The singing shines in The Sound of Music

A year ago the CBC held a reality show competition called "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" which was based on a similar show in Britain and was all about finding the lead role for the Canadian production of The Sound of Music.

Now I didn't really want to watch the show but I watched it because one of the contestant Jayme Armstrong was from my hometown Richmond, BC but I couldn't really vote for her because she gradutated from my rival high school, Steveston (I graduated from Richmond High - GO COLTS!!!!)

Anyways, as the show progressed, I became a fan of Elicia MacKenzie, also a fellow BCer, and by the season finale of the show, I thought she was awesome and way better than the front runner, Janna Polzin.

And I usually never, ever vote for reality shows like this. For the entire run, I never voted on the show, but I felt compelled to vote for the deciding one, the episode that would choose Maria.

Because Janna was the obvious favourite, I didn't want it to happen (she didn't exude the tomboy quality that Elicia did for Maria) so as soon as the episode was over, I was on the phone voting several times that night. I can't remember how many times I voted but vote I did.

When the finale episode aired and when they were just about to announce the winner, I was waiting for it to be Janna and was shocked that Elicia won. For some reason, I like to believe that my votes were the deciding ones and that I helped her get the role that she so richly deserved.

See Elicia's winning moment here:


So when I got invited to a wedding in Toronto this year (2009) I knew that one of the things I wanted to while in town was to see The Sound of Music and with Elicia in the title role and not Janna who was named as her alternate (performing on Wednesday evenings and Saturday matinees)



Tonight, August 27, 2009 I finally saw The Sound of Music. First of all, the sets were marvelous. I love the opening scene, after the nuns do their processional along the aisle and we see Maria on the hilltop. That is an amazing piece of scenery and boom right off the bat Elicia wows with the title song.



The nuns were fantastic, in particular the Mother Abbess (I got the understudy Marianne Bindig). Her voice soars when she sings Climb Every Mountain. The other nuns like Sister Margaretta (Mary Ellen Mahoney) provide the comic relief.



All the Von Trapp children were good but the standout was the little girl who played Gretl (Natali Ioffe). She was so adorable in every scene she was in and darn right cute when she sang So, Long Farewell both times.



I got the understudy for Liesl (Anwyn Musico) and she was good as Liesl singing wise, acting-wise not so much. Her love interest Rolf (also understudy Louie Rossetti) wasn't as good in both categories.



Burke Moses made for a very handsome Captain Von Trapp. I particular enjoyed him in his naval uniform when he married Maria. His singing was also first rate especially when he sang Edelweiss.



Now, if there was one small complaint I have about this production it is the acting of Ms. MacKenzie. It was just okay. I was not prepared for her to have a sort of British accent and at times it did sound like she was trying to be Julie Andrews but as the show went on, I think her acting improved which is suprising since she has been doing the show for so long.



MacKenzie truly is a superstar during all the muscial acts. She is so warm and loveable when singing Do-Re-Mi, My Favourite Things and The Lonely Goatherd that you completely understand why the children and the Captain fall in love with her that you fall for her too.



Of course this is a stage play and people tend to forget that The Sound of Music was originally a stage show and not a movie first. I know that Julie Andrews will always be Maria to everyone, she is Maria to me but you got to let that go and also don't complain how the stage show doesn't follow the film. I overheard people saying the didn't know a coupld of the songs and said that they were added to the stage show but in reality they were removed from the film because they just didn't fit. Now one thing that subsequent stage productions have done since the movie is include the two songs that were written specifically for the film: I Have Confidence and Something Good (which replaced Ordinary Couple and Richard Rogers was okay with that since he didn't like that song to begin with). The songs do blend seamless into the stage shows so I am glad they are in there.



Also, the order of the songs is not as they appear in the film for instance, the Mother Abbess sings My Favourite Things to Maria just before she leaves the abbey instead of Maria singing it to the children because they are scared of the storm (she sings Lonely Goatherd instead). I was lucky that I saw the Stratford Festival do the Sound of Music (starring Cynthia Dale) back in 2001 so I was prepared for this production to be different from the film.


What else to say, I mentioned the sets, they were indeed gorgeous. If you check out the video below, you will get a glimpse of what I am talking about. The Von Trapp house is pretty impressive and the costumes too were beautiful in particular Maria's wedding gown. I am lucky that I brought binoculars so I get to see some of the action up close (I was seated in the second to last row in the orchestra of The Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto).




Another thing is when you are sitting that far back it is hard to get a sense of the chemistry between Maria and the Captain. On film, I felt that Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer had awesome chemistry but I couldn't really feel it between MacKenzie and Moses but I like to blame it on my seat, because if I were closer and could see their faces and emotions, I might have felt something. Although, I think I felt some chemistry during the Landler. I love that scene in the movie and I think I felt a bit of chemistry between McKenzie and Moses during that scene. When I looked at the two of them with my binoculars, you could see a little something between them.



I have heard from people that the stage version rushes their courtship and I do agree. It is a bit quick but in a movie you can take your time to evolve that. Also rushed was the end scene when the Nazis are searching for the Von Trapps at the Abbey was also truncated and less dramatic as Rolf, who finds them, just says no one is there. No confrontation with the Captain as was in the film.


But I did love the end when they climbed the mountain, again kudos to the sets.



We all gave a standing ovation in the end, especially when Bindig came on but it really got going when MacKenzie came on. She really did deserve it, like I said, her singing was the definite highlight. I am so glad that I voted for her.