Review: The Sound of Music - now at The Schuster thru Oct 19

Review: The Sound of Music - now at The Schuster thru Oct 19

It’s easy to write a positive review of ‘The Sound of Music.’ I could do it blindfolded, but would be some spelling errors. The challenge comes in making it different from my previous efforts, especially the opening paragraph. In the time I’ve had the pleasure of contributing to Dayton Local, I’ve written two reviews of this Rodgers & Hammerstein classic. Not that anyone would ever notice, but I’ve started with made-up lyrics of ‘My Favorite Things’ both times. I’ve gone to that well too many times. What to do? Guess I could hook the readers with an opening about my struggles to come up with a captivating first paragraph. Would that work?

Seeing ‘The Sound of Music’ is like looking into my wife’s eyes, a joyous occasion no matter how many times I’ve done it (in case she reads this). In honor of the 60th anniversary of the Oscar award winning movie, the beloved musical is entertaining both old and new fans with a dazzling stage production. For a bit of a new perspective, I attended with my eight year old daughter, who had never seen the movie or the musical. Since learning ‘Do-Re-Mi’ in school last year, she’s been singing the song a lot, so I was anxious for her to see it live. 

How do you find a word that means Maria?...Just one word would be an understatement as Cayleigh Capaldi nothing less than a full paragraph. A thesaurus does not even contain a word that give justice to Capaldi’s portrayal of Maria. She makes the iconic role her own, with an endearing charm and miraculous voice. Capaldi’s vocals has the strength to not only enliven the hills, but the entire planet with beautiful sounds. Maria may lack some fashion sense, but is a perfect 10 when it comes to singing.

Capaldi’s talent is on full display during ‘Do-Re-Mi,’ She makes teaching the von Trapp 7 how to sing look effortless. The results are astounding as after just one short lesson, the children sound like they completed a doctorate in vocal performance. Apparently even the miraculous Capaldi has some limitations, as I listened closely…starting from the very beginning…yet still can’t carry a tune. 

After having sang it with my daughter countless times, the rendition of ‘Do-Re-Mi’ was especially moving. It was pitch perfect and a prime example of musical theatre in its finest form. I may or may not have gotten a little teary eyed.

From their marching to yodeling, the von Trapp children were more in sync than Justin Timberlake with each other. The eldest child, Liesl (Ariana Ferch) is Sixteen Going On Thirty, rather Seventeen, when it comes to talent. The all-knowing and brutally honest Brigetta (Haddie Mac) delivers some funny lines. The youngest, Gretl, (Luciana Vandette) gets lots of “Awwww’s’ from being so adorable. My daughter liked her ‘Coo-Coo’s’ during ‘So Long, Farewell.’ The other impressive children; are Friedrich (Eli Vander Griend), Louisa (Ava Davis), Kurt (Benjamin Stasiek), and Marta (Ruby Caramore). 

Not to take anything away from their singing lesson, but after hearing the Captain (Kevin Earley), it’s only natural they sound so good. Earley has a majestic voice, highlighted with ‘Edelweiss.’ Honestly, I don’t remember any of the previous Captain’s I’ve seen having particularly strong voices, but Earley’s is pretty unforgettable. Earley alsono perfectly portrays the characters stern demeanor, along with his splendid voice. 

The show also benefits from the fact that Earley and Capaldi go together as well as jam and bread. Their chemistry was even clear to my 8 year old daughter. She claims that once they danced together, she knew they were going to end up together even though she had never seen it. She also asked if they were married in real life. They have a harmonious chemistry in more ways than one.

It’s not only the von Trapp’s who are gifted musically. I’m not Catholic, but I might convert if it would mean getting to hear Mother Abbess (Christiane Noll) sing. There had to be some divine intervention to create such a miraculous sound. Noll’s singing of ‘Climb Ev’ry Mountain’ is powerful with her voice showing more range than in the Great Smokies. 

The strong ensemble is highlighted by the amusing and loyal Max Detweiler (Nicholas Rodriguez) and Elsa Schraeder (Kate Loprest), who aspires to marry the Captain, but has to…let it go. Also as Rolf Gruber, Ian Coursey delivers a tense scene in the final moments. Plus all the Nuns provide more glorious voices.

It goes without saying, but the music is clearly a major reason why ‘The Sound of Music’ is such a beloved show. There are of course some exceptions, but a lot of musicals have one, or maybe two to three songs that are well known by the audience and really resonates. The other songs, though sang exceptionally well, aren’t as familiar so don’t have the same effect. What makes this show so enjoyable is its like a greatest hits album. One song after another is a well liked tune that brings joy. The amazing voices in this production makes it an even more delightful experience. The entire cast gets my vote to be the entertainment for the Super Bowl halftime show. 

I also give credit to the backstage crew for all their tremendous efforts, particularly the sound effects during the thunder storm. The people around me were jumping in their seats from the booming thunder. All of the scenery/set design was well done, most impressive was the closing scene outside of the Abbey.

‘The Sound of Music’ is full of reasons why it’s such a favorite. I’ve seen it several times and for my daughter it was her first, we both thoroughly enjoyed it. Everyone else will feel the same way. There’s not many things everyone can agree on, 'The Sound of Music' is one of them.  

 The Sound of Music continues at The Schuster thru this Sunday, October 19.  

Click here for showtimes and to reserve tickets.

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