Jill-Christine Wiley as Maria Rainer. Photo by Matthew Murphy
The hills are alive with music and it is time to climb every mountain! The beloved musical, The Sound of Music, arrived with great fanfare on Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre. The story of Maria and the von Trapp Family won the audience over with their magical renditions of My Favorite Things, Do-Re-Mi, Edelweiss and more.
The Sound of Music tells the story of Maria, a nun-in-training, who struggles with the strict rules of the nunnery. Sent off to be the governess of 7 children, Maria brings music, laughter and fun back into the von Trapp family. The looming war and the presence of Nazis in Austria cause the family to escape their beloved home and climb the mountains to Switzerland.
The emsemble cast were all stars. From the youngest Von Trapp children to the seasoned stage performers brought musical mastery and exceptional acting to the stage. Stand out moments for our family were: the purely golden note achieved by Frederick (played by Landon Brimacombe) during Farewell; the operatic supremacy of Mother Abess (played by Lauren Kidwell) during Climb Every Mountain; and the authentic interpretation of Maria by Jill-Christine Wiley. Julie Andrew’s Sound of Music played a big role in my childhood, so much so the VCR tape actually disintegrated from over use. I was a bit worried I would spend the entire performance anxiously comparing Ms Wiley’s portrayal to the beloved classic. But within a few moments of the curtain rising my concerns were laid to rest and I disappeared into the tear-inducing Broadway Across Canada production.
The Sound of Music:
Dates: September 12 – 17, 2017
Time: 2pm matinee & 8pm evening performances
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Address: 630 Hamilton Street, Vancouver
Website: www.BroadwayAcrossCanada.ca
