All three were captivated by the heartwarming story and songs including “Climb Every Mountain,” “Do-Re-Me,”“Sixteen Going on Seventeen,” “Maria,” “My Favorite Things” and the title song, “The Sound of Music.”
The iconic Rodgers and Hammerstein story is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp and focuses on the Trapp Family Singers and their escape from Austria before World War II. The plot centers around Maria, a postulant at an Austrian abbey, who serves as governess for a widowed naval captain with seven children, bringing joy and music into their lives.
Einhorn, an award-winning Broadway music director and conductor, put together all of the new arrangements and shaped the musical landscape of this touring production which was at the Kennedy Center last month and comes Oct. 14-19 to the Schuster Center in Dayton.
He has impressive credentials. He worked on “Gypsy” with Audra McDonald and has been McDonald’s music director and conductor since 2011. He was involved with Bette Midler’s “Hello, Dolly!” and Renee Fleming’s “Carousel.” He’s also conducted orchestras throughout the country, including symphony orchestras in Cleveland and Philadelphia. He has been on the faculty of The Julliard School and the Aspen Music Festival.
A bit of history
When it first landed on Broadway in 1959, “The Sound of Music” racked up five Tony awards including Best Musical. Starring Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza, it was the last musical written by a famous team: Richard Rodgers, who wrote the music and Oscar Hammerstein II, who wrote the lyrics.
Many of us were first introduced to the musical with 1965 film version, starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer; it won five Academy awards including Best Picture. In 1913, NBC broadcast “The Sound of Music Live!” with Carrie Underwood as Maria, Stephen Moyer as Captain von Trapp and Audra McDonald as the Mother Abbess. It was the stage version and broadcast in real time.
The version of the Broadway show that comes to Dayton was originally conceived in 2015 as the brainstorm of Concord Theatricals which houses the Rodgers and Hammerstein collection. That group collaborated with director Jack O’Brian and a team that included Andy Einstein.
“It was important for us to make sure we were presenting the stage version and we had the flexibility of the estate to create new transitions, musically speaking,” he said. “We could do what a revival of a musical should do... question with love what the writers intentions originally were but contextualize them for audiences today. Aren’t we lucky now that our producers came to us again and and gave us a chance to re-examine it again after 10 years?”
He said one of the hallmarks of this production revolves around the music producer Max, and Elsa, a wealthy socialite engaged to marry Captain von Trapp.
“It’s a plot line which is subdued in the film and deals with the social and political commentary inside this piece. It’s set in Austria in the late ‘30s and that was not a skip-in-the-park time, there was a lot boiling in the ethers. I think the creators knew exactly what they were doing by putting a subplot about the Nazi regime at that time and we have brought that plot to the forefront in our production. It instills a strong reason that Maria and the family need to escape the world because they want to fight against this regime. This is a timely story right now.”
Einhorn said another hallmark is the story of the relationship between Maria and the Mother Abbess.
“Usually the role is played by someone significantly older than Maria, but in our production we strive to find commonalities between the two women so it doesn’t seem like that much of a generational gap. The two can speak to each other on a friend level. You realize at the end of the show that Mother Abbess risks her own life when she helps the family escape over the Alps.”
Einhorn said if he’s done his job correctly, the audience will listen to the show with fresh ears.
“During the rehearsal process we asked the singers to find their own connection to the material that’s not based on memories but is based in the current moment. Music is the language by which these characters communicate with one another. Every character is affected by music.”
“Even though this show is wrapped up in ‘raindrops on roses,’ it’s actually a harrowing and triumphant story that exhibits tremendous resilience.”
Meet Maria
Cayleigh Capaldi, an honors grad of Columbia University and Berklee College of Music, will be making her national tour debut in the leading role of Maria. As an influencer and creator, she has garnered over 300K followers and 100M views across socials.
“One of my favorite things about Maria is she is unapologetically herself,” said Capaldi. “She’s been pressured her entire life to conform and follow the rules of society and the Abbey when orphaned at a young age. She’s tried to fit in and please those around her to the detriment of her indomitable spirit.“
The actor said she can relate.
“I do view myself that way,” she said. " I’ve gone through a journey of struggling with perfectionism and people-pleasing so it’s been interesting to explore Maria’s journey of self-actualization and discovering her own uniqueness. Her quirks are what make her so powerful and lovable so it’s a liberating and inspiring message for me and the audience."
Capaldi comes from a show biz family. Her father’s family members were vaudeville performers in Scotland and England and from an early age he was performing with them. Her mother, Leigh Zimmerman, is an award-winning stage and screen actress.
“So I came into the world singing before I could speak,” Capaldi said. " I had the bug from an early age. I was born and raised in London but I have no accent. My mother is American and my dad had lived in the States long enough."
The show’s major theme, she said, is love.
“We have the love story between Maria and the Captain and the love story of Maria and the children as she discovers the family she never had as a child. We have the story of Maria finding love for herself and discovering her own self-worth despite what the world might make her think about herself. And finally, the love of country and what is right in the face of wrong.”
Her favorite song is “Do-Re-Me.”
“I love doing that song, I feel like once I get on stage with our wonderfully talented children and we start interacting with each other ,Maria’s story hits the ground running.
She enjoys working closely with children and had a similar experience when she played Elsa in the first regional production of “Frozen” last year.
“Kids are such a wonderful reminder to hang on to the curiosity excitement we experience as children. They approach the show with fresh eyes and its really a reminder to us adults to find that joy and element of discovery anew.”
HOW TO GO
What: “The Sound of Music” Broadway tour presented by Dayton Live
Where: Schuster Center, 1 W. Second St., Dayton
When: Oct. 14-19. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets: $53-$161. Call 937-228-3630 or visit daytonlive.org
Related programming:
“Background on Broadway” is 60 minutes before each performance for ticket holders to that day’s performance. You’ll learn about the development, history, and artistry of the show. This free event is held in the Schuster Center’s 4th Floor Lobby.
Two workshops are scheduled:
- DLCA Stage & Sip: The Sound Of Music - Thursday, Oct. 16
- DLCA Family Broadway Studio: The Sound Of Music - Tuesday, Oct. 14
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