Sunday, June 17, 2018

A Drop of Golden Sun - Sound Of Music Sing-A-long

Few musicals have become so entrenched in American and world culture than Sound of Music. Since its release in 1965, it has become one of the highest grossing musicals in history and the soundtrack has sold over 20 million copies worldwide. It also catapulted Julie Andrews to stardom and made her and Christopher Plummer household names. Filmed in and around Salzburg, Austria in 1964, the story is of coursed based on the actual Von Trapp Family that immigrated to the US during World War II. They later became famous for their live performances and travelled around the world until 1957 when they went their separate ways. The story was first catalogued by Maria Von Trapp and made into a broadway show in 1959. the show won 5 Tony awards and became the basis for the film 6 years later. The Von Trapp lodge in Vermont has become a beloved attraction for fans and their story continues to live on thanks to the vitality of the movie and story. As recently as 2013, a live version on NBC was broadcast featuring stars such as Carrie Underwood and Stephen Moyer. The soundtrack itself has been a steady seller and was the #1 selling album in the US and the UK in 1965. This was a year when rock bands like the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Beach Boys were at their height so this achievement is all the more remarkable, All this is to say that the Sound of Music has become a cultural phenomenon and remains beloved to millions of people.

I hadn't seen this movie in a long time and forgot how feel good it is. The songs of course are amazing and the people that came were completely immersed in the story no matter how many times they've seen it. Before the show, there was a costume contest that featured every character and setting used in the film. We also gave every person goody bags that had things related to the movie such as edelweiss and poppers. This created an extravaganza of shorts that even I started to embrace. I'll be the first to tell you I'm not a musicals person but Sound of Music has achieved a place in popular music that few will ever reach. As someone who has been to Salzburg and seen many of the sights in the film, I appreciated it all the more.

My favorite part of the movie has always been when they do the hanging puppet show. Everyone is so happy and it really shows the magic of the film in a joyous way.

Looking forward to more shows in the future!

DC




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