Review: THE SOUND OF MUSIC at Opéra De Massy

Out of all the Hollywood movie versions of Broadway musicals, only three have surpassed their stage models: Cabaret, West Side Story, and The Sound of Music.  Whereas the first one used a different storyline and cut all the book’s songs, the other two, both directed by Robert Weiss, kept the book and the score almost intact, but nonetheless drastically changed the order of some songs— and to much more dramatic efficiency.  The Sound of Music, unlike West Side Story, had two new songs: “What’s the Music” by Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein having passed away, and this should be added to the stage revival (the I Want song “I Had Confidence in Me” is now essential to defining the character Maria in West Side), and “Something Good”, which is a much stronger ballad than “An Ordinary Couple” in the stage show. 

The main difference between the Broadway score and the movie’s is the omission of the song of the baroness and Max, much like in the movie of Cabaret in which the older characters don’t sing, “How Can Love Survive”, delivered here by Marie Glorieux and David Jean, bringing a healthy dose of cynicism, but sadly the other more political song “No Way to Stop It” is dropped here. 

This is the third production of The Sound of Music by the Belgian company Ars Lyrica, following their version of Singing in the Rain, which toured extensively in France, after also visiting the Massy Opéra. It’s very professional and polished production, accompanied by a 13-piece orchestra conducted by musical Daniel Glet, with minimalist but efficient set designs by Mohamed Yamani and costumes by Delphine Vanderkerken. 

But the strongest point of this production is the cast, notably Marina Pangos, making Maria her own—like she did with Elisa Doolittle in My Fair Lady and Anita in West Side Story, both at the Bruxellons! Festival. She delivers superb vocals, escaping the shadow of Julie Andrews, and is well surrounded by the excellent Gaétan Borg (recently seen in the first French version of Sunset Boulevard in Brussels) as Capitaine von Trapp. Classically trained Marie Catherine Baclin delivers an impressive “Climb Ev’ry Mountain”, making for a believable and moving Mother Abbesse. Special mention also to the von Trapp family children and the young heartthrob Axel Sassus Bourda as Rolf, excellent “Sixteen Going on Seventeen”, the sole dance number of the show, impeccably choreographed by Johan Nus. 

Don’t miss this lovable production, touring in Belgium in January before the Opéra de Vichy, January 14th. 

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