Keeping The Sound of Music alive

Who can ever forget The Sound of Music, the hit Broadway musical which was adapted into a successful movie by 20th Century Fox in 1965 and went down as one of the most acclaimed musical entertainment of all time?

As everybody is familiar with, the film revolves around the story of Maria (portrayed by Julie Andrews in her movie debut appearance) who was taken in as governess in the household of Captain von Trapp (played by Christopher Plummer) and endeared herself to the von Trapp children because of her caring, loving and compassionate ways and by sharing her love for singing, until she was torn between her dream to become a nun and her secret feelings for Captain von Trapp.

Everybody knows how the movie ended in true classic "and-they-lived-happily-ever-after" fashion.

What very few people perhaps know is that, after over four decades, the renowned tradition of the great musical act remains alive and vibrant until this age and time, proudly carried on by a new generation of von Trapp artists who preserve and perpetuate the legacy through a new and successful act called The von Trapp Children Concert.

The sound of music – ranging from selections from the play and movie, plus a variety of other classic and pop songs – will literally come alive for local music fans when the von Trapp children visit Manila for the first time for a series of performances on Oct. 6, 8 p.m. at the Plenary Hall of the Philippine International Convention Center and on Oct. 7, 7 p.m. at the Premiere Theater of SM Mall of Asia.

To be produced by Solar Entertainment Corporation Promotion, the two-night musical event will feature the grandchildren of the real Sound of Music family composed of Sofia, 18; Melanie, 16; Amanda, 15 and Justin, 12, who are the great-grandchildren of Captain von Trapp, father of the famous singing family.

Through their series of musical shows, the von Trapp children have continued the tradition of the family’s exceptional musical gift and love of singing, sharing songs and heart-warming family stories of life before and after they came to America from Europe.

Aside from timeless pieces from The Sound of Music (the title song, The Sound of Music, Do-Re-Mi, How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria, Edelweiss, among others), the kids’ repertoire includes a variety of folk and classical songs from various European and American traditions as their voices create beautiful harmonic blend and pristine tone that never fail to captivate millions of audiences of all ages.

As constantly-in-demand symphony and pops orchestra guest artists, they have performed with major orchestras like Boston Pops, Atlanta, Detroit, Phoenix, Milwaukee Symphonies, as well as the National Arts Center Orchestra in Ottawa.

Although the kids started out playing in small venues, sell-out crowds have carried them into some of the world’s most prestigious theaters, like the Sydney Opera House during a world tour that took them to Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Korea.

They have also performed across America for a variety of media like Today (NBC), Fox and Friends (Fox News), Good Morning America (ABC), CBS Sunday Morning, The Grand Ole Opry (GAC), The 700 Club (CBN), Inside Edition, QVC Network and numerous Top 20 market TV morning and news shows.

Print coverage includes features in The New York Times, Parade, People, Life, Vol. 1, in January 2003, followed by The von Trapp Children, Vol. 2, in September 2004, while Christmas with The von Trapp Children is set to be re-released in fall this year. An a cappella album is in the planning stage.

The children set a milestone in summer of 2003 when they portrayed the beloved characters based on the story of their grandfather and three of their great aunts in the North Carolina Theater production of The Sound of Music in Raleigh, North Carolina. After breaking several box-office records for the company, the show moved to the Aladdin Resort in Las Vegas for a week.

Filmed footage of the children’s 2005 performance at the Hollywood Bowl has been included in the 20th Century Fox’s anniversary DVD release of the movie, too. They were also named as Outstanding Singing Group at the 2005 Young Artist Awards.

Tickets for The von Trapp Children Concert at PICC are priced at P500, P1,000, P1,500 and P2,000 (special VIP seats available), while tickets for the SM Mall of Asia Premiere Theater performance cost P1,500 and P2,000. For inquiries, call 911-5555 or 891-9999.

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