a governess to the large von Trapp family while she decides whether to become a nun.
Most would know The Sound of Music from the 1965 musical film, starring Julie Andrews as Maria. However, the film is actually based on the Broadway musical, which opened in 1959, with live orchestral music written by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse.
In the story, Maria becomes the governess for the seven children of Captain Georg von Trapp, a widowed Austro-Hungarian naval officer, and eventually marries him. The broadway musical features a number of well-known songs (which were also featured in the musical film), including Do-Re-Mi, Edelweiss, Sixteen Going on Seventeen, and My Favourite Things.
Last June, Base Entertainment Asia held an audition looking for Malaysian children to star as the youngest von Trapp children during its shows in Malaysia, which would be directed by three-time Tony Award-winner and Broadway veteran Jack O’Brien and choreographed by Danny Mefford. This was major news for Malaysian children who wanted to perform with a world-class production.
After sorting through over 400 kids, three groups of six von Trapp children between the ages of six to 14 were selected. The children will be playing the roles of Gretl (Kimaya Peiris, Olivia Leong Yue Shen, and Nur Lily Armani Saiful Bahtiar), Marta (Allegra Hew Ai Ping, Wan Emma Rose Wan Mohd Fyzaal, and Olivia Aisha Wood), Brigitta (Huang En, Natasha Tan, and Vern Faye Yeoh), Kurt (Sean Lee Hong Jun, Lafayette Victor, and Norman Ong Wen Zhe), Louisa (Chloe Siaw, Isabelle Ho, and Doreen Yip Zhi Ying), and Friedrich (Izz Quedy Akhirudin, and Christan Duvan Garry Malo).
The children were tasked to work alongside Broadway actors, actresses, and creatives, and I was given the opportunity to watch their performance on Dec 28.
The musical is 155 minutes long, spanning two parts with a 20-minute intermission. Theatre acts have always impressed me, and the talent of the ensemble cast is apparent. Everyone could sing, dance, and act.
It was also inspiring to see how children who had no prior stage experience could be trained to perform, and this will undoubtedly open endless opportunities for young Malaysian talents. Seeing local children act in an international Broadway show has the potential of encouraging their peers to consider a career on the stage.
Of course, the operatic voices from the main cast were immaculate, with Jill-Christine Wiley playing Maria, Trevor Martin playing Captain von Trapp, Lauren O’Brien playing Liesl, the oldest daughter of Captain von Trapp, and Lauren Kidwell playing Mother Abbess, who was Maria’s spiritual advisor during her postulant days at the abbey.
On top of that, Wiley and Kidwell celebrated their 500th performance that evening, so you know they’ve been doing this for a long time.
The memory of my childhood experience with The Sound of Music movie is hazy since it was a long time ago, yet the lyrics to the songs came to mind easily during the course of the performance, which shows how timeless this musical is.
The script is also comedic in certain scenes, and the actors and actresses really brought out the story to life. The kids especially shone during So Long, Farewell, with adorable choreography.
Besides the great acting and lovely music from the live orchestra, the sets and lighting design by Douglas W. Schimdt and Natasha Katz respectively made the whole production an unforgettable experience. The backdrops are all hand-painted, and the lighting really immerses you in the scene, with my favourite being the church wedding scene.
After the concert, the lively songs were stuck in my head, playing in a loop, which put me in a really good mood. The Sound Of Music is a world-class production not to be missed. Tickets for daily shows are still available from now to Jan 15 except on Mondays in Istana Budaya.