"The Sound of Music," show #925

While many Golden Age musicals are reaching the end of their mainstream relevancy, The Sound of Music only grows in its urgency while wrapping its audiences in nostalgic tunes and a haunting-yet-heartwarming story. South Bay Musical Theatre continues their run of a wonderful production of this treasured title through October 18th, and it’s a production worthy for all who can appreciate captivating musical-theatre storytelling. 

Lauren D’Ambrosio and Brad Satterwhite lead the musical as Maria Rainer and Captain Georg von Trapp in such a manner that pays off in their earned chemistry and honoring of the small beats which pay off hugely. D’Ambrosio’s delightful tone and welcoming disposition are well-suited in the Rodgers and Hammerstein II’s score, especially when it comes to her turn at the title song, which showcases Maria’s innocent optimism on the life ahead of her and contentedness with each circumstance she finds favor in. Her leading of “My Favorite Things,” with Kama Belloni as Mother Abbess, is fun while serving as a beautiful bonding moment between the two. Satterwhite is a genial, still-waters-run-deep Captain, allowing everyone’s reaction to drive his action, and establishing his reputation without needing to overdo the sternness most Captains have. His warm embrace of his children in the reprise of the title song is a moment of emotional triumph, and Satterwhite capitalizes on this showing of the Captain’s tender side marvelously. However, it’s in “Edelweiss” where Satterwhite’s Captain truly pays off in a heartfelt farewell en route to embarking on the most difficult journey the von Trapps have to face.

(Lauren D'Ambrosio (Maria) and Brad Satterwhite (Capt. Georg von Trapp) with both casts of von Trapp children; Photo credit: Dave Lepori)

Belloni is a fantastic Abbess, pairing her strict-ish adherence to the rituals of the Church with her understanding and empathy for Maria. Her vocal performance in the Act One torch song, “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” is simply stellar. Jessica Whittemore and Mohamed Ismail deliver superb supporting performances as Elsa Schrader and Max Detweiler, the Captain’s two companions. The romantic, ambitious Elsa fits Whittemore’s delivery of the genuine, the sarcastic, and the heartfelt-hurt like a glove. Her voice is a shining contribution in the delightful “How Can Love Survive?” and in the politically divisive “No Way to Stop It,” where the differences between the three are glaringly declared. Ismail is a charming, charismatic Max, playing every endearing turn for the comedy while audiences still groan at his “playing both sides of the political coin” strategy that–expertly shown at the end of The Concert–doesn’t pay off in his favor. Coraline Christian and Jackson Velez do a fine job rounding out the supporting cast the juvenile love story, Liesl and Rolf in a well-sung, enjoyable “Sixteen Going on Seventeen.”

(Jessica Whittemore (Elsa), Brad Satterwhite (Capt. Georg von Trapp), and Mohamed Ismail (Max); Photo credit: Dave Lepori)

Opening night brought the Crisp Apple Strudel cast of the von Trapp children to stage, and what a terrific bunch they are. As a collective, the voices are sound, the personalities are exact, and the camaraderie they share is instantly recognized as they swiftly and genuinely accept Maria into the family as their governess. Walter M. Mayes has helmed a production--with assistant direction by Steve Alhoff--that is clipped in pacing while not shying away from moments where, truly, the music bonds relationships. His attention to the scene work invites audiences to appreciate how clever, astute, and convicting Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse’s script is, and how effectively it still lands for today’s audiences.

(L to R: Mandy Carmack (Sister Berthe), Erika Robertson (Sister Margaretta), Kama Belloni (Mother Abbess), and Miriam Stern (Sister Sophia); Photo credit: Dave Lepori)

Rachel Michelberg has provided excellent work as the vocal director, treating South Bay audiences to a wall of sound in the Nuns’ “Preludium,” “Morning Hymn,” and especially in act two’s “Confitemini Domino.” Mandy Carmack (Sister Berthe), Miriam Stern (Sister Sophia), and Erika Robertson (Sister Margaretta) are highlighted in both vocally superb and comically enjoyable fashion in “Maria” alongside Belloni. Don Nguyen’s projection design is a top-notch job in its beautiful landscapes and contextualizing location depictions, complementing Kisti Christensen’s inviting and serviceable set design. 

Shows like The Sound of Music sell quickly and largely, so if you haven’t done your part in ensuring you see one of this reviewer’s favorite things he’s seen all year, go to their website now and buy your ticket! The mountain of expectations a company must climb when producing this iconic title is not an easy one, but rest assured that South Bay Musical Theatre is providing a peak experience with this production.