A Utah Theater Review by B.J. Wright
On the evening of Saturday, August 11 I had the pleasure of attending the Saratoga Springs Art Council’s production of The Sound of Music. I was initially worried about the time it would take to travel all the way out to Saratoga Springs, but wanted to support this brand new addition to Utah community theater, so I made the trek. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Vista Heights Middle School, where the play is being held, is only a 10-minute drive west of the American Fork Main Street exit. When you go to see this play remember that Vista Heights Middle School is the second school on Pony Express Drive, or you’ll end up at Westlake High School as I almost did.
The theater at Vista Heights is very nice. The seats are arranged at a fairly steep angle, helping to avoid the problem of that tall person sitting right in front of you. There is also plenty of leg room between the seats, which allowed me to comfortably view the play from my favorite spot, the middle of the auditorium.
The Sound of Music, a classic stage production, is the story of Maria, a young woman who wants to serve God as a nun. Her exuberance for life often gets in the way at the Abbey. She is sent to be a governess for the Von Trapp children who have lost their mother and are slowly losing their father. Maria’s spirit brings life back to the children, and in turn Captain Von Trapp. Add in a love triangle, and the danger of resisting the Nazis and you have a story that has captivated audiences for over 50 years.
As the lights dimmed, the audience was treated to a chorus of angelic voices. I was excited to hear the reverent chords in “Preludium” performed so well. I looked forward to every time the nuns sang, and I was never disappointed. Emily Marble (The Mother Abbess), Anna Butler (Sister Berthe), Janette Crump (Sister Margaretta), and Jana Conrad (Sister Sophia) gave me chills as their voices wove together during the song “Maria.”
Speaking of Maria, Anna Daines brought the character to life in a beautiful way. She interacted with those on stage in a very natural and believable way. I could feel her ache for the children, realizing they just needed to be loved. I felt her embarrassment as she was told Captain Von Trapp was in love with her, and I felt her pain when she found the Captain was engaged to be married. Another strength of Daines’ was that her acting did not turn off as her songs began. She had several songs where she was on stage alone, yet it never once turned into a recital.
Jarin Stevens did a good job of helping the audience to understand the change of heart experienced by Captain Von Trapp. At first I was concerned that he had been miscast, but realized it was part of his character development. As the captain came to life throughout the play, Stevens’ chemistry with the others on the stage around him grew. By the time he sang the beautiful phrases in “Edelweiss,” I was sorry I had ever doubted his abilities.
The Von Trapp children were fun to watch. Their first lines of the play seemed a tentative, but by the time they reached the song “Do-Re-Mi,” their characters came to life. One of my favorite scenes with the children comes in the second act when the children are trying to cheer themselves up by singing the song “My Favorite Things.” Savannah Sanborn (Liesl) is very convincing as she tries to comfort her siblings. Suzannah Sundstrom (Gretl) jumps from lap to lap looking for comfort, just as my children do in real life. The other children Casey Josephson (Friedrich), Dana Kuntz (Louisa), Kyle Hodder (Kurt), Jessie June Castleton (Brigitta), and Naomi Rose Castleton (Marta) should be given praise for their believable interactions on stage.
The production team deserves a lot of credit for their contributions to the play. The set was designed by Joel Farnsworth. It was a simple set, with a raised platform near the back of the stage with a large set of stairs coming down near the center of the stage. There was not a lot involved in the scene changes, as the stairs became the focal point for all locations needed in the play. This allowed the director, Kris Jennings, to stage the play in a way that flowed from scene to scene without having to pull the curtain multiple times. Jennings used a lot of blocking that closely resembled the movie version of The Sound of Music. It was fun to see something familiar on stage, but at times was a little confusing as the movie differs from the play. The borrowed scenes did not have the charm the rest of the play brought to the table. One image Jennings created stuck with me all the way home was the Festival Concert in the second act. I can still feel the glares of the three Nazis staring down at the Von Trapp family as they sing. Paired with the red lights, it was an ominous picture indeed. Helping to create that image were the costumes designed by Meg Butler and Kimberly Holley. The costumes throughout the play helped to enrich the story.
Unfortunately the sound distracted from the magic of the evening. Mics were cutting in and out all night. Several times the music drowned out the singing, and there was even a miscue or two. The actors tried hard to cover, and in most cases were successful. I was impressed with the way the actors handled the problem, and in one case the youngest actor on the stage projected loud enough to be heard throughout the auditorium. Hopefully in the nights to come, the problems can be addressed and the audience will be able to hear all of the actors.
I applaud the Saratoga Springs Arts Council in their inaugural production, The Sound of Music. I found it entertaining and well worth the price of admission. Don’t miss out on your chance to witness history in the making!
The Saratoga Springs Arts Council Presents The Sound of Music
Music by Richard Rodgers, Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, Book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse
Suggested by “The Story of the Trapp Family Singers”
August 10, 11, 13, 16, 17, 18 at 7:30 PM
Vista Heights Middle School Auditorium
484 Pony Express Parkway Saratoga Springs, UT 84045
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