DPAC's The Sound of Music is Just as Timely and Impactful as Ever

Kevin Earley (Captain Georg von Trapp) and Cayleigh Capaldi (Maria Rainer) with the von Trapp Children (l to r) Ariana Ferch (Liesl), Eli Vander Griend (Friedrich), Ava Davis (Louisa), Benjamin Stasiek (Kurt), Haddie Mac (Brigitta), Ruby Caramore (Marta), Luciana VanDette (Gretl) in The Sound of Music. Photo by Jeremy Daniel.

There are some musicals that you can watch over and over again. And, on each viewing, you discover something new to love or a subtle nuance you didn’t grasp before. This is the case with Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music. The classic, which premiered on Broadway in 1959, features a book, suggested by the memoir The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp, by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. 

Their charming script tells the story of Maria, a postulant at Nonnberg Abbey. While Maria aspires to become a nun and devote her life to God, she soon finds that fate has other plans. Her free-spirited, sometimes flighty nature leads the Mother Abbess to send Maria on a new journey—one in which she’s to act as governess to the strait-laced von Trapp family. Through this experience, Maria comes to know maternal and romantic love. 

The Sound of Music, however, is more than just a love story. Set in Austria in 1938, it’s also a tale of incredible courage, bravery, and the will to stand up for what’s right. Shockingly, these elements of the story feel quite timely today, enabling the latest tour of the musical, onstage now at the Durham Performing Arts Center, to impact even long-time fans in new ways. The new tour still features Richard Rodgers’ unforgettable music and Oscar Hammerstein II’s careful, clever blend of both playful and emotional lyrics, but, to put it in the vernacular, it “hits different” these days.

This iteration of the story stands out not just for its relevance but for, among other things, Douglas W. Schmidt’s gorgeous scenic design. Sets and backdrops change like smooth magic, effectively bringing a range of settings to life. From the austere abbey and the lush hillside to the expansive luxury of the von Trapp’s home, each space is fully realized and believable. Lighting designer Natasha Katz even captures details, such as sunlight shining through high windows, that help transport viewers into this bygone era.

It’s not just the places that come alive either. Under Jack O’Brien’s expert, surprisingly physical direction and aided by Danny Mefford’s animated choreography, each beloved character bursts vibrantly off the stage. Maria (Cayleigh Capaldi), Captain von Trapp (Kevin Earley), and the seven von Trapp children share a bubbly chemistry and a playful, lively energy that is wonderfully infectious and joyful. Aside from in the very early scenes, these are not characters that merely fall in line and salute. Instead, they shrug, chase, jab, and laugh, moving with great ease and naturality. 

Capaldi makes for an endearing Maria. Her plucky, strong, and resolute portrayal, coupled with her sweet, soaring voice, plays nicely off of Earley’s stern-but-loving demeanor. His characterization comes not only through his rich baritone but in his upheld posture and through his blushing, embarrassed gestures. Together, they share a delightful, made-for-each-other chemistry that evokes smiles and the occasional heart flutter.

Chemistry also abounds between Maria and the wise Mother Abbess, played with a kindly bent by the accomplished Christiane Noll, and between Maria and the von Trapp children. Noll shines in her own right with her delivery of “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” at the end of the first act, and each of the children is appropriately adorable.

As the oldest, Ariana Ferch’s Liesl is the perfect mix of burgeoning maturity and childish naivete, and her interactions with love interest Rolf (Ian Coursey), including the famed “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” duet, evoke all the painful, confusing emotions of first love. There’s also the hilariously honest Brigitta, played with expert comedic timing and surprising aplomb by a talented, braided Haddie Mac, and, of course, the oh-so-cute Gretl, acted by a delightful Luciana Vandette. O’Brien’s intimate direction and Capaldi’s changing characterization enable Maria to share and showcase a special relationship with each young von Trapp. Additionally, the crystal-clear sound quality allows each lyric and whispered line of dialogue to be heard clearly, giving the smartly-written, multi-layered story its full due. 

This production proves that The Sound of Music is still just as timeless and emotionally effective as it was when it first debuted. From the shock of the ugly symbols displayed on stage to Earley’s fervent delivery of “Edelweiss,” modern viewers will feel every moment and every beautiful thing the story stands for in new and impactful ways. Whether you’re going to relive a long-loved show or as a first-time viewer, you’ll find something that will touch you, change you, and make you think.

-Susie Potter