Thu 11/7 @ 7PM
The 1965 film version of the Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II musical The Sound of Music was a blockbuster — one of the most successful films in history. Based on the 1959 Broadway musical, it starred Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer in the roles that Rosalind Russell and Theodore Bikel originated on Broadway. (Jon Voight appeared for a while in the original production as the oldest Von Trapp daughter’s Nazi boyfriend, an interesting case of foretelling his future as a committed MAGA.)
It’s likely that few people need to have the plot repeated to them — the story of how Maria washes out of the nunnery and become nanny to the seven motherless Von Trapp kids, winning their hearts and their dad’s before they all escape to Switzerland ahead of Hitler’s troops (based on a real story!) And few people with even a passing knowledge of show tunes are unfamiliar with tunes such as “Climb Every Mountain,” “Do-Re-Mi,” “My Favorite Things” and the title tune. Zillions love it; as a committed musical theater buff as a kid, I loathed it, even though I was one of the nuns singing “Maria” in a camp production. (Just ask me to sing ‘She climbs a tree and scrapes her knee/her dress has got a tear.” Or better yet, don’t.)
Anyway, The Musical Theater Project’s Artistic Director has been persuaded to take on the film as the next entry in TMTP’s Movies @ Home series after asking Ashley Burnett to co-host one of the programs and this film was on her wish list (She’s only 27!)
So if you’re a fan, first go watch Bill’s intro on You Tube here to tell you what to look for when you watch the film. Then go watch the film again, if you even need to, available for rent or purchase on YouTube or Disney+. Finally, join Bill and Ashley on Zoom for a discussion of the film on Thursday November 7 @ 7pm. It’s free and all are welcome!