Sound of Music

I was one of the fortunate ones, to see the original ‘Sound of Music’ at the Palace theatre way back it 1962, and I can still remember it vividly, mainly because it was one of the first west end musicals I had seen. Leading the cast then was Jean Bayliss as Maria and the wonderful Constance Shacklock as Mother Abbess.Later on in the early 80s I saw Petula Clark, the awsome June Bronhill as the Mother Abbess and Honor Blackman as the Barononess…Why am I telling you this ,I can hear you saying,simple because I havnt seen it since then or the film either. God how it has changed !!
Grant Baker gathered a good cast for this ‘Sound of Music’ by GDS productions at the Hazlitt theatre this week.He made the most of the garden of the house,in which all scenes inside and out of the house were played, even the Ball, in my opinion this didn’t work,but that’s my opinion. Grants direction of this Sound of Music I felt was good and Musical Direction under the professional batton of Peter Bailey, with a large over spilling orchestra was excellent as usual.
Grants cast headed by Rebecca Leahmann(Maria) looked,sang and acted this role with a good singing voice and very good diction in her acting. Tarquin Flanagan (Captain Von Trapp),partnered her well as the love interest,I thought to much like a captain at times,even in the softer scenes. The two sets of “Kids” lead by Laura Ng ,Lauren Bassett,and Ben Robinson, were suberb in theire roles both in singing and acting,especially Laura (Liesl) when teamed with young Kane Roberts (Rolf) who were perfect as the young lovers, and they played these roles with melodic harmony, and the chemestry between them was beliveable. Off course the other kids were loveable, but there are two sets, and its not fair for me to judge one from the other,so I will just say well done to the (Doe) team and good luck to the (Deer) team.
The productions I have seen in the past of the Sound of Music,The Mother Abbess has always been frail and old and it hasn’t changed over the years…But!! we now have Debbie Brennan as “Mother” and this “Mother “certainly gave us a “Mother” to be Proud of,of course much younger, reaching those top notes with ease and playing this part with sincerity,nobody in the medway towns could have done it better than Debbie.
Larry Davis (Maxx) had all the laugher lines and executed them with great aplomb,especially with Clare Thurston (Elasa Schraeder) in tow. There were lots of familier faces playing the other supporting roles, John Edicott,Gerald Flanigan,Scott Hemmingway,William Law,Joanna Clements,Debbie Collins,Emma Hodge, Brenda Shrubsole and did I see Katherine Norman in there too.?…all these supporting roles are nessasary in any major productioin and well done to them all.
Overall this was a well cast ‘Sound of Music’,directed adiquetly by Grant Baker, his cast did him proud in this production.Thank you GDS for inviting me.

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