In their Director's Notes, the Queanbeyan Players say the enduring message of The Sound Of Music is one of hope and courage. The same could be said of any amateur musical theatre company that attempts to scale the heights of this time-honouredmusical. Rodgers and Hammerstein's immortal tale of Maria Reiner (Veronica Thwaites-Brown) and the family of Captain Georg von Trapp (Shane Horsburgh) draws inspiration from the true lives of the von Trapps and their escape from occupied Austria, shortly before the onset of the Second World War.
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Rodgers' score and Hammerstein's lyrics echo with the drama and power of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Von Trapp, a naval hero, and Maria, released from the abbey to act as governess to the widower's seven children, must confront the reality of the rise of the Third Reich, and seek freedom beyond the towering alps. Mother Abbess's Climb Every Mountain, sung with soaring spirit by Judith Colquhourn, serves as a continuing metaphor for Maria's search for her true self, the Captain's release from the shackles of grief and the family's perilous flight from tyranny.
Director Janetta McRae, with musical director, Jennifer Groom and choreographer Christina Philipp undertake the challenge to stage this perennialfavourite with unpretentious simplicity and sincerity. There is little glamour in the setting and it is a credit to the nuns and the a cappella chorus that they are able to surmount the oppressive black curtains and low-level lighting in the abbeyand let their talent shine. Performance isthe focus of the work with strong singing supported by a harmoniousorchestra and economical choreography that is effective and true to the period. McRae manages her large cast with careful assurance. The staging is not overly imaginative, but it serves its purpose and allows the less experienced members of the cast to find confidence in their characters.
The evergreen melodies The Sound of Music, My Favourite Things, Do-Re-Mi, Edelweiss and So Long Farewell, to name but a few are sung with appealing charm and the less familiar songs, such as No Way to Stop It sung by Elsa Schraeder (Anna Greenwood), Max Detweiler (Gerard Fitzsimmons) and von Trapp come as a pleasant surprise.
W.C. Fields is credited with saying: "Never act with animals or children". He obviously wasn't talking about the seven young people who play the von Trapp children in Queanbeyan Players' production. If the Red Company, who perform on different nights, are as enchanting as the White Company that I saw on opening night, then they too could almost steal the show.
Almost, that is, except for Veronica Thwaites-Brown. Comparisons may be odious, but not in this case. Not only does Thwaites-Brown resemble Julie Andrews, she sings as sweetly and illuminates the stage. Maria is the lighthouse that beams hope through dreams, love within the heart and courage through the darkness. Thwaites-Brown's performance is a triumph in a production that will move audiences to tears, evoke laughter and remind us that we can all climb mountains to follow our dream. Queanbeyan Players have delivered a Sound of Music that everyone will enjoy.
The Sound of Music. Music by Richard Rodgers. Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein ll. Book by Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse. Directed by Janetta McRae. Queanbeyan Players. Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre. Until November 15.
