Displaying items by tag: Alicia Kaori

From the moment the sisters along with Mother Abbess sang “Maria” in one of the show’s earliest numbers, I knew I was in for a special performance. Their voices soared through the theater with a magnificence beyond what I had hoped. And when Mother Abbess (so richly performed by Susan Moniz) sang the final line in the song, “How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand”, it nearly brought tears to my eyes – just the beauty in her voice and the compassion within her words.

Paramount Theatre is currently taking on one of the most timeless musicals ever created in stage history in Rogers and Hammerstein’s “The Sound of Music”. And though many excellent renderings of this musical have come through Chicago over the past several decades, I can only imagine that this production would join the others among the best produced, casted and performed. From its majestic sets that seamlessly change from scene to scene to its large catalog of masterpiece musical theater numbers, this production wows the audience one scene after another.

The Sound of Music is based on the 1949 memoir penned by Maria von Trapp The Story of the Trapp Family Singers. The story was first staged on November 16^th, 1959 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre before being released as a film in March of 1965 where it won just about every award imaginable, taking off internationally thanks in part to memorable performances by Julie Andrew and the late, great Christopher Plummer. Taking place in 1938 Salzburg, Austria, its story revolves around Maria, a wannabe nun that might not be quite ready for life in The Abbey. Wanting her explore life again on the outside before committing to sisterhood, the Mother Abbess sends free-spirited Maria to serve as a governess for the widowed Captain Georg von Trapp, a retired naval officer, where she would care for his seven children. Georg is strict and has distanced himself from his children since his wife’s passing. His children now answer to whistles and march as though they were in the military. Maria becomes intent on not only breaking through to the children (who are now on their seventh governess) but also connecting them once again with their father whom they once knew much more closely. While doing so, unexpected feelings emerge between Maria and Georg. At the same time, Nazi Germany is spreading throughout Europe, Austria being no exception. The beloved country was being annexed by Hitler’s dark empire. But Georg is a devout Austrian and refuses to serve under the Third Reich. So, then the story also becomes one of escape.

For a Sound of Music production to work well, Maria must be cast well. And in Paramount’s production, they have done just that. Alicia Kaori is extraordinary. She gives us a Maria who is playful, warm, understanding, loyal, devoted, brave and adventurous. She brims with confidence when needed yet occasionally wrestles with her doubts. Kaori’s vocals are also impressive - her range is remarkable.

The remainder of the cast is superb.  As mentioned prior, Susan Moziz excels as Mother Abbess though excellence is also found in Christopher Kale Jones’ portrayal of Captain Georg von Trapp. He does a great vocally but also in capturing the captain’s exacting behavior while showing his vulnerability and his need for love again. With a cast so large, the standouts are plentiful. Included in that group would be Julia Aragon as the eldest von Trapp sibling, Liesl – one of the show’s highlights being her and Rolf’s (Michael Harp) rendition of “Sixteen Going on Seventeen”. Stephen Schellhardt as Max Detweiler and Nellie Shuford as Baroness Elberfeld are both quality additions and take on their roles with much aplomb. The children are fun to watch as their talent should not be overlooked, as well as the production’s ensemble roles.

Every aspect seems to have been taken in consideration while creating this production. The sets, massive and detailed, take us inside the von Trapp home so much that we, the audience, almost feel we are invited guests during the party scene and concert goers during the Sazburg Music Festival. The costumes are rich and painstakingly precise, giving the production an element of authenticity at every turn.

If you are already familiar with the story and are looking forward to hearing to hearing such classics as “Do-Re-Mi”, “Edelweiss”, “So Long Farewell”, “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” or its exhilarating title track, “The Sound of Music”, you will not be disappointed. If you’ve never seen the film or staged production before, you will undoubtedly become a fan.

Adeptly directed and choreographed by Amber Mak, this incredible production of The Sound of Music is being performed at the Paramount Theatre through January 14^th. For tickets and/or more show information click here.

Highly Recommended!