Renaissance Players to present The Sound of Music March 14-23
Release Date: 2/28/2003. Expired: 3/23/2003
The hills come alive in the Performance Hall when the Renaissance Players present the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music at The Renaissance Center March 14-23.
The 1959 play tells the story of Maria Rainer and the Von Trapp family and their escape from Nazi-controlled Austria. The musical contains standards such as “Do-Re-Mi,” “A Few of My Favorite Things,” “Climb Every Mountain” and more. The 1965 movie version starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer has become a family classic.
Shows are at 7 p.m. March 14-15 and 21-22 with 2 p.m. matinees March 16 and 23. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $5 for children under 13.
Kim Leavitt, managing director for the Renaissance Players, will be directing the play.
“This will be our biggest musical to date for the Renaissance Players,” Leavitt said. “The large cast creates the opportunity to involve more people who have always loved this play and the movie. And we anticipate a spectacular set from Robert Cooper and our award-winning Toy Shop.”
The final collaboration between composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, who passed away nine months after the opening, The Sound of Music is based on Maria Von Trapp’s autobiography The Story of the Trapp Family Singers. Originally, the musical was to contain only actual music that had been sung by the Trapps in their concerts, plus one original song by Rodgers and Hammerstein. The talented songwriting duo balked at this, however, and eventually they were allowed to contribute the entire score. The play was written by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse.
“Virtually everyone has seen the movie and it is still shown on television every year. This is a classic love story set against the historical drama of the years leading up to World War II in Europe,” Leavitt said. “And the music is timeless.”
Kendra Magee of Bellevue will play Maria. A legal assistant with Mark R. Podis and Associates, Magee has appeared in The Sound of Music twice before as well as Oklahoma and the Renaissance Players’ production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. The Portland, Ore., native graduated from George Fox University with a degree in Art and minor in Theatre.
Clarksville’s Art Conn portrays Capt. von Trapp. Conn most recently appeared as the adult Ralph Parker in the Renaissance Players’ A Christmas Story and also directed The Best Christmas Pageant Ever at The Renaissance Center. He is the host of Art Conn’s Shopper Showcase, a one-hour cable television show in Clarksville, and won the U.S. Army’s FORSCOM award as best director for his production of The Dining Room at Fort Campbell. Conn has been directing live theatre for 20 years.
The large turnout of 149 people at auditions gave Leavitt the opportunity to double-cast most of the roles of the von Trapp children. Different actors will play five of the seven parts for the two weekends of the production.
“Double-casting the children’s roles allows us to involve more children in the production,” said Leavitt. “It also provides us a degree of protection should any of the children become ill or have conflicts that arise.”
Arica Ward of Dickson is eldest daughter Liesel for both weekends. She has appeared in several community theatre productions including Jekyll and Hyde, Oliver and A Christmas Carol.
Jackson Stewart, a student at Rossview High School in Clarksville, will play eldest son Friedrick for both weekends. He has appeared in productions of To Kill a Mockingbird, Miracle on 34th Street and previously in The Sound of Music.
The opening weekend cast includes three actual siblings portraying von Trapp children. Kalli Frey is Louisa, Jory Frey is Kurt and Ashton Frey plays youngest child Gretel. Three of eight children of Greg and Connie Frey of Dickson, they are all members of the Gateway Christian Homeschool.
Kalli Frey has appeared in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and an independent film of A Christmas Carol. Jory Frey has appeared in several videos and stage shows, including the Youth Theatrical Outreach production of Jack and the Beanstalk at The Renaissance Center. Ashton Frey is a member of The Renaissance Center’s Children’s Choir and made her stage debut in the center’s production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. All three children recently completed a national tour as part of Martina McBride’s Joy of Christmas.
Anna Wilson of Nashville will play Marta for the opening weekend. The native of Bulgaria was adopted into an American family and in less than a year played the part of Gretel in the Chapel Players’ production of The Sound of Music. She has also appeared in a radio commercial for Tim McGraw and in a video with Alan Jackson and has sung on numerous children’s Christian recordings.
Sarah LeJeune of Fairview will play Brigitta for opening weekend. She has appeared in All’s Well That Ends Well for the Nashville Shakespeare Festival, The Music Man, Tom Sawyer and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.
Holly Wolfe of White Bluff has the part of Louisa for the second weekend. She previously appeared in The Wiz of the West children’s play at The Renaissance Center and has been in numerous church and school productions.
Nashville’s Jonathan Lloyd is Kurt for the second weekend. He has appeared in Oliver for Circle Players, Rags and Babes in Toyland among other productions.
Jessie Woodland of White Bluff is Marta for the second weekend. She was a part of the children’s chorus for the Renaissance Players’ production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Raven Dunn of Bellevue will play Brigitta on the second weekend. Her previous productions include Annie, The Little Princess, Oliver and Babes in Toyland.
Hailey Smith of Nashville will be Gretel in the second weekend. She was in Annie at Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre and was an extra in the film Charlie’s War.
The remaining cast for The Sound of Music includes:
Tom Whiting of Dickson as Max;
Cyrisse Eby of Burns as Elsa;
Randy Jett of Nashville as Franz;
Pat Jurek of Dickson as Frau Schmidt;
Micah Manning of Vanleer as Rolf;
Mel Romine of Dickson as Baron Elberfield;
Richard Coe of Dickson as Herr Zeller;
Carol Ward of Dickson as Frau Zeller;
Friesia Schuil of Nashville as the Mother Abbess;
Carole Ferrell of Franklin as Sister Margaretta;
Priscilla Fouts of Dickson as Sister Sophia;
Jeanne Roland of Nashville as Sister Bertha;
Ted Williams of Dickson as Admiral von Schrieber;
Bryant Quint of Bellevue as a soldier;
Carey Thompson of Dickson as a soldier, and;
A chorus of nuns that includes Angelina Bardin of Dickson, Rachel Chapdelaine of Fairview, Katherine Jett of Nashville, Brittany Thompson of Clarksville, Kristen Johnson of Cunningham, Rachel Gunn of Dickson, Tory Gunn of Dickson, Lauren Street of Clarksville, Heidi Flaming of Dickson, Jonita Larry of Lyles, Emily Steward of Dickson, Kristen Lloyd of Nashville, Trudy Wallace of Dickson, Phallen Blanks of White Bluff, Nikki Price of Lyles, Marlene Battle of Burns, Heather Funderburg of Franklin, Stefanie Trest of Dickson, Bettie Stoll of Dickson, Sarah Grace of Nashville, Rita Mangrum and Katy Thompson.
Kim Brownfiel Cantu of Bon Aqua is stage manager and Sue Burdorf of Dickson is assistant stage manager.
The Sound of Music also marks the debut of the new Renaissance Players Orchestra. Under the direction of Ned and Kay Mann, the orchestra includes community musicians who will play for theatrical productions at The Renaissance Center.
For more information on the Renaissance Players’ production of The Sound of Music, call (615)740-5600. To purchase tickets, call the box office at (615)740-5570 or stop by The Renaissance Center at 855 Highway 46 South in Dickson, just 35 miles west of Nashville on Interstate 40 at exit 172.
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