The Sound of Music

Burtonwood AMADS were back on stage with their production of the classic, ‘The Sound of Music’, directed by Leigh Nash, with assistance from Izzy Nash. The set worked well and a lot of thought had gone into making it work on the small stage. Projections were used on the wall stage left, which helped establish different locations throughout. The outside area of the von Trapp house was situated stage right throughout the production, and looked good. There were nice backdrops of the hills and the interior of the von Trapp house. Other scenes were performed in front of a black curtain. The scene changes were done relatively quickly and efficiently. There were a variety of entrances used throughout, including through the audience, which ensured that the pace was kept up throughout. Leigh’s direction was sympathetic to the piece, allowing the story to flow naturally. The characters were well drawn out, as were the relationships between them. Fans of the musical would not have been disappointed with this production, thanks in part to Leigh’s direction. The costumes were a visual delight throughout the production. From the simple wimples of the Nuns to the curtain outfits of the children; the costumes throughout were a strong element of the production.

Izzy Nash was the musical director for this production, with assistance from Jayne Harnick. The cast performed to backing tracks and did extremely well with this aspect, especially in the numbers where the song started acapella before the music joined. The cast were tuneful and kept in time very well during these numbers – no mean feat! The harmonies were strong, especially in the songs the Nuns sung. A delight to listen to.

Bronte Tranter was the choreographer for this production. Although not a choreographic heavy show, Bronte created some lovely routines. From the innocence of two young people in love in ‘Sixteen Going on Seventeen’ to the playfulness of ‘The Lonely Goatherd’; the choreography was performed well by the cast.

Technical elements were good throughout this production. The lighting was relatively simple, but nothing much was needed. The images projected were good and helped establish location. The sound balance between the cast and backing tracks was good, and every word could be heard. Those who weren’t mic’d impressed with their projection, adding greatly to the wall of sound coming off the stage.

Jayne Harnick impressed as Maria Rainer. Her vocals were fantastic throughout. Jayne worked very well with the von Trapp children, creating a believable bond with them all. Jayne was able to display a range of emotions convincingly throughout the production, especially when she questioned her love for Captain van Trapp. This was a wonderfully engaging performance from Jayne.

Jim McMillan played Captain Georg von Trapp. Jim was suitably strict and regimented, and it was great to see the change in character throughout the production. He created a believable partnership with Jayne, as the character slowly softened. This was a wholly convincing portrayal from Jim.

Mia Hurst played Liesl von Trapp. Mia did well as the eldest von Trapp child, showing great maturity in her performance. She was initially standoffish with Maria and it was great to see their relationship develop over the course of the production. Mia worked well with James, creating a good partnership.

Oliver Matthews (Friedrich von Trapp), Faye Cunningham (Brigitta von Trapp), Freya Turton (Louise von Trapp), William Pennington (Kurt von Trapp), Lily Harnick (Marta von Trapp) and Lyla Turton (Gretl von Trapp) worked well together, creating a believable sibling bond. They all appeared to be having lots of fun in their performances. Just make sure that you concentrate on what is happening on stage and try not to look out into the audience, however tempting it may be!

Leigh Nash played Mother Abbess. Leigh gave a good performance, and it was nice to see her relationship with Maria develop throughout the production. Leigh’s vocals were pleasing throughout. ‘My Favourite Things’ was a nicely performed duet and it was nice to see the fun side of Mother Abbess during this number.

Rebekah Denton played Elsa Schraeder. Rebekah was a strong member of the cast, and breezed through her scenes. She worked well with Herb and created a believable relationship with Jim. Her jealousy of Maria was well handled by Rebekah. Rebekah’s vocals were good throughout.

Herb Moore played Max Detweiler. Herb did well in this role and added some lovely comic moments throughout his performance. His vocals were pleasing and he performed his numbers well.

James Gleeson played Rolf Gruber. This was a pleasing performance from James. He was suitably puppy eyed in his interactions with Liesl, and performed ‘Sixteen Going on Seventeen’ well. James performed with great maturity, especially in later scenes, giving a convincing performance.

Mary Anne Gleeson and Simon Burgess worked well together playing Frau Schmidt and Franz respectively. They had some wonderful comic moments together and were a good pairing.

Bronte Tranter, Hannah Fenwick and Amy Hurst played Sister Berthe, Sister Sophia and Siser Margaretta respectively. They played nicely off each other, delivering some nice comic moments whilst discussing Maria. They led the ensemble of Nuns very well.

The ensemble were strong throughout this production playing a number of roles. The Nuns of Nonnberg Abbey impressed without with their strong vocals, singing in unison and creating a fantastic sound. Arran Abbey impressed with his cameo role near the end of the production, commanding the stage very well.

Overall, this was a good production. There were some strong performances, the costumes were great, and there were strong ensemble numbers (especially from the Nuns).

A big thank you to everyone at Burtonwood AMADS for their kind invite and their hospitality.

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