BWW Reviews: SOUND OF MUSIC A Hit in Royal Oak Through June 23

Now on stage at the Baldwin Theatre in Royal Oak is the adorable Broadway smash hit "The Sound of Music." Directed by the King Midas of Community Theatre, Randall Wrisinger, this production is spectacular; as usual, everything he touches turns to gold.

Starring the tall, dark and handsome Mark Jewett as the integrity-driven Captain von Trapp, the audience was thrilled with his splendid rendition of Edelweiß. Jewett's clean and rich tones made for a compelling hero captain; as soon as he opened his mouth in the garden, I was blown away.

The alpine background of rural Salzburg was majestic and spectacular, with zillions of painted and silk flowers saturating the stage. One of my homes is a chalet located in the Alps, nearby the setting of this story. In the film version, the mountain, atop which Maria (Julie Andrews) makes her first twirling appearance, is Mellweg, near the Bavarian village of Schellenberg, about six miles from Salzburg. Looking at the mountain scene in Stagecrafter's production made me homesick for the Alps; the theatrical set is truly radiant!

Matt Weber meritoriously engineered the lighting for premium effect; in the opening scene, the nuns came out onto the floor and sang Preludium with great aplomb; bluish lights created an ethereal, mystical sensation in the Abbey. The nuns percolated throughout the stalls to sing "I Have Confidence" which formed the catalyst for the quintessential audience connection.

Our lovely Maria was played by the gentle and pulchritudinous Sara Rydzweski, who carried the lion's share of singing and acting for the musical. Her Do-Re-Mi performance with the children was captivating, choreographed to perfection and delightfully entertaining.

Mitch Aiello (Rolf) nailed "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" with his angelic voice, and Colleen Bielman (Liesl) was divine in her gorgeously designed teal couture.

Buddy VanLoon pulled of some spectacular hair design; the real killer was the classy coif of Baroness Eberfield (Jo Frasie-Woods) who had a basketball sized blond bun - a crown denoting her unmistakable membership in the beau monde.

Caryn Gach Leonard (Elsa Schraeder) was smoking hot in her bronze and gold sparkling gown; she was the portrait of class for which gay men wished they were straight. When Caryn Gach Leonard, John Nowaczyk (Max) and Mark Jewett (Captain von Trapp) got together, they had the perfect chemistry that screams "Singing in the Rain" all about it.

The role of Max is particularly difficult to cast, because actors often come across as foul or repulsive, like a pedophile or some morally bankrupt kook. John Nowaczyk played the role perfectly, showing us a kind of a cute and adorable crazy man rather than a creep.

Spencer Clark (Kurt)'s performance in "So Long, Farewell" was amazing to the point it stopped the show as the audience lauded him with thunderous applause. Each of the kids in this show gave a stellar performance.

The wedding scene was the pièce de résistance, when the glorious orchestra, chorus, stars and even John Lauter on the Wurlitzer Theatre Organ pulled out all the stops to create a lavish and spectacular nuptial mass. Using a clever trick on the audience, Maria disappears from one place and suddenly appears in another, without having ever traveled in-between, something like a particle in quantum physics. It's a clever illusion, indeed.

The whole show is clever. It's a winning combination of great music, actors, sets and direction that's too good to miss!

If you like The Sound of Music, you will love The Sound of Music Tour to Austria and Bavaria, visiting sites from the story. This is a fundraiser for Teddy Bear Ministry; see http://hartforth.com/soundofmusic.html for information

The Sound of Music Cast and Staff by Community

Berkley

Jerry Haines (Choreographer)

Kathy Vander (Nuns Chorus)

Clarkston

Therese Wisnewski (Nuns Chorus)

Clawson

Donna Edwards (The Mother Abbess)

Coleen Genette (Nuns Chorus)

Lucy McClelland (Gretl)

Emilie McClelland (Nuns Chorus)

Mary Thornton (Nuns Chorus)

Ferndale

Eric Henrickson (Franz, the Butler)

John Nowaczyk (Max)

Erica Pillar (Brigitta)

Nancy Zott (Nuns Chorus)

Fraser

Cynthia Johnson (Frau Schmidt, Housekeeper)

Grosse Pointe Park

Laura VerBeek (Nuns Chorus)

Harrison Twp

Deanna Daly (Nuns Chorus)

Huntington Woods

Randall Wrisinger (Director, Vocal Director)

Lake Orion

Gabrielle Phillips (Louisa)

Lincoln Park

Spencer Clark (Kurt)

Livonia

Sara Rydzweski (Maria)

Madison Heights

Bill Dixon (Baron Elberfeld)

Pleasant Ridge

Caryn Gach Leonard (Elsa Schraeder)

Rochester

Grace Seyferth (Marta)

Rochester Hills

Nancy Cannava (Nuns Chorus)

Sandra Marselle (Sister Margaretta)

Royal Oak

Erica Battle (Producer)

Ed Berger (Admiral von Schreiber)

Kathleen Duffy (Sister Sophia)

Jo Frasie-Woods (Nuns Chorus)

Helen Frizzo (Nuns Chorus)

Kathleen Furlong (Nuns Chorus)

Amy Schell (Sister Berthe)

Kristen Zublick (Nuns Chorus)

Linda Zublick (Producer)

Sterling Heights

Christina Golding (Nuns Chorus)

Mark Jewett (Captain von Trapp)

Erica Poster (New Postulant, Nuns Chorus)

Troy

Mitch Aiello (Rolf)

Colleen Bielman (Liesl)

Matthew Mauer (Friedrich)

Steven Mauer (Herr Zeller)

Warren

Catherine Flores (Nuns Chorus)

Friend Anton at http://facebook.com/teddybears and follow him on Twitter @hartforth

SOUND OF MUSIC at Stagecrafters. Credit: Lance Luce

SOUND OF MUSIC at Stagecrafters. Credit: Lance Luce

SOUND OF MUSIC at Stagecrafters. Credit: Lance Luce

SOUND OF MUSIC at Stagecrafters.

SOUND OF MUSIC at Stagecrafters.

Mark Jewett (Captain Von Trapp) Randall Wrisinger (Director) Sara Rydzewski (Maria)

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