Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music ‘Blossom of snow may you bloom and grow, Bloom and grow forever’ Often dismissed as kitsch sentimentalism, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music has proven an enduringly popular and surprisingly influential cultural icon, both within the field of musical theatre and the wider world. The Broadway production won five Tony Awards, the London production became the longest-running West End musical, and the movie version was the highest-grossing film of all time. This book examines how the musical heralded the end of an era on Broadway; its reinvention of history and biography; how the film has influenced future stage productions; the ways in which it put child performers centre stage; and how, nearly 60 years after its stage debut, the musical still has a direct impact on the modern world, from the United States to the Middle East. In this series of short essays, Julian Woolford re-examines the musical from seven different perspectives, revealing the ways in which it continues to impact the 21st century. Julian Woolford is Head of Musical Theatre at Guildford School of Acting, University of Surrey. He has worked extensively in British theatre as a director and writer, and has directed national tours of Oklahoma!, Carousel and South Pacific, as well as the Lebanese and Egyptian premieres of The Sound of Music. The Fourth Wall The Fourth Wall series is a growing collection of short books on famous plays. Its compact format perfectly suits the kind of fresh, engaging criticism that brings a play to life. Each book in this series selects one play or musical as its subject and approaches it from an original angle, seeking to shed light on an old favourite or break new ground on a modern classic. These lively, digestible books are a must for anyone looking for new ideas on the major works of modern theatre. Also available in this series: J. M. Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World by Christopher Collins Heiner Müller’s The Hamletmachine by David Barnett Lerner and Loewe’s My Fair Lady by Keith Garebian Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape by Daniel Sack Thornton Wilder’s The Skin of Our Teeth by Kyle Gillette Harold Pinter’s Party Time by Graham White Davies and Penhall’s Sunny Afternoon by John Fleming Tim Crouch’s An Oak Tree by Catherine Love Sondheim and Lapine’s Into the Woods by Olaf Jubin Errol John’s Moon on a Rainbow Shawl by Lynnette Goddard Alastair McDowell’s Pomona by David Ian Rabey Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grimes by Sam Kinchin-Smith Sondheim and Wheeler’s Sweeney Todd by Aaron Thomas Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Michael Y. Bennett Boublil and Schoënberg’s Les Misérables by Sarah Whitfield J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan by Lucie Sutherland Georg Büchner’s Woyzeck by Karoline Gritzner Mitchell and Trask’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch by Caridad Svich Parker, Lopez and Stone’s The Book of Mormon by Brian Granger Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music by Julian Woolford For more information about this series, please visit: www.routledge.com/ performance/series/4THW Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music Julian Woolford First published 2020 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2020 Julian Woolford The right of Julian Woolford to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record has been requested for this book ISBN: 978-1-138-68283-2 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-54487-8 (ebk) Typeset in Bembo by Swales & Willis, Exeter, Devon, UK For my mother, Anthea, my sisters, Karen and Nikola, and my brothers, Russell and Simon. Remembering watching The Sound of Music on TV at Christmas. Contents Acknowledgements viii ‘Do’ Rodgers, Hammerstein and The Sound of Music 1 ‘Re’ The ghosts of the von Trapps 8 ‘Mi’ How do you solve a problem like the ‘ploovie’? 17 ‘Fa’ What’s a ‘kidsical’? 28 ‘Sol’ It’s not just a musical – it’s an event! 37 ‘La’ Bless my homeland forever 48 ‘Ti’ ’Til you find your dream 57 That will bring us back to ‘Do’ 66 Index 67 Acknowledgements There are many people I would like to thank who have helped in the development of this book, over many years. Firstly, I would like to thank the actors, fellow creatives, orchestras and administrative staff of the three productions of the musical I have directed; in 1994 at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, and then in 2015 in Beirut and Egypt. In particular the three actresses who played Maria, Deborah McAndrew, Gemma Sutton and Helena Black- man, who each brought different qualities to the role. Also thanks to Mark Inscoe who was a glutton for punishment and appeared in all three productions. No book on The Sound of Music is complete without thanks to Bert Fink, who, having worked with the title for many years, knows more about the musical and the film than anyone I know and never fails to take an opportunity to regale his companions with an anecdote. S pecial thanks are also due to the staff of the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization; Ted Chapin, Vivien Goodwin and espe- cially Andy Chan who gave many fine suggestions and comments. Acknowledgements ix Many thanks to Hadi Rosat, the director of the Teh- ran production, and Jackie Clune, a host of the Sing-a- Long-a version, for their time and effort in taking part in interviews. Thanks to Laura Soppelsa at Routledge for nudging and encouraging, whilst always understanding. Thanks to Sean McNamara and all my colleagues at GSA for their words of encouragement as I have juggled writing this with my work at the conservatoire, particu- larly to Kevin Michael Cripps who read an early draft and provided many helpful notes. Thanks to Mitchell Harper, Dominic Hourd, Edward Laxton, Richard John, Matt Brinkler, Chris Hocking, Sue Westcott and my mother, Anthea Woolford, who have all patiently listened while I thought this book would never come into being. Last, but definitely not least, to my husband, Stephen Barlow, whose love inspires me every day. In the words of the Mother Abbess, I can only say to him: ‘What is it you can’t face?’