O.C. Theater Review : Music, Magic but no Mirth

When Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The Sound of Music” opened on Broadway in 1959, there was no idea that it would run for almost four years, anymore than R & H thought their “Oklahoma” would capture the heart of America and seemingly run forever.

The team’s retelling of the escape of the Von Trapp family from Nazi suppression, a true story, was played out with unabashed sentimentality, crystal-clear simplicity and a score that featured Hammerstein’s folksy affinity and Rodgers’ hummable melodies.

Three and a half decades later, the material holds up well. Indeed, in the touring production at the Orange County Performing Arts Center through Jan. 8, the show has become the star. A fine cast headed by Marie Osmond seems to understand the respect due, which may be part of the production’s only problem.

Under the warm direction of the lyricist’s son, James Hammerstein, the show itself appears to have become a sort of hymn, a classical morality play like those depicted on the Baroque ceilings of Neil Peter Jampolis’ scenic design. There is a sense of both importance and import in Hammerstein’s tempos in the dialogue sections and in much of Richard Parrinello’s musical direction. It’s a charming, heartwarming, melodious show, but it’s not grand opera, and here it just doesn’t glisten with the inner energy it once had.

That’s not to say that a lot of the magic isn’t still there. The tear ducts will swell at the right time, and the lips will curl into a comfortable smile now and then.

What’s missing is a lot of the fun, especially when the Von Trapp kids are onstage with Maria. Marie Osmond is impressive as the convent postulant whose heart is full of music and whose music is full of heart. Unlike many who have played the role, she manages at the beginning to seem almost like one of the children, maturing slowly and almost imperceptibly until Maria’s marriage to the children’s father finds her completely his equal. Osmond also sings Rodgers’ melodies in a grand and accomplished manner. But her efforts, along with the children’s, look very rehearsed.

Neal Benari’s Captain Von Trapp is a fine, starchy patriarch who melts into his old true self with ease, and the actor, in a solid performance, fortunately doesn’t get gooey about it. Claudia Cummings is a Mother Abbess to reckon with; her powerful soprano is an extension of the aura of wisdom, kindness and strength she drapes around the character.

Lauren Thompson has a nice brittle edge as Von Trapp’s wealthy fiancee and Keith Jochim is very funny and brings new colors to the dingy impresario Max. Elizabeth Owens’ housekeeper stands out for the roundness of characterization in an underwritten role.

The Von Trapp children are all they should be, but particularly noticeable are tiny Lisbeth Zelle as Gretl, the youngest, for her sense of humor, and Stephen Blosil (Osmond’s real-life son) for his strong stage presence and his clarion voice in some solo bits. Vanessa Dorman is a surprisingly and appealingly complex Liesl, the oldest daughter, and her duet (“Sixteen Going on Seventeen”) with Rolf, the telegraph boy she loves, is a highlight. Richard H. Blake gives Rolf an appealing boyishness during the number, contrasting effectively with his later Hitler Youth arrogance.

* “The Sound of Music,” Orange County Performing Arts Center, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. Tuesdays through Fridays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, 2 and 8 p.m. Ends Jan. 8. $19-$47. (714) 740-2000 or (213) 480-3232. Running time: 2 hours, 50 minutes. Marie Osmond: Maria Rainer

Neal Benari: Captain Von Trapp

Claudia Cummings: The Mother Abbess

Lauren Thompson: Elsa Schraeder

Keith Jochim: Max Detweiler

Vanessa Dorman: Liesl

Richard H. Blake: Rolf Gruber

Stephen Blosil: Kurt

Lisbeth Zelle: Gretl

Elizabeth Owens: Housekeeper

Produced by Robert Young, Nick Litrenta, Jon B. Platt and Robert V. Straus in association with the Pace Theatrical Group. Directed by James Hammerstein. Musical direction: Richard Parrinello. Musical staging: Joel Bishoff. Scenic/lighting design: Neil Peter Jampolis. Costume design: Jonathan Bixby. Sound design: Duncan Edwards. Production stage manager: Mark S. Krause.