Am affectionate rendition made magical by an outstanding superfluity of nuns, and a majestic Debora Ruiz-Kordova.
📍Festival Theatre, Edinburgh
📅 Tue 6 to Sat 10 Sep
🕖 7:30pm
🕖 Running time (approx.): 2 hours 4 minutes (includes interval)
🎬 Director: Quintin Young
🎶 Musical Director: Tommie Travers
🎶 Assistant Musical Director: Louise Williamson
✏️ Book: Oscar Hammerstein II
🎵 Composer: Richard Rodgers
🎂 Parental Discretion
🎭 Wheelchair Accessible Venue, Wheelchair Accessible Toilet, Audio Enhancement Assistance Dogs Welcome
Celebrating 125th year, Edinburgh’s oldest amateur theatre company, Southern Light, bring The Sound of Music, the final musical from the legendary Rodgers & Hammerstein. The first thing a theatre goer need to know is that the Tony winning musical, and its Oscar winning adaptation are by no means identical. Whilst both remain inspired by the true story of Austrian Maria von Trapp (née Kutschera), convent postulant seconded as governess to the widowed Captain von Trapp’s (John Bruce) children, they approach their subject rather differently, as you shall see.
Both would, of course fail if their ‘Marias’ were unequal to the role, and fortunately Cathy Geddie has just the saintly precocity required, and most critically, a sweet voice. However, before Maria takes the stage, Southern Light weave a tremendous spell thanks to their convent choir, led by Mother Abess (Debora Ruiz-Kordova). The mostly acapella opening is absolutely sensational, setting the rule for the evening’s entertainments: the central story is fun, but its the nuns that make it something else.
For the unimitated, The Sound of Music is a story of love in a time of impending war, to be particular, the Second World War. Austria will soon be annexed by Nazi Germany, but not before Maria has won the hearts of first the seven children, then the Captain, thus upsetting the marriage plans of rival Baroness Elsa Schraeder (Elspeth Whyte). Maria’s not so secret weapon? Music. By the time she’s finished she’s transformed the one regimented, silent household into a lean mean singing machine.
Indeed there’s a song for most occasions, from ‘Raindrops on Roses’ to cheer one up when down, to ‘Do-Re-Mi’ when teaching the children to sing. It’s all very tuneful, and highly cheerful.
Now, in the movie, the love story twixt would-be nun, and widowed naval officer is winningly, and touchingly displayed on screen. In the musical, it mostly happens off stage, and whilst both will reach their apotheosis with a dance , the musical does less to earn it. Indeed it’s down to one of the children to inform Maria, and thus the audience, that the two have in fact fallen in love without noticing it.
More consistent twixt film and stage is the teenage romance between Liesl (Jessica Lyall), and mail boy, soon to be Hitler Youth Rolf (Ruben Binney). Their ‘Sixteen going on Seventeen’ is sweet, and playful, and benefits well from Lyall’s dance training.
Further, the much reduced narrative does free up more time and space for yet more members of the cast to get a song in. Yes, in the musical both The Baroness, and music impresario Max Detweiler (Zorbey Turkalp) share a pair of songs. Mostly expository numbers, ‘How Can Love Survive’, and ‘No Way to Stop it’ first explain why a pairing twixt Captain and Baroness is doomed due to mutual wealth, and then why you really shouldn’t defy the Nazi’s for the sake of self-interest. Despite dashing attempts by all involved, these are somewhat throwaway numbers, and one can see why they didn’t make it to celluloid.
The unquestionable highlight of this production, however, arrives with the first notes of ‘Climb Ev’ry Mountain’, her clarion call for Maria to overcome every obstacle in pursuit of a dream to love. It’s a notoriously difficult song to perform, demanding a soprano range beyond most professionals, never mind amateurs. Thus when Debora Ruiz-Kordova steps forward and absolutely smashes the inspirational number, it is very literally a most rare, and special delight.
The Company take us all into Nazi-annexed Austria after the intermission, and it’s unlikely the Festival Theatre has ever seen quite so many swastikas (at least one hopes as much). The finely tuned Family Von Trapp are off to a singing contest thanks to Uncle Max, and their last chance to bid for their freedom before the Nazis force The Captain into service.
It’s stirring stuff, and no review would be complete without saying bravo to the cast behind the children: Friedrich – Kian Gillon, Louisa – Maria McDonald, Kurt – Nathan Fisher, Brigitta– Martha Broderick, Marta – Florrie Snell, and Gretl – Alice Taylor. The acquit themselves beautifully, a believable family unit, with particularly splendid vocals from Broderick, and an a resolutely adorable turn from the littlest, Taylor.
The search for the fleeing Von Trapps is a bunch of fun, and search lights and brown shirts hunt through the auditorium with much vim. In case you’re worried that the musical has a different, more depressing ending, you need not fear. The survival of the real life family ensures that all endings must be happy ones (Unlike a policeman’s lot, just to mix composers.)
What you really need to know, however, is that the nuns will return twice through ought the second act, to fill the auditorium with a ridiculously glorious noise, and that they, not the central cast have the last word on the entire shebang! Movie fans will by now have noticed many more differences from the movie, but in truth, it’s quite nice to be surprised with an Intellectual Property you feel intimately familiar with, so enjoy it!
Director Quintin Young has certainly put together a fulsome production, and one which nips along at a fine wee pace. Tommie Travers must be congratulated for his work with the nuns, and of course the rest of the cast, and the amateur orchestra who produce an affectionate sound, strong through the woodwinds, and brass, if a little vaudevillian in the strings. The Sound of Music from Southern Light is a fine way to mark a 125th year, here’s to 125 more!
(Featured Image Credit: Southern Light)
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