Review: The Sound of Music

Musical: The Sound of Music [UK Tour]
Venue: Grand Theatre, Leeds
Date: 7th June 2011 at 19:30
Cast: Verity Rushworth (Maria), Jason Donovan (Captain Von Trapp), Marilyn Hill Smith (Mother Abbess), Jacinta Malcahy (Baroness Schraeder), Michael Remick (Maxx Detweiler u/s), Chris Barton (Rolf), Claire Fishenden (Leisl), Thomas Huttlestone (Friedrich), Hollie Steel (Louisa), Jonathan Loades (Kurt), Isabella Riley (Brigitta), Aisling Flaherty (Marta) and Jasmine Hood (Gretl)
Rating: ****1/2


Review:
The Sound of Music is a definite classic in the musical theatre genre. Since its premiere on Broadway in 1959 to its critically acclaimed Oscar-winning movie version in 1965 starring Julie Andrews to the revival cast on Broadway in 1998 and on the West End in 2006. Today, it is still one of the best-loved musicals of all time. Since 2009, The Sound of Music has toured the UK and this month it made a stop at Leeds Grand Theatre. And what it did was simply proving that no matter how old the material is, it still managed to capture the hearts of audience no doubt.


My first experience with The Sound of Music was back in 1998 when the musical came to Thailand in its International Tour starring Marie Osmond and I remembered having a really good time. So I had my hopes up quite high for this production and though it's not without its flaws, it was still a really good and heartwarming production, one of the best ones I've seen at this theatre so far.


I was a bit bum not to see Connie Fisher reprising her role at this tour but Verity Rushworth was just amazing. Though there were quite some big shoes to fill (I'm talking about Mary Martin, Julie Andrews, Rebecca Luker and Connie Fisher to name a few), she made the role her own and was simply enjoyable to watch. She has a lovely, warm and playful personality which suited the role very well and her singing voice was absolutely beautiful.

Verity Rushworth as Maria during "My Favourite Things"

Praying to God on her first night at the Von Trapp Family's house

Philippa Buxton who is an alternate Maria on the tour
This is during "I Have Confidence"

Jason Donovan was our Captain Von Trapp and it's clear that many of the audience came to see him. I was quite excited to see him perform live since I've heard so much about him in Joseph and Priscilla. However, both his acting and his singing were a bit under my expectation. It seems he had a hard time holding the note in many of the songs (despite the fact that the role doesn't really require much vocal range) and his acting was, at times, stiff.

Jason Donovan as Captain Von Trapp

Donovan and Rushworth in their promotional photoshoot

Donovan as Joseph at the London Palladium 20 years ago!!

A real surprise came from Marilyn Hill Smith as the Mother Abbess and boy, that lady could SING! She totally stole the show with her My Favourite Things and Climb Ev'ry Mountain. Her acting was very good as well. She brought out another side of the Mother Abbess that I never thought of and she did it well.

Marilyn Hill Smith as the Mother Abbess
 (seen here with Sister Berthe, Sister Margaretta and Sister Sophia)
during "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?"

But the real highlights of the show were definitely the 7 children. They were lovely and very talented for their age. Every number that they performed together were just cute and I'm sure it brought smile to the face of many audience in the house that night. The duet "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" between the eldest daughter, Liesl and the telegram messenger, Rolf played by Claire Fishenden and Any Dream Will Do finalist Chris Barton was cute and lovely.

"When you sing, you begin with Do-Re-Mi"

"High on the hill was a lonely goatherd, Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo!"

"So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen good night"

"You are sixteen going on seventeen, baby it's time to think!"
Chris Barton and Claire Fishenden as Rolf and Liesl

Chris Barton

Christ Barton back in his Any Dream Will Do days

Despite being a touring production, I find that this production was quite satisfying in terms of sets and sceneries (unlike previous touring shows I've seen such as Joseph, Oklahoma! and Spamalot). I've never seen a sit-down production of it so I can't really compare but overall I think what they did here was not bad at all, though the mountains look a bit like a volcano and I wish there was a staircase in the Captain's house.

The music used here was according to the 2006 London Palladium version with some adjustments. They've included both songs written for the movie: "I Have Confidence" and "Something Good". Most of the arrangements were very good and I find that it's a good mix of the movie and the stage versions.


Being a 1960s Rodgers and Hammersteins musical, I find that the show's weakness actually lies in its book. But I guess it was that way with almost every musical of that era where the story was very simple and everything ended so easily with the main focus on the music and the dance numbers. So there were times when I felt "awww... that's too easy"... such as when the Baroness decided to leave or how the Von Trapp Family easily escaped the German at the end.


Nevertheless, it was a great production and my friends and I were having a really good time and so were all the audience in the house that night. It is one of the better productions I've seen at this theatre in a while so I'd say it's really worth the effort to be there. The show promises to put a smile on your face (and tears in the eyes of those sensitive ones) and I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a relaxing night out at the musicals.

The nuns who were very good and funny

At the Concert, Captain Von Trapp singing "Edelweiss"

The family escapes

The Finale

The Sound of Music will continue to play at Leeds Grand Theatre until 25 June before moving on to Nottingham, Norwich, Cardiff, Manchester, Newcastle and Wimbledon. Check out http://www.leedsgrandtheatre.com/ for more information on the tickets or http://www.thesoundofmusictour.com/ for more information about the tour.


MUSICAL NUMBERS
ACT ONE
Preludium... The Mother Abbess and Nuns
The Sound of Music... Maria
Maria... The Mother Abbess, Sister Berthe, Sister Sophia and Sister Margaretta
My Favourite Things... The Mother Abbess and Maria
I Have Confidence... Maria
Do-Re-Mi... Maria and the Children
Sixteen Going on Seventeen... Rolf and Liesl
The Lonely Goatherd... Maria and the Children
How Can Love Survive?... Maxx and Baroness
The Sound of Music (Reprise)... Captain Von Trapp and the Children
Landler... Orchestra
So Long, Farewell... The Children
Climb Ev'ry Mountain... The Mother Abbess


ACT TWO
Entr'acte... Orchestra
No Way to Stop It... Maxx, Baroness and Captain Von Trapp
Something Good... Captain Von Trapp and Maria
The Wedding Processional... Nuns
Sixteen Going on Seventeen (Reprise)... Maria and Liesl
Do-Re-Mi (Reprise)... Maria, Captain Von Trapp and the Children
Edelweiss... Captain Von Trapp, Maria and the Children
So Long, Farewell (Reprise)... Maria, Captain Von Trapp and the Children
Climb Ev'ry Mountain (Reprise)... The Mother Abbess and Nuns