Strong Singers Make Beautiful ‘Music’ Together

Richard Muenz sings beautifully as the Baron in Theater League’s rendition of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The Sound of Music” at Probst Center in Thousand Oaks.

This may not seem significant--after all, it’s the Baron’s return to singing that expresses his emotional arc, so who would ever cast a Baron who couldn’t sing?

Actually, this same producer--Theater League--did just that, when it cast a TV star who couldn’t sing in its 1993 production launching its first Southland series, at Pasadena Civic Auditorium.

By casting Muenz, Theater League makes amends. And by hiring Mary Gordon Murray as Maria, it breaks its usual pattern of using names that are famous from the mass media as the leads.

This is an encouraging move, and Muenz and Murray make beautiful sounds of music together. They generate considerable romantic chemistry, especially as they teach the children how to dance in the first act.

Still, their casting isn’t perfect. Muenz looks young to have commanded a ship in a war that took place more than 20 years earlier. And Murray, who’s wonderful once she leaves the abbey, looks too mature to be the “flibbertigibbet” and “girl” who’s described in the opening scenes.

Those opening scenes are the most challenging for any stage production, for how can any stage suggest the scenic splendor depicted in the movie? Set designer James Kronzer’s Alps suggest the nearby Santa Monica Mountains during the dry season. It will be interesting to see how the upcoming Broadway revival handles this problem.

Glenn Casale’s staging uses reliable L.A. actors in supporting roles: Barbara Passolt as Elsa (stylishly dressed by Christine Hanak), David Ruprecht as Max, Kathryn Skatula as the Mother Abbess, Helen Geller as the housekeeper and Frank Stancati (who was recently seen as the emcee in the Nazi-era “Cabaret” in Redondo Beach) as the nastiest Nazi. The children are charming (that includes Wendee Bresee as Liesl and Danny Bergold as her young love). Like the show itself, Randy Hills’ choreography loosens up after a stiff opening and becomes quite captivating.

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* “The Sound of Music,” Probst Center, Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd. Tuesday to Saturday, 8 p.m.; Saturday, 2 p.m.; Sunday, 2 and 7 p.m. Ends Sunday. $29.50-$37.50. (213) 480-3232. Running time: 2 hours, 45 minutes.