‘The Sound of Music’ soars and satisfies

It’s rare for a large musical production to offer uniformly good performances, but such is the case with Cinnabar Theater’s “The Sound of Music.” For a thoroughly entertaining evening out, this well-mounted production checks all the boxes.

In case you’ve somehow managed to live your life without seeing either the movie or the Rodgers and Hammerstein stage musical, “The Sound of Music” tells the tale of Maria, a young novice who assumes the position of governess to the von Trapp family. Captain von Trapp, a grieving widower and father of seven, runs the household with military precision while his children yearn for his affection. Warmhearted Maria metaphorically flings open the windows to let in the sunshine, and in doing so finds her own happiness. Set in Salzburg in 1938, the story is shadowed by the impending takeover of Austria by Germany.

Almost everything about this production is pleasing.

The show demands a lot from its younger performers, who are on stage for a considerable amount of time. On the evening I attended, the von Trapp children were performed by Olivia Manz, Tyler Ono, Cecilia Brenner, Molly Belle Hart, Beckett Hepp, Dareia Cummings and Rosie Pagano. All seven brought an abundance of singing, dancing and acting talents, overlaid with a beguiling charm that never grew tiresome. Nico Alva should also be included in this list for his performance as Rolf, the young man of “17 going on 18” who sings a sweet, playful duet with Olivia Manz as Liesl before turning against the family.

Among the host of talented adults here, Brittany Law as Maria shines. Law is perfectly cast, and more than a little reminiscent of Julie Andrews in her ability to radiate that “sunbeam” quality that lights up the stage. Her joyful singing is infectious for her new pupils and for the audience too.

As Captain von Trapp, Trevor Hoffmann combines a great deal of quiet charm – clearly a family trait - with an attractive layer of vulnerability, suggesting that his parenting style stems from his inability to imagine any other way, rather than because he is naturally a stern disciplinarian. When he sings “Edelweiss” in the final act, his light but absolutely precise vocals give the song all its necessary poignancy.

Daphne Cummings as the Mother Abbess also hits all the right notes, especially in her solo “Climb Ev’ry Mountain.” She’s well supported by an ensemble of harmonious nuns (Monica Rose Slater, Karen Miles, Michelle Pagano) whose rendition of “Maria” is one of the show’s many highlights.

If you are familiar only with the movie version, the musical offers some additional treats, including an entertaining scene between the seductive Baroness Elsa Schraeder (Molly Larsen-Shine) and the cheerfully scheming Max Detweiller (Christian Arteaga). Among the other accomplished performances, Mike Schaeffer as the terrifying gestapo officer wins the acting award (if there is one, and there should be) for being most able to pour a bucket of ice cold water onto a party.

Donnie Frank deserves a special shout-out for costume design. I lost count of the many changes of costume and can only imagine how many hands were required to make light work of them all. The set (designed by Brian Watson) was effective, although set transitions, while speedy, seemed to require armies of people and could perhaps have been simplified. An unseen 5-piece orchestra provided excellent accompaniment under the music direction of Lucas Sherman. Director Zachary Hasbany kept the pace lively, assisted by Bridget Condoni’s exemplary choreography that maximizes the use of a relatively small stage for a cast of this size.

Musicals can be beasts to pull together because there are so many moving parts. Successful productions like this one are the result of a truly collaborative effort by the cast, the musicians and the production team, and although for reasons of copy space not everyone involved with this production is named in this review, they all deserve an honorary mention.

This show is already sold out, but if you can snag a ticket on the waiting list, I urge you to do so. There is much in the world that needs redressing right now, but we all need a night off sometimes. “The Sound of Music” is the perfect antidote to everything that stresses us.