SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre to Present THE SOUND OF MUSIC, Begin. Today

The hills surrounding the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre will literally be filled with "The Sound of Music" as the beloved musical classic comes to the stage, beginning tonight, July 5 through 20.

Jeremy Showgren is directing "The Sound of Music" and is excited to present it as originally written: as a drama that unfolds on the eve of World War II while Hitler's armies march on Europe.

"So many people come expecting the lighter touch that was evident in the movie," he says. "But while this has the wonderful Rodgers and Hammerstein music, it is a serious story where the music is used to buoy the Von Trapp family when it needs to be uplifted and have courage. I'm excited with the way it is unfolding."

Performances will begin at 8 p.m. on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre, located at 699 S. State, Orem, in the middle of SCERA Park. General admission tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for children (age 3-11), seniors (65+) and students (w/ID). Reserved sections range from $12 to $14 for adults and $10 to $12 for children, seniors and students. Tickets are available at www.scera.org, by calling 801-225-ARTS, or at main office at the SCERA Center, 745 S. State St., Orem, open 10am-6pm weekdays and Saturdays from 12Noon-6pm. Tickets may also be purchased at the gate one hour prior to the show.

The set, designed by Nat Reed, evokes much of the beauty that is Austria as the story begins, but as the threat of war becomes more menacing set elements are covered or disappear, so that by the end of the story the bleakness of war is evident.

Familiar elements of the story still exist. Maria, the central figure to the story, is failing as a nun, questioning a decision she has held all her life. She is assigned to be the governess for seven unruly children of a wealthy Austrian widower who has become a cold disciplinarian reminded of his deceased wife whenever he sees his children. Maria quickly realizes the children simply need genuine love, and gives them that and more as she teaches them to sing and find joy in the everyday. Baron Von Trapp and Maria begin to fall in love, but he may be called up at any time to serve in the German army and fight against the Austria he loves.

"This is not your typical musical," Showgren says. "We are doing it with the overarching idea of change. There is the annexation of Austria and how all Austrians are adapting to the takeover. There is a man who is adapting to the change of not having his wife and wondering how to love his children. We have a woman changing because she is reconsidering the life she wants to lead. We have the captain's oldest daughter Liesl, who thinks she is an adult, but realizes she has a lot of growing up to do."

Chelsea Hendrickson is Maria, and Showgren calls her his "ideal Maria. I was near the end of the auditions and thinking I had not quite found the right lead. Then in comes Chelsea and she embodies the part. She can be properly aloof one moment and endearing the next and genuinely romantic the next. And it's all so natural." In addition to a list of lead roles, Hendrickson also honed her skills as a character performer at Walt Disney World.

Mark Buffington, who in real life is a Captain in in the Utah Army National Guard, appropriately stars as Captain Von Trapp. SCERA audiences will remember him as Corny Collins in Hairspray. Jessica Sundwall is Liesl, and is happy to be back at the Shell after playing Dorothy in last summer's Wizard of Oz. Jessica was nominated for Best Actress at the Utah High School Musical Theater Awards. Talents run in the family, as her mother, Michelle Sundwall, plays the Mother Abbess - having recently performed in another production of Sound of Music, but as Elsa Shraeder at Hale Centre Theater West Valley.

Showgren adds, "Although Mother Abbess has a wonderful solo with 'Climb Every Mountain' and has an important place in the plot, I never felt connected to her character, so I gave her some parallels to Maria. We've approached her as though she was once in Maria's shoes and had to choose between serving God or becoming a wife and mother. In doing so, we've made her a more relatable character to Maria, and in turn, to the audience."

Other lead roles include Rebekah Osmond as Elsa Schraeder; Phil Varney as Max Detweiler; and Corey Morris as Rolf.

250 people came to auditions, and Showgren had so much talent to choose from, he decided to double cast the von Trapp children. Louisa will be played by Chloe Rodgerson and Sasha Osmond; Friedrich is Austin Bigelow and Noah Jones; Brigitta is Grace Grimmer and Isabella Hixson; Kurt is Seth Kelson and Thomas Perky; Marta is McCall Brainard and Bonnie Weiss; and Gretl is Olivia Sundwall and Sophie Osmond.

Showgren also serves as music director and is assisted by choreographer Nichole Ortega, Chair of the Department of Dance at Utah Valley University. "She has added a balletic quality to the dancing, and it is so beautiful, you could skip the words and tell the story through dance," Showgren says.

Also assisting are Deborah Bowman, costume designer; ElizaBeth Griffiths, lighting designer; Sheri Stakebake, props designer; and Crysta Powell, stage manager.

"I hope people leave the show realizing they have seen a beautiful piece of drama, and have a heightened appreciation for what they have," Showgren says.

SCERA also wants patrons to learn a little about the history behind the show, so the printed program will have an article about the real von Trapp family and some differences between the movie and historic fact.