Leading the way is Ali Viterbi, a senior in her last role after a lifetime of work with J*Company. And she goes out in a big way, beginning with her opening tribute to music where she’s so genuinely caught up in nature’s symphony that she’s oblivious to all else, not even consciously aware that she’s singing, and certainly not consciously aware of the bells telling her that it’s time to be back at the convent. Ali has a lovely voice and a great personality – a youthful playfulness that works perfectly for Maria as she gets to know the children (the nuns and the captain’s servants aren’t quite so impressed with her playfulness). Her personality a sharp contrast to the initially stern and un-amused Captain von Trapp (Scott Peterson), a strict widower whose heart has to slowly get thawed once more by love before he can join in the family’s charming singing.

The kids are easier marks for Maria, getting sucked in with a fun music lesson of Do-Re-Mi, and are soon overcoming their thunderstorm phobia with a well-staged My Favorite Things and showing off all their excellent voices in So Long, Farewell and The Lonely Goatherd, including some impressive yodeling by little Gretl (Sierra Lieb), while the eldest, Liesl (Maddie Houts) is totally smitten with Rolf (Zachary Herzog) in a nicely sung and danced Sixteen Going on Seventeen.

There’s kind of a whimsical streak running through the whole production, including several new nun names like Sister Mary Amnesia, Sister Mary Peter, Sister Mary Paul, Sister Mary Mary, and Sister Mary Hartman Mary Hartman. All the sisters join together for a good (How Do You Solve a Problem Like) Maria. Baroness Schrader, the snooty rival for Captain von Trapp, is quirkier and funnier than usual, with Danielle Smotrich as the Baroness and Darien Sepulveda as shamelessly mooching friend and talent scout Max Detwiler teaming up for a fun and well-sung and seldom included How Can Love Survive? number. Even the Nazis are a little goofy here, with one losing his temper and getting scolded by his wife with, “Now, Frances, count to ten,” not to mention the totally over-the-top comical Admiral von Schreiber by Jonathan Edzant. Of course, there’s nothing whimsical about the Mother Abbess’s (Naomi McPherson) gorgeous and inspiring rendition of Climb Every Mountain. Though there’s definitely something whimsical about Sister Berthe (Kevin McRee) freaking out when she’s going through Maria’s getaway suitcase and comes across a honeymoon negligee!

Director Joey Landwehr has brought together a great team that makes the other aspects of the show shine, including great costumes by Lisa Forrest, some aesthetically pleasing sets by David Kievit who also lights up the sky in beautiful tones, and a spot-on orchestra led by Tim McKnight which backs up the many great voices in the show as they sing the songs of The Sound of Music.

Performs March 4 - 21, 2010

Photos by Daniel Baird

Rob Hopper
rob@nationalyouththeatre.com
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Executive Director
National Youth Arts

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