NPAC’s ‘Sound of Music’: Familiar & fresh

VW independent/submitted information

A brand new production of The Sound of Music, produced by NETworks Presentations, is making its Van Wert premiere May 4, at 2 and 7:30 p.m., at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center as part of a North American tour. 

The Sound of Music features music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, suggested by The Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp. The beloved musical story of Maria and the von Trapp Family will once again thrill audiences with its Tony®, Grammy®, and Academy Award®–winning Best Score, including “My Favorite Things,” “Edelweiss” and the title song.

The Sound of Music enjoyed extraordinary success as a live television production when “The Sound of Music Live!” aired on NBC in December 2013 and was seen by over 44 million people. 2015 marked the 50th anniversary of the film version, which continues to be the most successful movie musical in history.

In the words of Ted Chapin, president of Rodgers & Hammerstein: “I waited for a moment when we could rediscover The Sound of Music as it was originally created. Because of the enormous success of the film, few were aware that it started life as a hit Broadway show — and a very big hit at that! 

“The artists behind this production embraced what the authors wrote, looked at it all through modern eyes and, in so doing, found depth and resonance that has been recognized by critics and audiences across the country,” Chapin added. “It’s like visiting an old friend, but finding yourself surprised as well. It’s also a reminder of why this show is such an evergreen.”

The creative team for this new production includes direction by Matt Lenz, based on the national tour’s original direction by three-time Tony Award® winner Jack O’Brien (Hairspray, The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Coast of Utopia). Original choreography by Danny Mefford (Dear Evan Hansen, Fun Home, The Bridges of Madison County, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson) has been recreated by Jonathan Warren, with music supervision by Andy Einhorn (Hello, Dolly!, Bullets Over Broadway, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, The Light in the Piazza). 

The design and production team is comprised of Tony Award® nominee Douglas W. Schmidt, set design (The Front Page, 42nd Street, Into the Woods); Tony Award® winner Jane Greenwood, costume design (The Little Foxes, 2014 Special Tony Award® for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre), six-time Tony Award® winner Natasha Katz, lighting design (Long Day’s Journey Into Night, An American in Paris, Once, Aida, The Coast of Utopia, The Glass Menagerie) and Shannon Slaton, sound design (Present Laughter, The Humans). Casting is by Stewart/Whitley.

Those interested can purchase tickets online at www.npacvw.org or contact the box office at 419.238.6722. For more insight on the cast or production, visit www.SoundOfMusicOnTour.com.

For more information, including the 2019-2020 touring schedule, please visit the NPAC website at www.npac.org  or contact the box office. Presenting sponsors for The Sound of Music are Jim and Mary Pope and the Robideau family. Supporting sponsors are Belna Petroleum, Jeffery-Mohr Dentistry, and Van Wert Manor. Season Sponsors for the 2019-20 NPAC Season are Statewide Ford-Lincoln, Chuck and Karen Koch, and Central Insurance Companies.