The Sound of Music, the tale of a nun called Maria who finds her vocation beyond the walls of the convent, is a delight from beginning to end. Full of memorable songs, penned by the incomparable Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, The Sound of Music, which first enjoyed fame and success on Broadway in 1959, and subsequently on the big screen in 1965, is a perennial favourite with adults and children alike.
Based loosely on the true story of the von Trapp family, Maria is appointed to serve as governess to the seven children of the widowed Captain von Trapp. She brings joy into their lives, but is also conflicted by her growing feelings for the Captain. Meanwhile, the Captain has his own dilemma to resolve: proudly Austrian, he is minded to refuse his commission in the German Navy, but knows that his defiance may place his children’s futures in jeopardy.
Much of Robert Wise’s famous film adaptation of The Sound of Music was filmed in Salzburg: Nonnberg Abbey, the Mozarteum and the Mirabell Gardens all feature, so it is little wonder that the Salzburg Marionette Theatre should have created its own enchanting version. More poignant still, as those familiar with every scene of the film will know, is the fact that the von Trapp children, under Maria’s guidance, perform their own entertainment - using puppets - for their father and his guests to the tune of The Lonely Goatherd.
Now it is the turn of Maria, Captain von Trapp and the children to be the puppets themselves in a show that captures all the magic of one of the world’s most iconic musicals.
