Image courtesy of Jeremy Daniel. Ashley Blanchet as Maria Rainer in The Sound of Music at Paper Mill Playhouse.
The holiday season is officially underway. Families around the globe are beginning to make travel arrangements for their much-needed reunions, dusting off old recipe books to impress house guests, and scrapping together money for last-minute gift exchanges. In the musical theater world, there’s an urgent demand for cozy productions to match the festive energy in the air. Several productions, including The Nutcracker, A Christmas Carol, and Fiddler On The Roof, have become synonymous with the holiday season. Still, none have quite had the crossover success as The Sound of Music.
Whether you’re a fan of the 1965 film adaptation starring actress Julie Andrews or the original 1959 Broadway production with Mary Martin, the story has stood the test of time. Tony Award-winning theatre Paper Mill Playhouse tapped the production as its sole holiday-centered featured program. Usually, the best practice is not to place all of your eggs in one basket. But in this case, having attended the production’s opening night, that bet paid off exponentially for the theatre hall. Paper Mill Playhouse's showing of The Sound of Music proved traditional doesn't have to mean stiff, diverse casting when handled with care, does more than just meet a quota, and audiences shouldn’t be placated when telling uncomfortable truths.
Due to its popularity as well as the creative restrictions it faces as a period piece, once you’ve seen The Sound of Music, it is quite easy for the production to lose its luster. However, Paper Mill Playhouse's showing proved traditional doesn't have to mean stiff. Anchored in the Catholic church, The Sound of Music’s cast did a stellar job creating a contrast from the rigid religious environment with pops of their whimsical personalities. Lead actress Ashley Blanchet (in the role of Maria Rainer) stole every scene she appeared in for this reason. Although Blanchet was clearly inspired by past portrayals, she fired off on all cylinders lifting the beloved figure to a charismatic new high. From her body language to her exaggerated mannerisms, Blanchet set the bar for all others to follow including supporting cast members Cáitlín Burke (in the role of Mother Abbess), Gavin Lee (in the role of Max Detweiler), and Tara Rajan (in the role of Brigitta von Trapp).
Image courtesy of Evan Zimmerman. Graham Rowat as Captain Georg von Trapp, Gavin Lee as Max Detweiler, Emily Borromeo as Elsa Schrader in The Sound of Music at Paper Mill Playhouse.
This cast, from feature to ensemble, maintained a dynamic that was hard not to become engulfed in. Each line spoken or sung was delivered with a crisp wit giving the piece a fresh facelift. This effort carried over into the production’s costumes. Costume designer Leon Dobkowski retained the cultural staples in each look while bringing them into modern times. Hair and wig designer Jimmy Goode did the same, with the exception of the von Trapp children, as their hair, for the most part, remained untouched. On the other hand, scenic coordinator Kelly James Tighe (original scene designer James Fouchard) didn’t get the memo. Tighe’s work was undeniably rustic. The von Trapp manor and the abbey’s staging were lifted straight out of an architecture textbook. Yet, the nature scene staging didn’t quite capture that same historic essence. At times, the nature scenes fell flat when the haze and smoke effects weren’t present to fill the gaps. The extended semicircle stage build-out was a fun statement that the audience enjoyed, however, in short the staging could’ve used some sprucing up.
Another traditional element of the production was the music. With the word, music, in the show’s title, the biggest burden fell on music director and conductor Meghann Zervoulis Bate as well as sound designer Sun Hee Kil. While Bate masterfully managed the orchestra’s delivery of the productions’ signature songs including “My Favorite Things,” “Edelweiss,” and “Climb Every Mountain”; Hil missed numerous audio cues to adjust the actors’ mic levels. Hil’s missteps may have gone unnoticed by casual theatergoers but to a seasoned attendee, this interrupted the otherwise seemingly flawless show. Overall, the production stayed true to its classic roots but added modern flairs where it could to help keep the audience engaged.
Image courtesy of Jeremy Daniel. Charlotte Sydney Harrington, Tara Rajan, Jacey Sink, Analise Scarpaci, Coleman Simmons, Cody Braverman, Austin Elle Fisher as the Von Trapp Children in The Sound of Music at Paper Mill Playhouse.
Paper Mill Playhouse's showing of The Sound of Music proved diverse casting, when handled with care, does more than just meet a quota. Diversity and inclusion have become hot buzzwords in the fight against glass ceilings in corporate work fields. However, the performing arts industry is not exempt from this call to action. Given the fact, The Sound of Music is based on true events, director Mark Hoebee would have been justified in casting for historical accuracy. Instead, Hoebee honed in on the production’s larger story, family, overcoming oppression, and the power of music to field the best possible actor for each role not just the best “insert racial descriptor here” actor. Enlisting the help of Nora Brennan Casting, Hoebee brought in a wide array of nationalities and ethnicities to star in the production.
Representation is a key aspect of historical storytelling. Without a doubt, stories centered around marginalized communities should be played by actors in those community. Logic says this rainbow mixture for a production about Austria during World War II shouldn’t work, but somehow, it does. The push for diversity isn’t just seen in the actors’ skin pigment but it was also heard in their singing voices. Blanchet’s singing felt like a warm hug on a cold winter night. Blanchet’s voice was comforting, reassuring, and safe. Blanchet’s vocal range mirrored the fullness of the production’s story. Lead actor Graham Rowat’s vocals were strong, firm, and unwavering just like his character Captain von Trapp. Contrastly, Coleman Simmons’ (in the role of Friedrich von Trapp) and Charlotte Sydney Harrington’s (in the role of Gretl von Trapp) higher octaves as well as their falsettos deliveried a loveable purity to cut through the production’s mature content. There were many gifted singers in this production, but no one was as technically talented as Cáitlín Burke. Burke’s vocals were guided, confident, and diligent. Burke belted out notes with such power and precision you couldn’t help but to be in awe of her vocal abilities. Hoebee’s gamble to be more inclusive with this piece paid off in more ways than one. Not only did the diverse character casting made the production more relatable but each actor casted brought a unique vocal tone to help elevate the story even further.
Image courtesy of Evan Zimmerman. Cáitlín Burke as Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music at Paper Mill Playhouse.
Paper Mill Playhouse's showing of The Sound of Music proved audiences should not be placated when telling uncomfortable truths. Despite the current political times, the production didn’t stire away from the white supremacy storyline. Although there were minor term omissions, the Nazi swastika made several appearance thoughout the production. Appearing in both the costuming as well as the overlay flag being flown behind the cast nearing the final scene, each time the symbol made an appearance, theatergoers visually flinched. The tension in the hall became thick enough to cut with a knife. This natural reaction emphasized the importance of being truthful to a story’s narrative. Critical race theory makes people uncomfortable. Oppression is not sexy. Times of war are not fun to recount. Still, dark truths shouldn’t be swept under the rug. Shining a light on humanity’s mistakes is the first step in restoring relationships. By not placating the audience, the production’s key themes the love of family, overcoming oppression, and the power of music were propelled to the forefront. Yes, these themes could have still be felt without the appearance of the Nazi swastika, but with that bitter symbol present, the sweet moments were that much more enjoyable.
Despite the long list of positives for this production, there are a few major negatives that need to be noted yet again. Sound designer Sun Hee Kil dropped the ball with their team’s multiple missed sound cues. With such dynamic voices on stage, audio leveling is crucial in the aid of the story being told. Also, scenic coordinator Kelly James Tighe left much to be desired with the set’s design. The staging had many peaks and valleys when it should have strung along on one high note. Lastly, to nitpick production stage manager Gary Mickelson had a minor flub when for a brief moment one of the backdrops got caught onto a curtain. Mickelson recovered quickly but it is worth noting. At no fault of the cast, this production of The Sound of Music received dings for technical carelessness rather than displays of talent.
Going into the production, you won’t expect much, especially if you are already familiar with the story. But director Mark Hoebee had something else in mind. The production’s lead actors, Ashley Blanchet, and Graham Rowat, were lighting in a bottle. Blanchet was the ying to Rowat’s yang. Supporting actors Cáitlín Burke, Gavin Lee, and Tara Rajan weren’t too far behind. Everything from the acting to the musicality, were perfect making it easy fall in love with the production all over again. Paper Mill Playhouse's showing of The Sound of Music proved traditional doesn't have to mean stiff, diverse casting when handled with care, does more than just meet a quota, and audiences should not be placated when telling uncomfortable truths. In conclusion, you may think you’ve seen, The Sound of Music, a time or two before. But you’ve never seen it quite like this.
The Sound of Music will be showing at Paper Mill Playhouse until new year day. To see it for yourself, click here to grab tickets. The show runs through January 1, 2023.
