The Sound of Music a the NAC: some staging choices and casting issues spoil the show for this reviewer.

Photo: Marnie Richardson.  Eliza Jane-Scott as Maris on Parliament Hill

A production of The Sound of Music conceived as more akin to a pantomime than straightforward musical theatre might appeal to some.

The singalong invitation offered at the beginning sets the tone. Such tricks as a deep-voiced male in drag as a nun in the opening section signal the style. Later, an even cheaper trick of having the Nazi admiral with a Hitler look-alike hairstyle is more irritating.

Apart from bothersome directorial choices of this nature by Joey Tremblay, there are also some casting and presentation issues, including placing the three-piece band on the stage and the orchestration style.

Then, Climb Ev’ry Mountain has been a showstopper in any other version of The Sound of Music that I have seen. In this production, as presented by the Mother Abbess (Quancetia Hamilton) with her two backup singers, it is more akin to scrabbling up a hillside under the note.

It is also a pity that James Loye playing the older Von Trapp son appears too old for the role and that a female is cast as younger son Kurt.

The good news is that Eliza-Jane Scott in the lead role of Maria has a beautiful singing voice and, despite no evidence of chemistry between her and Dmitry Chepovetsky as Captain von Trapp, brings great energy and warmth to her characterization.

Sheldon Elter as Max and the von Trapp children also deliver solid performances, but the overall sensibility of the show is that the theme is taken less seriously than it deserves to be. (In the interests of full disclosure, I should mention that like the von Traopps, my father and grandmother took the mountain route into Switzerland to escape the Nazis after Anschlüss.)

But, clearly, many others are enjoying the panto. Tickets are selling fast and the run has been extended into 2014.

The Sound of Music

Music by Richard Rodgers

Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

Book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse

National Arts Centre English Theatre

Director: Joey Tremblay

Musical Director: Allen Cole

Choreographer: Dayna Tekatch

Set and costumes: Roger Schultz

Lighting: Leigh Ann Vardy

Sound: Peter mcBoyle

Cast:

Maria……………………………………….Eliza-Jane Scott

Captain von Trapp………………………….Dmitry Chepovetsky

Liesl………………………………………..Leah Doz

Friedrich……………………………………James Loye

Louisa………………………………………Sarah Gibbons

Brigitta…………………………………….. Katie Ryerson

Kurt…………………………………………Allison Hess

Marta………………………………………..Madison Elizabeth Bellini/Petra Ginther

Gretl…………………………………………Clara Silcoff/Hana Woo

Mother Abbess………………………………Quancetia Hamilton

Sister Berthe/Frau Schmidt et al…………….Christine Brubaker

Sister Margaretta…………………………….Kristi Hansen

Elsa………………………………………….Petrina Bromley

Max………………………………………….Sheldon Elter

Rolf………………………………………….David Comber

Franz…………………………………………Pierre Brault

Admiral von Schreiber……………………….Joey Tremblay

Zeller…………