Author: Marina Chertova
“The Sound of Music” musical returns to the Sofia Opera stage. On the 31st of October, 7pm, and on the 1st of November, at 2pm and 7pm, the fan-favorite melodies from this timeless musical will bring joy to all. The story of Maria: the young nanny who looks after captain von Trapp’s seven children and finds love at the most unexpected moment, comes to life with emotion, humor and faith in the power of music.
This production is handled by an international team:
Director: West Hiler
Scenographer: Jeremy Bartnett
Costumes: Whitney Locker
Lighting: Zack Blayne
Choreography: Riolina Topalova
Starring: the talented Sofia Opera and Ballet lead singer Vesela Delcheva as Maria; the established singers Alexander Georgiev, Alexandrina Stoyanova-Andreeva, Silvana Pravcheva, Vesela Yaneva, Diana Dimitrova, Plamen Dimov-Grandzhan, Sandra Kordova, Nikolay Voinov, Kalin Dushkov, Nikolay Pavlov and others, as well as the “Talasamche” children’s vocal formation with tutor Dimitar Kostantsaliev.
Conductors: Igor Bogdanov and Svetoslav Lazarov.
Score: Richard Rogers.
Verses: Oscar Hammerstein II
Directors: Howard Lindsay and Russel Kraus.
The production is inspired by “The Story of the Trapp Family Singers” novel by Maria Augusta von Trapp.
The story takes place in Austria, on the eve of the Anschluss in 1938. The musical tells the story of Maria who accepts a job as a nanny in a big family while she decides whether to become a nun or not. She falls in love with the children she looks after and, in the end, in captain von Trapp: their widowed father.
Von Trapp is ordered to serve in the German navy but he opposes the nazis. Captain von Trapp and Maria decide to flee Austria and take the children with them. Many songs in this musical have become hits, including "Do-Re-Mi", "My Favorite Things", "Edelweiss", "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" as well as the title song “The Sound of Music”.
This original Broadway production starring Mary Martin and Theodor Bikel premiered in 1959 and won five Tony awards from nine nominations, including the best musical award. The first London production of “The Sound of Music” took place at Palace Theatre in 1961. Since then, the musical has enjoyed a series of productions all around the world.
The film adaptation from 1965 starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer won five Oscars, including the best film award. “The Sound of Music” is also the last musical by the Rogers-Hammerstein duo as Hammerstein passed away nine months after its Broadway premiere.
The two of them created more than ten musicals among which “Oklahoma”, “South Pacific”, “The King and I” and “Cinderella”. Their works won 37 “Tony” awards, 15 Oscars, two Pulitzers, two Emmies and two Grammies.