Theater preview: “The Sound of Music”
Maggie McDougall as Marta, Jay Froebe as Kurt, Kelsea Maynard as Liesl, Fiona Okida as Gretl, Hannah Provisor as Louisa, and Creed Stager as Friedrich.
by Tom Fitt
The hills of El Segundo are alive with the sound of music. Make that the softball diamond at Recreation Park, at least. El Segundo’s first “Summer Festival,” thanks to the organizational and theatrical mind of Executive Producer Jeff Cason, has four presentations of “The Sound of Music” remaining on this year’s schedule.
So, don your lederhosen and bring the family to the park. Check between all the rocks (I suggest on-or-around second base) for edelweiss and then make something up when the kids ask, “What are lederhosen and edelweiss?” The correct response is, “Yeah, but could you identify Julie Andrews in a police line-up?”
“The Sound of Music” (from hereon in, this play shall be known as “S of M”) is the hit 1959 Broadway musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, with book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse based upon memoirs written by Maria Von Trapp. Original stars of the show were Mary Martin and Theodore Bikel, but it was the Academy Award-winning 1965 movie, featuring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, that cemented the songs into the brains of English-speaking audiences (“Edelweiss,” “Climb Every Mountain,” “My Favorite Things,” and more). If you’ve not seen the movie, remove the rock at the entrance to your cave and borrow a neighbor’s television between Thanksgiving and Christmas. No need for a remote. Just tune in to any channel and leave the TV on. “S of M” will be broadcast at least once on every station during the holiday season. Oh, to get those royalties….
The plot is simple – mostly true, but simple. The setting is pre-WWII Austria. Lots of mountains there, producing echoes which make one’s singing voice sound much better than it actually is. Maria (played in the El Segundo production by Pamela Maclean), an out of work nun, appears at the door of Captain Von Trapp (Ray Buffer). He’s a captain in the Austrian army, a force to be reckoned with, both then and now. He’s got a hundred or so kids and needs a nanny, so Maria lands the gig, teaches the little monsters to sing, and walks them up and down a nearby mountain. They especially love the mountain stuff. Maria and the Captain ogle each other throughout the story, much to the dismay of bitchy Elsa Schraeder (Kendall Lewis), who has eyes for the Captain and his money.
Anyway, the Captain and Maria get married. All the while, the Nazis are intent on bothering the captain because they want him and his formidable Austrian army to side with the Axis. The Captain and Maria make a tuneful plan to escape to Switzerland. In reality, they went to Italy – no kidding! All lived happily ever after. Musically, Italy made sense. Benito Mussolini’s family was much more melodic than Adolph’s. The Italian dictator’s son, Romano, became a world-renowned jazz pianist through the middle of the 20th Century. The Von Trapp Family singers had a built-in accompanist (unsubstantiated) who had really great connections. And, in the movie, Liesl (the Captain’s oldest, played by Kelsea Maynard) was a babe. You know how piano players are. After the war, Romano was to play with an American bass player. Upon being introduced, the bassist remarked, “Sorry about your dad.” (True.)
All in all, the adventures of the Von Trapp family, when placed in the hands of Rodgers and Hammerstein, produced a memorable musical, good for kids and adults.
“We really wanted to find a production that has broad appeal to our community,” said producer Cason, who also directed this production. “’The Sound of Music’ is one of those shows where, if you haven’t seen it before, you’ve seen the movie. Everyone can sing or hum along. It was important for us to have a family-friendly feature presentation that everybody could just know and love and feel totally energized by. I also feel it is very cool, especially at this time, because it’s a musical about overcoming hardship.”
The cast of 20 includes professionals in the lead roles, with local amateurs taking on supporting and chorus parts. As with other local theater companies, “S of M” had little rehearsal time.
“There was a three-week rehearsal period…. The cast put this together very, very quickly,” said Cason. “We rehearsed at El Segundo Methodist Church. They have a big social hall – Johnson Hall – and the church was very gracious to give us a good discount for the use of the space. We moved to the outdoor stage last Sunday.”
Regarding the site in Rec Park, how did you manage to turn a softball field into a theater?
“Very carefully,” said Cason. “We transformed the space; we’re renting a stage, lighting, follow spot, sound system. We pulled out all the stops to make that softball field into a real, live outdoor theater.”
At the end of the run, Cason’s nonprofit, Broadway in the Park, will begin searching for a musical to present at next year’s Summer Festival. In the meantime, the organization will reach out to support projects of other South Bay performing arts groups.
“We really believe that a rising tide lifts all ships; we’ll be seeking ways to help advertise other theaters,” said Cason. He also commended the City of El Segundo for supporting this inaugural project. “We have no formal partnership, but the city has been a joy to work with.”
In addition to the show, the festival features local groups in a Community Pre-Show starting one-half hour before “S and M.” “We have nine groups (rotating) which are donating their time in giving us 15 minutes each before every show,” said Cason. “Through this, we’re hoping to build awareness for some of the art groups that are here in town and hopefully encourage our patrons to start going to more performances. “
Enjoy the show! And on the drive home, watch high on the hill for that lonely, yodeling goatherd.
‘The Sound of Music,’ El Segundo Summer Festival, Recreation Park, corner Grand Avenue and Eucalyptus Drive. Tonight, July 29, 30, 31 and Aug. 1. Doors open at 6 p.m., pre-show at 7; ‘S of M’ curtain at 7:30. Tickets, $20 general admission, $40 VIP can be purchased at Britt’s BBQ, Cooke’s Market, Curves, other retail establishments, or check online: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/101336. Bring a blanket or lawn chair. ER