Musical Theatre West’s splendiferously performed revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound Of Music makes it abundantly clear why the 1959 Broadway smash is a bona fide musical theater classic.

An all-around fabulous cast bring out the heart and soul of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse’s book, one that brings to song-filled life (if not necessarily 100% historical accuracy) the lives of Austria’s world-famous Trapp Family Singers, a nonet headed by patriarch Georg von Trapp (Jonathan von Mering) and his second wife Maria (Juliana Sloan), the latter of whom had initially joined the von Trapps as governess to the widowed Navy captain’s seven children, ages 5 to 16-going-on-17 in the year 1938.

Not that nun-in-training Maria had any intention of becoming a live-in teacher/caregiver when she entered the abbey, but that was before Mother Abbess (Sarah Wolter) came to wonder if the postulant deemed “a flibbertijibbet, a will-o’-the wisp, a clown” by Sisters Berthe (Cathy Newman), Margaretta (Jacqueline Dennis), and Sophia (Holly Santiago) might be better suited to life in the outside world.

And so Maria arrives at the von Trapp manor only to find one distant father and seven unhappy children seriously in need of The Sound Of Music.

Needless to say, it doesn’t take long for the children to be harmonizing to “Do-Re-Mi” and the heretofore by-the-book-(and-whistle) Captain to find himself smitten, much to the consternation of his millionairess lady friend (and wannabe fiancée) Elsa (Meghan Andrews) and Georg’s pragmatic pal Max (Brian Kim McCormick), who sees showbiz fame and fortune in the Trapp Family Singers’ future, that is provided he can convince Georg not to defy the Nazis in Austria-adjacent, soon-to-be-invading Germany.

All of this adds up to two and a half hours of romance (both adult and teenage), intrigue (both by the marriage-hungry Elsa and the Austria-hungry German Nazis), and above all some of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II’s most glorious songs.

Over the years (and in large part because of the musical’s G-rated 1965 movie adaptation and all those children and nuns), The Sound Of Music has gained somewhat of a reputation for being too sweet for its own good, but much like its fellow R&H classics Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, and The King & I, there is considerable depth lying beneath the “raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles” that are a few of Maria’s favorite things.

There’s a young woman about to discover that fate may have other plans for her than the future she thought she wanted, a man who has shut himself off from any sort of feeling, let alone love, and seven children forced to grow up too soon.

 Oh, and there are also those pesky Nazis, whose presence casts a dark shadow over the von Trapps’ future (and the second half of Act Two).

Director Wayne Brian does a generally topnotch job of bringing out the best in Hammerstein’s book, encouraging his cast to dig beneath the surface to give us richly three-dimensional characters, however he stages more than a few scenes and musical numbers so far upstage that even those seated up close may feel almost as if they’re in nosebleed seats.

There can be no quibbling whatsoever about Sloan’s incandescent, richly layered star turn as Maria, or the dashing figure cut by a sensational von Mering as her Captain von Handsome, and the sparks the duo ignite as are as palpable as their vocals are sublime.

Andrews’ Elsa is equal parts wry and glamorous opposite McCormick’s slickly charming Max, the pair making the most of the opportunity to sing two songs cut from the movie that are among R&H’s acerbic best, and Wolter’s Mother Abbess is as warm and wise as she is exquisitely voiced and statuesque.

Erin Dubrueil displays charm and grace as teenager-in-love Liesl opposite Brandon Keith Rogers’ heartthrobby Rolf, their “Sixteen Going On Seventeen” showing off the duo’s dance chops and Christine Negherbon’s engaging choreography.

Brennan Esguerra, Rachel Beard, Niles Gray, Bellamie Soleil Smith, Lola Buckland, and Blakely Amador* adeptly avoid child actorisms the younger von Trapps.

Newman, Dennis, and Santiago provide delightful support, SoCal treasure Newman switching from cranky to hospitable in dual roles that have her playing both Sister Berthe and von Trapp housekeeper Frau Schmidt, with Kevin Symons (Franz), Damon Kirsche (Herr Zeller), and Chuck Saculla (Baron Eberfeld and Admiral von Schreiber) completing the featured cast to fine effect.

Kudos too to ensemble members Danny Bernardo, Tucker Boggs, Katie Brown, Natalie Gissel, Eleen Hsu-Wentlandt, Adam Lendermon, Negherbon, and Robert C. Sciortino as friends, neighbors, and assorted guests.

Last but not least, the entire cast (including over a dozen bonus nuns** popping in to up the gloriousness of the harmonies) are accompanied by music director par excellence Dennis Castellano conducting the Musical Theatre West pit orchestra.

Rented*** sets (designed by Adam Koch) do the job, though not remarkably so. Paul Black lights them vibrantly as he does costume designer Deborah Roberts’ rented*** period-and-religious wear. Julie Ferrin’s sound design is crystal-clear as always in a production design completed by Steve Banneck (properties) and Anthony Gagliardi (wigs).

Kevin Clowes is technical director. Catt Fox-Uruburu is production coordinator. Jill Gold is stage manager and Gillian Lelchuk is assistant stage manager. Bren Thor is associate producer.

Musical Theatre West could not have picked a more surefire box office draw than The Sound Of Music to conclude their 2023 season. Audiences of all ages can rejoice that not only have they revived Rodgers & Hammerstein’s enduring classic, they’ve done it the justice it deserves.

*Alternating performances with these “Eidelweiss Cast” members are “Do-Re-Mi Cast” members Josh Protzmann, Adrienne Amanda Morrow, Brady Barrett, Maisie Magdalen Oliveros, Abigail Barnaby, and Becca Last.

**Briana Bonilla, Lauren Han, Rachel Holbrook, Lisamarie Jenkin, Jennifer Kersey, Ashleigh Kovach, Andrea Lara, Brianna Liddi, Brook Lord, Mikki Pagdonsolan, Gabrielle Tresler, Joy Weiser, and Taj Young

***Costumes and scenery provided by Music Theatre Wichita.

Musical Theatre West, Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center, 6200 Atherton St., Long Beach.
www.musical.org

–Steven Stanley
October 21, 2023
Photos 1, 3, 5, 13: Caught In The Moment Photography
All other photos: Promotional video screencaps

Tags: Howard Lindsay, Los Angeles Theater Review, Musical Theatre West, Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers, Russel Crouse