Cowichan hills come alive with The Sound of Music
Paul Terry may be the only guy in Canada who hasn’t seen the movie The Sound Of Music.
But that hasn’t stopped him from playing the lead role of Capt. von Trapp in South Island Musical Society’s stage version of the famous family musical opening this week in Duncan.
“It’s basically a love story where love triumphs in the end,” the seasoned actor and baritone said of his first SIMS outing.
Terry was tapped to play von Trapp by director Maria Ridewood after an actor cast earlier for the role was unable to carry through.
Victorian Terry was amped about starring opposite Andrea Rodall’s Maria — perhaps show biz’s most beloved character, lionized by Julie Andrews in the 1965 movie version beside Canuck Christopher Plummer.
“Von Trapp’s embittered by the loss of his first wife and he’s a hurtin’ guy,” Terry said of the plot based on the real von Trapp family of singers.
“Maria reawakens in him what he’s lost. There’s a nice journey through this play,” he said, before braving the Malahat for Friday’s rehearsal in the Cowichan Theatre.
Soprano Rodall was excited about her second appearance in a SIMS play after starring in the local troupe’s 2007 production The Champagne Ball.
“I hope to play Maria my own way, but I grew up watching the movie,” she said, citing Something Good as her favourite song among many legendary Sound tunes.
Rodall was also in a 2006 version in Qualicum Beach.
She couldn’t resist auditioning for the part of the singing nun in SIMS’ turn.
“Playing Maria is just everything to me,” she said of playing a governess who cares for von Trapp’s kids, then falls for the dashing captain. “It’s a busy role — Maria’s on stage a lot.”
Still, Rodall cited the musical’s moral surrounding “goodness” as the von Trapp clan faces the Nazi scourge looming across their Austrian homeland.
“The captain believes in what he does, and risks everything — and Maria takes on that risk with him because they don’t believe the Nazi propaganda.”
Either does Max Detweiler (Gregg Perry).
“Max is an ambitious-but-loveable politician with the arts and culture ministry,” said stage vet Perry, “ who’s concerned mainly with his own success, but he’s a bureaucrat.
“He wants to make sure his bread’s buttered on both sides so no matter which way the war goes, he’ll have friends on both sides.”
Perry was jazzed about appearing in a play laced with Helga Trinczek’s costumes, Cathy Schmidt’s choreography, Chris Killam’s sets and “some of the most familiar music of any musical.”
Perry cited The Hills Are Alive With The Sound of Music as his favourite.
He also likes being in a production packed with local young talent.
That list includes Lily Killam, 5, cast as Gretl von Trapp.
“I love the songs and all the new kids I met,” the Queen Margaret’s School kindergarten pupil said.
“My older sister, Alora, talked me into auditioning because everyone told me I’d make a great Gretl. Gretl is very cute and sweet.”
Killam said she’s not nervous about her first play that’s boosted her reading skills.
“I can’t read yet, but I’ve learned to through this script, outside of school books.”
Reading music for Rodgers and Hammerstein’s familiar tunes is “very straightforward” to musical director Hilary Coupland, who’s leading a 27-piece orchestra of players from Cowichan, Nanaimo and Victoria.
“I’ve done this musical at least twice before,” she said, noting her big string section.
“The music’s wonderful and everyone loves this show.”
Coupland — orchestra boss in her fourth-straight SIMS show — really likes the show’s Edelweiss number so much that the audience will be invited to sing along.
Director Ridewood — who helmed SIMS’ Camelot — admitted to watching the film version every year.
“What’s not to love about Julie Andrews?” she asked, noting the song How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria as her favourite, despite her first name.
Ridewood recognized the irony of a family music set against a nasty political backdrop — maybe because her parents were born in 1940s war-torn Holland.
“Von Trapp doesn’t bow (to fascism) — he’s told to go with the flow, and that the Nazis will only be there for a while — and he says he can’t do that.”
Perhaps because he’s had an epiphany through his love for Maria.
“Von Trapp’s turned his children into little marching machines, and Maria brings laughter back into that house; it’s about the power of music, not just the sound of music,” she said.
Your ticket:
What; The Sound Of Music
When: Feb. 3, 4 , 10 at 7:30 p.m.; Feb. 5 and 11, 2 p.m.
Where: Cowichan Theatre
Tickets: $30. Opening night only, $20, $8 students and children. Call 250-748-7529
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