'The Sound of Music': the timeless musical settles in Sohrlin

Regina Sotorrío

Singers from Lady Gaga to Ariana Grande have covered 'My Favorite Things', a song that has become a jazz standard over the years. Christina Aguilera stunned ... in a TV special with her rendition of 'Climb Ev'ry Mountain'. In the movie 'Moulin Rouge', Kylie Minogue gave a nod to 'The Sound of Music'. More than 60 years have passed since Rodgers and Hammerstein composed these songs in our grandparents' time, tunes that were later passed down to parents and now sung by grandchildren. 'The Sound of Music', the timeless musical, sets up in Sohrlin Andalucía from May 29 to June 14 (Friday to Sunday, from 45.50 euros) with a production by the Malaga-based company Theatre Properties.

The film starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer is part of collective memory. And this touring production aims to keep it intact being "as faithful as possible to the image everyone has in their minds," says Silvia Villaú, director and star in the iconic role of Maria. The sets recreate everything from Captain von Trapp's house to the abbey with its bars and characteristic stained glass windows, to the meadows where the children and their governess frolic. Just the stained glass window weighs 450 kilos, standing over five meters tall. And the facade of the Trapp mansion in Salzburg weighs 690 kilos. Adapting the production to each stage and moving it from city to city is, according to producer Tomás Padilla, quite a challenge.

Fifteen young artists between six and 14 years old make up the children's cast, and they rotate each weekend depending on availability and proximity to their home. "Everything is well organized so they don't miss school," notes Villaú. She acknowledges that working with children requires constant attention to keep them focused, but she "loves" being surrounded by fresh energy. "For them, it's a game. It's very beautiful to see them." Most have discovered the story and its songs through this opportunity, but "they are sponges." "They retain very easily. They come with their own parts learned and leave learning others'," laughs the director.

'The Sound of Music' portrays a delicate historical period, with challenging moments, but conveys a "message of family unity" that continues to resonate with the audience. It is, says its director, an example of the power of music. "It makes you forget your problems. You hear a melody and it brings a smile to your face, it helps you escape," she adds. The plot also speaks of educating with empathy, of "giving children their place." And the context surrounding the protagonists is not foreign today: a family has to leave their country due to ideological reasons and the threat of war.

More than 35 people get this production up and running, including artists and technicians, designed to tour stages, with live voices over pre-recorded music. It's two hours and twenty minutes of performance, with all songs in Spanish and the Malaga stamp of Theatre Properties, a company with more than two decades of experience in the musical world. 'The Sound of Music' joins their catalog of family titles, which includes 'Tarzan', 'Annie', and 'Peter. The Musical', which were performed at the Garrick Theatre in London. Each session (there will be fifteen in Malaga, with double performances on Saturdays and Sundays) brings together several generations in the audience. "And I love seeing the smile of the grandfather remembering old times and the child who leaves happy singing the songs," says Silvia Villaú, who was also once that child humming 'Do-Re-Mi'.

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