Possibly one of the most well-known and celebrated musicals of all time is The Sound of Music. Obviously we were very familiar with the musical, but we had never seen this as a live performance. Which is why we jumped at the chance to see this show at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles.
It’s hard to believe that The Sound of Music dates back more than 50 years. We were in the audience surrounded by people singing along to the tunes of “Do-Re-Mi”, and “My Favourite Things”. I have to point out that we don’t date back as far, and were certainly not around when it was first released. But like so many others it’s hard to not be familiar with most of the songs.
If you’re not familiar with The Sound of Music, either as the film or the musical, you’re in for a treat. For a little background on the story; its set in the Austrian Alps, and centres around a young woman named Maria. Maria is training to be a Nun, and is assigned the role of looking after some local children.
“We enjoyed the experience from the opening scene.”
The plot unfolds as some of the children start to misbehave. This is where Maria uses the mode of song to encourage them to behave. I won’t reveal much more to the story than that, you will have to attend the show. There is a range of catchy songs throughout, and I can guarantee you will be humming some of the tunes for days.
The cast, stage, performances, and all round presentation was absolutely faultless. None of the performers missed a beat. The show is directed by one of Broadway’s most accomplished directors, Jack O’Brien. So it’s no surprise that the shows are performed perfectly night after night.
The Ahmanson Theatre is the perfect venue for such a show. It’s a fairly intimate theatre with a capacity of around 2,000. It’s been renovated in recent years, and was more than comfortable. We enjoyed the experience from the opening scene, to the very last note. We recommend anyone experiencing The Sound of Music, regardless of how familiar you are with the story.
