May 6-8, 2005
Cordier Auditorium
Debra Lynn and Suzanne Gindin, Directors
Cast List | ||||
Captain Georg von Trapp | Andrew Haff + | |||
Maria Rainer, a postulant at Nonnberg Abbey | Amanda Myers-Walls | |||
Max Detweiller | Michael S. Raymond | |||
Elsa Schraeder | Amy Hoffman + | |||
The Mother Abbess | Debbie Chinworth | |||
Frau Schmidt, the housekeeper | Sally Forrester Rich | |||
Liesl von Trapp, age 16 | Rachel McFadden + | |||
Friedrich von Trapp, age 14 | Katy Merriman | |||
Louisa von Trapp, age 13 | Piper Tobias + | |||
Kurt von Trapp, age 10 | Bryce Pyrah | |||
Brigitta von Trapp, age 9 | Katy Stuart | |||
Marta von Trapp, age 7 | Brooke Pratt | |||
Gretl von Trapp, age 5 | Rachel Chapman | |||
Rolf Gruber | Joe L. Gibble-Keenan + | |||
Franz, the butler | Gary Robison | |||
Herr Zeller | Torrance Dean + | |||
Sister Margaretta, mistress of the postulants | Myra Martin-Adkins + | |||
Sister Berthe, mistress of the novices | Gina Voelz | |||
Sister Sophia | Renée McFadden | |||
Ursula | Kristen Lahman | |||
Admiral von Schreiber | Cameron Hollenberg + | |||
Baron Elberfeld | Will Myers | |||
Frau Zeller | Allison Hoover + | |||
Baroness Elberfeld | Caitlin Haynes + | |||
Frau Schwieger | Jaina Alexander | |||
Program Notes by James R. C. Adams |
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Music by Richard Rodgers (1902-1979) Libretto by Oscar Hammerstein II (1895-1960) |
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What can one say about The Sound of Music? At its debut, Time magazine quipped, "It doesn't sound like music." But then, Time's reaction to I Am a Camera was "No Leica." When faced with a choice between a clever jab and an honest reaction to a production, Time sometimes opts for witty superficiality. The Sound of Music was a tremendous success, both as a stage production, and later as a film. The story stems from an autobiography of Maria von Trapp, which was made into a German movie called Die Trapp-Familie, so successful that it was followed by Die Trapp-Familie in Amerika. It was referred to as a musical, but no new music was written for it. Instead, traditional Austrian songs, regularly sung by the Trapp family when on tour, were integrated into the movie. By the time the film was released, the family had ended its career as a singing group, but their fame was increased. Broadway star Mary Martin was impressed enough by the film to urge Rodgers and Hammerstein to turn it into a stage production, but with original music. The rest, as they say, is history. Of course the actual story of the Trapp family had to be altered for dramatic effect. It is true that Maria had intended to become a nun, but was not suited to that, and instead, was sent to the home of Baron von Trapp, a retired captain, to be governess of his seven children. His wife had died some time before, and he had become somewhat estranged from his children. Soon, Maria had enlivened the home, and she and the Baron were married. That much is true. But the Baron was not wealthy, and the family had to earn its living with musical tours. They were quite successful in Austria before the arrival of the Nazis. They did escape after the Anschluss, when Hitler annexed Austria to Germany, but not in such a dramatic fashion as in the stage production or the film. In the earlier Broadway version, when the young rolf, now a member of the Nazy Youth Movement, is patrolling with a group of soldiers and discovers the refugees hiding in the Abby courtyard, he starts to betray them. But when he realizes Liesl is among them, he shouts that nobody is there. In the film, there is a confrontation between him and the Baron, who takes his gun. Some songs from the stage production were omitted from the film. Also, the arrangement of songs was changed to take advantage of the freedom of film compared to the stage. For example, the dramatic aerial shot of Maria running across an alpine meadow at the beginning of the film could not have been duplicated on stage. After escaping from Austria to Italy, the von Trapps continued touring there, and finally came to the United States, where they settled in Vermont. Their large inn there looks alpine, and the landscape is similar to what was shown in the film version. The von trapps not only found a welcome in Vermont, but almost a replica of their home in Austria. |
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Manchester Symphony Orchestra Personnel |
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Violin I Linda Kanzawa, Concertmaster Linda Kummernuss Jessie Sark Violin II Joyce Dubach Martha Barker Katherine Schreck +^ Viola Naida MacDermid Julie Sadler Cello Brook Bennett Tyler Houlihan + Jason Ney Sarah Reed +^ Bass Darrel Fiene George Scheerer Flute Kathy Urbani Barb Pyrah Jena Eichenlaub + Sara Kauffman + Oboe/English Horn George Donner Clarinet Lila D. Hammer Mark W. Huntington |
Bassoon Erich Zummack Amy Eager +^ Horn Nancy Bremer Brittany Cook + Trumpet Steven Hammer * Jason Lucker Brent Watts Trombone Jon Hartman * Tuba Ali Bever + William DeWitt Percussion Drew Cox Harp Maryanne Meyer Guitar Joe L. Gibble-Keenan + * Denotes principal + Denotes MC student ^ Denotes Keister Scholarship recipient |