These Hills are Truly Alive with “The Sound of Music” Lovingly Presented by the Grand Theatre London – front mezz junkies, Theater News

The Ontario Theatre Review: The Grand Theatre’s The Sound of Music

By Ross

It’s been a few days since we celebrated Christmas in my hometown of London, Ontario, and sadly, I must report that I wasn’t able to get all of my yearly holiday film viewings in. I didn’t get to watch “It’s a Wonderful Life“, “A Christmas Story“, the animated short, “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas“, or even “The Sound of Music“. A devastating admission, I know, and one I’ll have to deal better with next year. Luckily for me, The Grand Theatre London was presenting a lovely, warm, and smartly produced version of this classic tale, directed with a clever sense of understanding by Rachel Peake (Arts Club’s Sense and Sensibility). It’s the sweetest and smartest family-focused musical formula made epic by Julie Andrews and the Robert Wise-directed 1965 film, and I felt very blessed to be able to swing in just before it closed to hear and witness The Sound of Music as presented by the Grand.

After one of the more charmingly written introductions and land acknowledgments I’ve heard in a long time, specifically written to embrace all that is The Sound of Music, this captivating musical, with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse, finds its magical formula quite quickly, with a young woman, Marie, this time around embodied by the beautifully voiced Dominique Leblanc (Segal Centre’s April Fools), in search of a place of peace, harmony, and safe loving engagement. But let’s start at the very beginning, which they tell me, is a very good place to start.

The church bells ring true as the curtain rises, presenting us all with a cluster of harmonious nuns backed by a well-crafted Church structure, beautifully created by set and lighting designer Lorenzo Savoini (Stratford’s London Assurance). It’s a soulful angelic start giving a clear spiritual grounding to one of the most cherished family musicals of our time. It tells us that we must “climb every mountain and search high and low” if we are to find that special connecting place where we can fully be the person we are meant to be. And it doesn’t hurt that along that way we will be presented with song after gorgeous song delivered beautifully by a cast of solid pros, costumed most lovingly by the talented Jessica Oostergo (Studio 58’s A Chorus Line).

It’s a well-known story, suggested by “The Trapp Family Singers” by Maria Augusta Trapp, of a young postulant, the gentle and loving Maria, sent away from the Nonnberg Abbey to find a deeper understanding of her faith and future. Mother Abbess, played powerfully by Janelle Cooper (Shaw’s The Amen Corner), sends Maria, not in punishment but with a heart full of grace and care, to be the governess of seven spirited children, made unruly by the stern disregard of their strong-willed father, Captain von Trapp. Played strongly by Adam Stevenson (Stage West’s Spamalot), we can see that he’s a good man, under all that firmness, sternly mourning the loss of his wife and having difficulty looking into the future with any sense of joy or abandonment. Until Maria comes into the picture, of course, bringing music and laughter back into a house where it has been basically banned since the passing of the Captain’s wife.

It all takes place in Austria, with the powerful and frightening Nazi-controlled Germany quickly approaching, ready to seize control of the Captain’s beloved country. Beyond that, I’m sure you all know the story, about the innocent Maria falling in love with the Captain, and he, falling equally in love with her, prompting a jealous response from his fiancée, the beautiful and glamorous Baroness Elsa Schraeder, portrayed elegantly by Heather McGuigan (Stratford’s Spamalot) – even though she doesn’t get to utter that famous line from the film about Maria’s future as a nun. But it’s all gorgeously rendered here on the Grand Theatre stage, thanks to the absolutely lovely performance of Leblanc’s Maria, that brings heavenly wholesomeness to the part, backed by the solid work of Savoini’s design that elegantly encapsulates the luxurious locals and settings for this tale to play out. The whole thing is fluid and thoughtful, playing well with all of our strongly held remembrances of the famed film version and giving us wonderful new memories to hold onto.

The differences though do jump out, like the different placements of the iconic songs; “My Favorite Things” and “The Lonely Goatherd“, sweetly choreographed by Ainsley Hillyard (Citadel’s Almost a Full Moon), and the additions of other songs, like the well-presented “How Can Love Survive?” and “No Way to Stop It“, engagingly performed by McGuigan’s Elsa, Stevenson’s Captain, and Max, nicely embodied by Andrew Hodwitz (StageWest’s Fiddler on the Roof), which were dropped for the more cinematic narrative of the film. The Rodgers and Hammerstein songs, beautifully delivered here by music director Alexandra Kane (Grand’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), find their footing with this most excellent cast, including the two different companies of young children who play the famed Trapp Family Singers; the Warm Woolen Mittens (the young cast I saw) and the Crisp Apple Strudel casts. And let’s not forget the thoughtful and distinct performance of Éamon Stocks (Drayton’s The Prom), as the bicycle messenger Rolf, who’s smitten strongly by the charming Liesl, lovingly portrayed by Crystal Casera (Mansfield’s The Spongebob Musical). Liesl’s headstrong rebellion that quickly softens to friendship with Maria is touching and honest, as is her naive flirtation with the handsome and well-presented Rolf. Thanks, Rolf for not blowing this whistle on them this time around.

When the Nazi swastikas flank the stage in Act Two, we are reminded of the weight that lies inside The Sound of Music. Stevenson gives us the solid force that is required to hold this ship together, and his softening because of Maria and her music is as touchingly performed as humanly possible. Also, his rendition of “Edelweiss” brought forth the required lump into my throat, especially when Leblanc’s gorgeously voiced Maria steps in to help him get to the end of the song when the emotions start to take over in the once-stoic Captain.

Cooper’s Act One closer, “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” is as powerfully done as one could possibly hope for, and even though she presents a Mother Superior who might be a bit too huggy for that time and place, her emotional cadence is warmly felt by all, including that band of lovely voiced nuns: Crystal Casers, Janelle Cooper, Megan Dallan, donna Garner, Alyssa LeClair, McGuigan, and Annie Ramos, who do their roles beautifully.

Strong morals and the courage to stand up for what one believes in are the key foundations of the solid ship that is The Sound of Music, a framing we most definitely need right now as we watch our world shift uncomfortably under our very feet. What is about to happen in America next month, courtesy of that orange monster and his tyrannical proclivities, can not be ignored or disregarded, and we Canadians have to realize that our country is not as safe from him and this way of thinking as we would like to believe. I know that might sound strong or too boldly alarmist, but the one thing this musical points out quite brilliantly is how quickly things can shift, and what we might have to confront if we want to hold on to the things we hold dear in our hearts and in our country. That’s the strength of this Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, and as presented here at the Grand Theatre London, we have to thank the theatre gods for delivering us such a well-wrapped present.

The Sound of Music ran at the Grand Theatre until December 29. For more information on The Grand Theatre and its upcoming productions, click here.