The Sound of Music At Lyric Opera of Chicago

[jon5202]

Posted: 4/2/14 at 11:19pm

Here are the leads for the upcoming Sound of Music at Lyric Opera of Chicago:

http://www.lyricopera.org/soundofmusic/

http://www.lyricopera.org/blog/blogpost.aspx?id=14572


Additional video with Lyric staff:

http://www.lyricopera.org/watchandlisten/index.aspx Updated On: 4/2/14 at 11:19 PM

[jon5202]

Posted: 4/4/14 at 1:35am

Dr Opera (via Second City Chicago) interviews Liesl and Maria:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHJ3gQp90-E

[jon5202]

Posted: 4/9/14 at 12:14am

More info on this upcoming production:

http://www.lyricopera.org/blog/blogpost.aspx?id=14679

[jon5202]

Posted: 4/26/14 at 12:50am

First video of this production now playing in Chicago:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71LuFZFV3HU&feature=youtu.be

[jon5202]

Posted: 4/28/14 at 8:07pm

Additional video of production:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2Zo4rIwIqU&feature=youtu.be

[Paul W. Thompson]

Posted: 4/28/14 at 8:30pm

The most extensive set of pictures released prior to opening night!

https://www.broadwayworld.com/chicago/article/Photo-Flash-First-Look-at-Billy-Zane-Jenn-Gambatese-and-More-in-Lyric-Opera-of-Chicagos-THE-SOUND-OF-MUSIC-20140425

[Paul W. Thompson]

Posted: 4/28/14 at 8:31pm

Footage of "Do-Re-Mi!"

https://www.broadwayworld.com/chicago/article/BWW-TV-First-Look-at-Billy-Zane-Jenn-Gambatese-and-More-in-Highlights-of-Lyric-Opera-of-Chicagos-THE-SOUND-OF-MUSIC-20140428#.U17y1IFkTTo

[Paul W. Thompson]

Posted: 4/28/14 at 8:32pm

My review of the production for BroadwayWorld!

https://www.broadwayworld.com/chicago/article/Sumptuous-Sights-and-Sounds-Make-The-Sound-of-Music-Thrilling-at-Lyric-Opera-of-Chicago-20140428#.U17y9IFkTTo

[Paul W. Thompson]

Posted: 4/28/14 at 8:33pm

Links to other reviews, with additional photos:

http://www.theatreinchicago.com/the-sound-of-music/6763/

[GilmoreGirlO2]

Posted: 5/9/14 at 1:26pm

Had a chance to see this last week and had a wonderful time. I found myself completely taken by the entire grandiose feel of the production (something that doesn’t usually fulfill me in the way it did at the Lyric). The backdrop of the mountains is gorgeous and THOSE SETS! They are enormous (I found myself chuckling every time a new one came out, because the wings felt like Mary Poppins’ bag; where are all of those gigantic set pieces coming from?) and beautiful.

Billy Zane left much to be desired (his Captain didn’t seem to change much throughout the show), but the entire show is worth it for Jenn Gambatese. She brought a certain quirkiness to the role I haven’t seen in previous Marias and she is just so darn charming the whole night. Her voice is beautiful. Her earnestness and complete genuineness in every moment made me feel connected to Maria in every moment. In contrast to Billy’s lack of change, I found Gambatese’s emotional realizations and arc to be so real, natural, and clear. She is truly the light of the show.

One more note about Billy: despite what I felt was a lack of depth in his character, he was a likable Captain (he was almost too likable from the get-go, which didn’t leave much room for growth, but this did make me, at least, root for him and Maria from very early on).

It was a decadent night at the theatre and exactly what you want out of a production of “The Sound of Music.” If you have the chance, don’t pass this up. It was a truly magical night out.

(Side note: tickets can be steep, but there have been some tickets on Goldstar, Hottix, and I believe there is a code on the Lyric’s FB page, so there are ways to see this without paying $100 or more.)

[darquegk]

Posted: 5/9/14 at 2:53pm

Which iteration of the score did they use? Original Broadway, revival, or somewhere in between with "Something Good?"

[HorseTears]

Posted: 5/9/14 at 3:19pm

So, do they do 1 musical a season now? How marvelous to get those kind of production values on classic shows. I wish LA Opera would do this -- in the summer perhaps. Their A Little Night Music from the mid 00s was a big success and one of the most enchanting evenings of musical theatre I've ever had. And, oh, to hear that score played by a 50 piece orchestra. Just grand.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 5/9/14 at 3:45pm

They seem to be focusing on Rodgers and Hammerstein (though Show Boat, of course would be Hammerstein and Kern. But last year was Oklahoma, with Carousel set for next season.

[GilmoreGirlO2]

Posted: 5/9/14 at 5:09pm

They are doing 5 years of R&H shows, one a year (starting with last year’s “Oklahoma!”).

As for which score, I am not intimately familiar with all of the versions, but I think it may be a mix of original and the revival. “Something Good” was in the show.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 5/9/14 at 8:12pm

Well where was Favorite Things and where was Lonely Goatherd performed? And did they include How Can Love Survive or No Way To Stop It? (I hate stage versions using the movie scores, but in this case am all for Something Good replacing Ordinary Couple.)

So obviously the remaining two R&H shows they'll do are Flower Drum Song and Me and Juliet, right?

[Musicaldudepeter]

Posted: 5/9/14 at 8:16pm

They've done Oklahoma in 2013, Sound of Music in 2014, and they are going to be doing Carousel, South Pacific and The King and I over the coming three years - their plan is to the big five R&H shows.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 5/9/14 at 10:13pm

What about "I Have Confidence"? That was also written expressly for the movie. I saw a community theater production that included it, but I was surprised the Carrie Underwood live special didn't even though they used "Something Good" in place of "An Ordinary Couple."

[jon5202]

Posted: 5/10/14 at 9:09am

In this promo for the show from News Magazine Chicago aimed at Asian audiences, you can see more scenes from the show and a discussion of the musical. Most of the dialogue and all musical scenes are in English. The man interviewed appears to be Michael Yeargan, the set designer. BTW, if you turn on the closed captioning, you will have a good laugh at the translator's wacky interpretations!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETug_EaqJQI

[GilmoreGirlO2]

Posted: 5/10/14 at 10:06am

"My Favorite Things" was placed right after meeting the children, followed by "Sixteen Going on Seventeen, followed by "Lonely Goatherd" in Maria's bedroom while the storm was happening. "I Have Confidence" is in the show (on her way to the von Trapps for the first time). Both "How Can Love Survive" and "No Way to Stop It" are in the show.

[Paul W. Thompson]

Posted: 5/11/14 at 1:11am

Gilmore, I think you meant to say that "Do-Re-Mi" was right after meeting the children, and that "My Favorite Things" was in the office scene with the Mother Abbess and Maria.

The only songs cut from the show are the "My Favorite Things" reprise and "An Ordinary Couple," with "I Have Confidence" and "Something Good" substituted for them.

That being said, some of the numbers remaining from the 1959 version are staged and/or designed to be reminiscent of the film, such as Maria running and twirling in the title song, the scene change from the house interior to the mountainside halfway through "Do-Re-Mi" (including bicycles for all the children and a picnic basket for Maria), the formation of a marionette stage with the bedspread halfway through "The Lonely Goatherd, etc. In Act Two, the wedding and the finale happened more in view of the audience than I believe the original included.

[GilmoreGirlO2]

Posted: 5/12/14 at 10:18am

Yes, Paul, you’re right: I did mean “Do-Re-Mi” and not “My Favorite Things” in that moment. Thanks for catching that!