The Sound of Music

In this their 90th Year Langholm AO&DS have produced another super production. The Sound of Music is so very well known that the audience will almost always know the main songs and the story line. It is therefore sometimes difficult to put on a performance that everyone will like. I think that Langholm have achieved this with their production.  I am always amazed that a small town the size of langholm has one of the best venues I have seen in a long time.

The full house were treated to some superb singing and the performers made us believe everything they wanted to tell us. The scenery was excellent and the changes were slick and inconspicuous.  The vast majority of the cast, backstage crew and many helpers are local people and this was truly a community event.

The supporting chorus of nuns were very tuneful and Jackie Beckitt and Jane Edmond and Eve Dickson along with Anne Halliday set the tone of the evening musically with a fine rendition of Maria. Anne Halliday as well as playing the part of Mother Abbess was also the Musical Director for the show. Her expertise showed through not only in her own singing but throughout the whole of the cast. The Von Trapp children were  very well played by the team on Saturday night and whilst I did not see the alternates I understand that they were as good. Alan Weatherstone as Max Detweiler was suitably scatterbrained, and looking out to make sure he was always on the right side of the fence. Elsa Schraeder played by Nicole Weatherstone was also just right in her attempts to get the Captain to the alter. Glen Cavers as Rolf had just the right amount of menace in his part and the transition from frustrated boyfriend to one of the Brownshirt Youth was well expressed. Along with Alison Aston as the Housekeeper and Jim Thomson as the Butler, Eric Hislop and Bob McClure made up the supporting principals who all carried off their roles excellently. There is very little chorus work in this show but what they did was very good. I have not seen Leslie Murray in a leading role before and he performed the part of Captain Von Trapp with just the right amount of military swagger and his conversion to a loving husband was well done. He has a good voice and carried off his songs with aplomb. However the star of the show was undoubtedly Leona Evans who played the part of Maria. This young lady has gone from strength to strength over the last few years. Her singing voice is exceptional, and no wonder she has a place at RCS after the summer, and she is now becoming an accomplished actress as well. She carried off the role excellently and the change from a shy novice to Baroness was acted throughout with good diction and timing. I cannot praise her singing highly enough and we should all watch for her name in the future up in lights.

A musical cannot be done without an orchestra and the small band under the baton of Henry Jeffrey was very good.

All in all anothe excellent show. Thankyou Langholm.

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