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Sound of Music plays to capacity MSS crowd by Mary Haskill The Sound of Music was staged last week by the students of Midland Secon- dary School, Wednesday through Saturday. Each night the capacity audience rewarded their efforts with an enthusiastic and prolong- ed standing ovation. Direc- tor Chris Thomson can be proud of them and deserves a bit of applause himself. Their success was even more commendable when you consider that almost everyone present had seen the well-loved Rogers and Hammerstein musical over and over. It took a top notch and finely paced perfor- mance to hold an audience as enthralled and involved as were the people last week. The strong opening helped. After a _ mini- travalogue using slides of Austria, its mountains and meadows, and a close-up of the central character Maria, the spotlight shifted to Maria, live, on stage, her hands filled with meadow flowers. Then the auditorium hushed as the nuns and postulants of Nonnberg Ab- bey filed down the aisle in solemn candlelit procession, their unaccompanied voices lifted in praise. The reverent mood held as the curtain opened on the Ab- bey and the nuns entered for Vespers. Then the Mother Abbess (Sarah Walker) and Sisters Berthe, Margaretta and Sophia (Susan Ferguson, Gillian Capps and Leslie Todd) have a heart to heart talk about Maria. Alas -- she was not where she should be. Again. Their con- cern is an introduction to the dedicated but exuberant young postulant around whom the real life story of the von Trapp family is cen- tred. To allow time to think about her vocation, Maria is sent to serve as governess to the motherless von Trapp children. The year is 1938, just before the German oc- cupation of Austria. Sarah Walker and the three senior nuns achieved a maturity of manner that made one forget they were teenagers decked out in coifs and habits. The solo Climb Every Mountain is a challenge to any vocalist. Sarah Walker was equal to the challenge. When the last note fell there were sighs of appreciation throughout the crowd. Vera Armstrong was completely charming in the demanding role of Maria. She was on stage most of the time and called upon to be naive and scatterbrained and, at the same time, sug- gest the strength that came out in the time of crisis when she led her family over the mountains to safe- ty. Julie Andrews is perhaps the most famous of all who have played Maria but after last week, a lot of people like Vera Armstrong too. Allan Langlois was well cast as Captain Georg von Trapp, the navy man disciplined not to show emo- tion. His stiff restrained style throughout made it even more poignant when he choked and couldn't go on singing Edelweiss in farewell to his beloved Austria. And then there were the von Trapp children -- all seven of them! Awkward, rambunctious and lovable, they were, in order, Liesl (Jenny Giles), Friederich (Kevin Busch), Louisa (Paula Meridis), Brigitta (Corry Nicholls), Marta (Kim Brewster), Gretl (Jean Tilson) and little Kurt (Kyle Naylor). If the nuns were called upon for maturity beyond their years, these students had to put their teen dignity aside and be kids again. They did it with spirit and energy and must've had as much fun as the people out front. They conveyed a feeling of family that strengthened their per- formance. And their sing- ing? Some of the best Coll yh ie AW "BEST OF THE BOOKS" SALE numbers in the show. The smaller roles were equally effective, like the quietly deferent way John Sallows and Katharina Kubetz played the servants Franz and Frau Schmidt. Or Bill Kelly who brought out so clearly the conflict of 17-year-old. Rolf Gruber with his love for Liesl and his newfound importance with the Nazis. Jennifer McCallum was Elsa Schraeder, the glamorous lady who had her cap set for Capt von Trapp. It is not easy for a beautiful girl like Jennifer to play an unsympathetic character so well that when she takes her leave nobody cares. Tim Anderson played Max Detweiler, the devious promoter who played all the angles and, to his credit, managed to do it to the benefit of all concerned. Tim had the mannerisms and gestures of his character down pat. Other small but effective roles involved the guests of a party at the von Trapp villa which served as a turn- ing point in the drama. If these guests seemed awkward and uncomfor- table, it was exactly what the script called for. In perfectly natural conversa- tion their well delivered lines pointed up the ominous threat that hung over the gathering and the country. I have seen other productions where this scene did not work as well. Herr and Frau Zeller were played by Dun- can Leroux and Onalea Jackson, Baron and Baroness Elderfield by Paul Bertram and Wendy Webster, and another cou- ple, unnamed, by Tricia Bertram and Allan Ruttan. Scott Williamson played Admiral Von Schreiber of the German Navy accom- panied by his. Nazi guard (Brad Cook). Schreiber was splendidly menacing in gold braid. The guard had little to do except to look officious and 'Heil!' at appropriate times. Small and unsym- Mayfair Wallcoverings more style for your money 30% OFF BOOK PRICES LIMITED TIME OFFER -- CHECK STORE SALE DATES LAMERS = 313 King St. 526-7411 Midland Town Centre PAINT & WALLPAPER Mountainview Mall 526-5511 pathetic roles but played to perfection. Darren Todd's small bit as the priest at the wedding of Maria and von Trapp was dignified. The wedding was lovely. The entire von Trapp family escorted Maria down the aisle ac- companied by the nuns from the Abbey. It was beautiful and exciting and I was sur- prised when we didn't stand up as the bride walked by. Karen Steffen, Wendy Gostick and Sherry Olimer had a nice camped-up bit as contest winners at the music festival and provided needed relief as we waited to see if the von Trapps Can we talk 31). 1986. would escape or not. The smallest role of all fell to Susan Leggett as a new postulant. She made the most of her second or two on stage, showing by walk and posture the hesitance of a young girl taking such an important step in life. Of course, all the forego- ing would be nothing without music. The songs of the Sound of Music have become a part of our culture. Mrs. McCullough and her pit band made the evening complete. 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