Melbourne was alive with The Sound of Music on Thursday night as the who’s who of the social elite came out for the opening night. With the thought of Julie Andrews prancing through hills conjuring up beautiful memories in my mind, I sat down delighted to see this long running show.
It was a packed house, with not an empty seat in sight, and as the opening number began and Amy Lehpamer showcased her beautiful vocal range as Maria, it really was quite the emotional spectacle. The Sound of Music tugs on those nostalgic heartstrings making it a favourite for all ages, even over five decades later.
The sets were fantastic and ingeniously tailored to each scene, and the costumes were very reminiscent of the original movie. The songs we know and love were sung throughout, along with a few new ones especially added for the musical. Amy Lehpamer’s portrayal of Maria as the fun and playful young woman so intrigued by the world came across marvellously, and she even had a few of Julie Andrew’s movements down pat.
My favourite song of the night was ‘So Long, Farewell’ sung by the Von Trapp children. They performed spectacularly, and had the audience truly thrilled. The storyline mostly stayed true to the original, although omitted Rolf’s betrayal at the end which I found slightly disappointing. Cameron Daddo was great as Captain Georg Von Trapp, and played the strict whistle blowing father well. I would have loved to see more of a build up between him and Maria though in regards to them falling in love. It seemed to happen all at once in the musical and then suddenly they were married. Definitely a little anticlimactic in parts.
All in all though it was a wonderful show for the entire family to enjoy. Sing along to your favourite songs and be introduced to a few new ones. There were some great scenes of comedy gold which will have you in hysterics, whilst most other scenes will ensure a grin is continually plastered on your face. A great revival of a movie that will forever live on in our hearts.
The Sound of Music plays at the Regent Theatre, Melbourne until the end of July, when it will perform seasons Festival Theatre in Adelaide and Crown Theatre in Perth later this year. For more info head here
The reviewer attended the performance on May 19.
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