The Sound of Music

Clearly, the sound of music is something which I could not go without for a day... but this post, uncharacteristically, refers to the dreadful musical "The Sound of Music." I appeared in a production of this play, as the Mother Abbess, some years ago. It was not the easiest role for me, given that the nuns in this show are along the lines of cartoon characters. During both "How Do You Solve a Problem like Maria?" and "My Favourite Things," I felt my dignity was severely compromised. But the director wanted an operatic singer for the "Climb Every Mountain," and I was happy to oblige.

The theatre company's director also happened to be a teacher in a Catholic, women's college, of which I was a graduate. As a treat for the nuns there, she had invited all of them (and it was quite a large number) to be guests at the first performance. They were lovely ladies - but led to two of my most uncomfortable 'stage moments'!

The first was during the scene where the stern Abbess is reminding Maria that disappearing on the mountain (...I'd like to see a convent where that could even happen, let alone be tolerated...) had caused great worry to the nuns. I am very short, have the cheeks of a cherub, and was perhaps 23 at the time, and it indeed was quite an effort to get my pint-sized self into the demeanour of an aged Austrian Benedictine. (As well, though any child could see that I am a marshmallow in ten seconds, I am somewhat stern looking now and then.) Well, when I (as the Abbess) informed Maria that she was going to be the Von Trapp governess, Maria's response was, "A Captain in the Navy? Oh, Reverend Mother, he'll be very strict!" The audience of nuns roared with laughter.

Yet the worst was yet to come. Silly though this show can be, it is far from that in the climactic scene where Maria speaks with the Abbess and acknowledges her love for the Captain. For those who have not seen the play, I'll mention that, at that point in the action, Maria has left the Von Trapp home, with no explanation, and has been at the abbey for several days, refusing to speak to anyone. (As is sadly the case with adaptations of the life of Christ and other historical incidents, the impact can be slightly less than adequate because everyone knows how this story turns out.) When the Abbess questions her, Maria, who still intends to be a nun, speaks of how her conflict is "torturing" her. Maria mentions that she would be "ready at this moment to make the vows..." The nuns in the audience broke into such uproarious laughter that I think both the actress playing Maria and I were a bit thrown!

To prevent this entry from being purposely useless, I shall add: it is a good idea to remember that perspective colours everything. :)