Istana Budaya has opened its doors for the public to witness one of the most beloved musicals of all time, live on stage – “The Sound Of Music”! Those who are familiar with the 1960s movie starring the legendary Julie Andrews have been dying to see the iconic musical on the Malaysian stage.
Among the many things local fans have been looking forward to is the Malaysian talents playing the roles of the famous Von Trapp children! We had the opportunity to attend the Gala Opening Night Premiere of the show – and smiles were seen on everyone’s faces as soon as they walked through the doors of Istana Budaya. We can confidently say that the hills were definitely alive – and so were our hearts. Here are some of our “Favourite Things” about the show (SPOILER ALERT):
“The Sound Of Music” is a tuneful, heartwarming story that’s actually based on the real-life saga of the Von Trapp Family singers, in the years immediately preceding World War II. We follow the main character, Maria, the tomboyish postulant at an Austrian abbey, who becomes a governess in the Von Trapp home, and brings love, life, and music back into their lives.
The new play production by Base Entertainment Asia certainly brings back so many childhood memories! Those who are only familiar with the movie and not the stage production will be treated to not only new arrangements of the songs, but their new placements in the play. We were delighted to see the silly yet lovable side of Mother Abbess (Lauren Kidwell) when she sang “My Favourite Things” with Maria (Jill-Christine Wiley) in the first Act, which did not happen in the movie.
After playing the role several hundred times, it was definitely no surprise to see Jill-Christine Wiley doing an excellent job as Maria. Fans of the musical are treated to the iconic “Do Re Mi” song when we are first introduced to the Von Trapp children, played by the local talents – with the exception of Liesl Von Trapp, portrayed by Lauren O’Brien. The children brought smiles to not only their parents, but everyone in the audience. The sense of love and pride in seeing our local talents on an international stage alongside professional Broadway actors was immeasurable.
Nostalgia filled our hearts after seeing the characters sing favourites such as “Sixteen Going On Seventeen”, “So Long, Farewell” and “The Lonely Goatherd”. Those who may not be familiar with the stage musical have the chance to hear songs that didn’t make it into the movie, such as “How Can Love Survive?” – a group performance by Max Detweiller, Elsa Schraeder, and Captain Von Trapp. One of the highlights of the show was “Climb Every Mountain”, performed by Mother Abbess (Lauren Kidwell) who blew the audience away with her powerful soprano voice. The perfect song to end the first Act before intermission.
Now let’s talk about the stage. The sets on stage are not only beautifully built, but conveniently practical, as they can be easily moved by the cast themselves when transitioning to the next scene. The mountain backdrop used for the iconic title song at beginning of the first act is actually handpainted and cleverly lit, making the audience believe that it could just be a simple image projection. Costume designs are simply brilliant, as the actors can change into the next costume in the blink of an eye – which definitely makes it all the more magical.
As soon as the second Act ended, the audience gave the Broadway stars a standing ovation! Everyone was on their feet cheering for the cast and crew during the curtain call. Opening night was not only a celebration of the first staging of “The Sound of Music” in Malaysia, but also of Jill-Christine Wiley and Lauren Kidwell, as both of them reached a milestone of 500 performances!
Overall, the play was out of this world. Truly magnificent. It was evident that the production team, including the cast, “climbed every mountain” to make this staging a success – and we’ll hate to say “So long, farewell” once it ends.
“The Sound Of Music” will be staged at Istana Budaya until 15th January, so hurry up and grab your tickets now!
Check out what went down on Opening Night below and be sure to watch the cast interview here.
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