The Sound of Music

Starring Connie Fisher & Michael Praed

The Palace Theatre, Manchester

December 15, 2009 – January 16, 2010

MANCHESTER was alive with the sound of music as the acclaimed stage production opened it’s month-long run.

There can’t be many people who do not know the story of the novice Maria and how she came to be the governess of seven children in pre-war Austria, so I won’t go into the plot here.

However, the stage show came before the film with which we are all familiar and there are some minor differences that some people – mainly the younger ones – may find confusing.

For instance, the song ‘My Favourite Things’ is actually sung by Maria and The Mother Abbess at the beginning of the show and the song sung by Maria and the Children during the thunderstorm is ‘The Lonely Goatherd’.

There are a couple of songs in the show that never made it to the film; ‘How Can Love Survive’ and ‘No Way To Stop It’.

Having said that, the show itself doesn’t differ from the film, although time constraints mean that it is condensed down a bit; yet this is not in any way detrimental to the enjoyment of such a first-class production.

The costumes and backdrops are all done to an incredible amount of detail, and the pace is well maintained throughout.

Connie Fisher as Maria is just perfect, and it is no wonder that she won the public’s vote to play the role in the BBC TV series ‘How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?’.

Her movement and vocal inflections bring life to the character as no-one since Julie Andrews has managed.

Michael Praed is Captain Von Trapp to a tee. His mannerisms at the start are exactly that of a harsh disciplinarian, yet you warm to him as he mellows and falls in love again with his children and of course Maria.

The children are adorable and all put in excellent performances.

Mention has to be made of Manchester lad Martin Callaghan who plays the entrepreneur Max Detweiler.

The film version of the character has Max as a little bit devious- and some may say ‘slimy’; but Martin plays him as a humourous character and that lightens the mood of some of the scenes where Nazism raises it’s ugly head and therefore makes it more palatable (NOT Nazism – I hasten to add), especially for the children in the audience.

All in all, a fantastic show and one that will definitely be one of My Favourite Things.

Martin Hutchinson