The Sound Of Music Remains Timeless For Fox Performance
–By Jen Cunningham
The hills are alive with the “Sound of Music”…
The “Sound of Music” graced the stage of the Fabulous Fox Theatre, February 2nd-4th.
My favorite part about covering the classic productions is listening to everyone in the crowd singing behind me. The timeless classic was well represented by Jill-Christine Wiley who played Maria, a postulant sent to be the governess for Captain von Trapp’s seven children.
Captain von Trapp, played by Mike McLean, was a Captain in the Austrian Navy. A recent widower, he had become a bit of a workaholic, leaving his children for long periods of time, to escape the pain of the memory of his late wife.
Maria was a bubbly, musician to whom the children took to immediately. She renewed their spirits through song, and very quickly won over the Captain. Before the end of the first act EVERYONE was in love with Maria, including the Captain.
Maria fled back to the Abbey to seek guidance from the head Mother. She had never dealt with the feelings that flooded her heart, but with a tough Mothers love, Maria gained her feet again and returned home to the Captain and his children.
The second act felt like a bit of a skit out of I Love Lucy as they used music to escape from Nazi Germany.
As a whole the musical was delightful. All of our favorites from “The Sound of Music”, “My Favorite Things”, “Do-Re-Mi”, “Sixteen Going On Seventeen”, “So Long, Farewell”, and “Something Good”, just to name a few.
I thought that since I couldn’t add anything new to the review based on the age of the story line, I would shine a light on my favorite part of the performance, Lauren Kidwell. Lauren plays The Mother Abbess. Lauren is one of those voices that make you cry at the opera. Its smooth, and steady. She is one of those powerhouse vocals that is going to find her perfect role and do BIG THINGS. Her resume is hardly light, but one of these roles is going to land her in a lead role, on the GREAT WHITE WAY.
Next up is the Wizard of Oz. Performances of THE WIZARD OF OZ at the Fabulous Fox run February 23-25. Show times are Friday and Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m., Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. and Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. There will also be an evening performance on Sunday, February 25 at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets for THE WIZARD OF OZ at the Fabulous Fox are on sale now at MetroTix.com, by calling 314-534-1111 or in person at the Fabulous Fox Box Office. Ticket prices start at $20. Prices are subject to change; please refer to FabulousFox.com for current pricing. Groups of 15 or more should call 314-535-2900.