In the captain’s gazebo are (from left) TJ Brescia (Max), Lilli McNerney (Maria) and Scarlett Anthony (Elsa) in Westfield High’s performance of “The Sound of Music.” Photo by Bonnie Hobbs.
A beloved, Academy-Award-winning musical, “The Sound of Music,” will soon burst upon the Westfield High stage as its 2025 Cappies show. Based on the powerful, real-life story of the von Trapp Family Singers in Salzburg, Austria, the story unfolds in 1938, as Nazi Germany’s about to take over that country prior to WWII.
Capt. Georg von Trapp, a retired naval officer, has raised his seven children with strict military discipline after their mother died. But things change when free-spirited Maria – who’s studying to become a nun – becomes their governess. She teaches them to sing and, along the way, falls in love with their father – who must decide whether to stay in Austria or leave.
With a cast and crew of more than 80 – plus a 25-piece, student orchestra – this show takes the stage Thursday-Friday, May 1-2, at 7 p.m.; and Saturday-Sunday, May 3-4, at 1 p.m. Tickets are $15, adults; $10, students, at the door or via www.westfieldtheatre.com.
“Besides the actors, we have a lot of choir, band and orchestra students who also act in this show,” said Director Christine Maxted. “So all aspects of the Performing Arts Department are collaborating to put it on together.”
There’s a two-level, rotating set, with scenes taking place inside and outside the von Trapp home, at a gazebo in their garden and at the church abbey. And projections will be used to show the outdoors scenery. Students designed and created the costumes, including military uniforms and play clothes for the children, full habits for the nuns, plus tuxedos and gowns for the adults at a party.
“I grew up with this show, and it was one of the first I ever watched,” said Maxted. “It’s special to me because I was taught by nuns, so a lot of the religious elements – and even the Latin the nuns chant – is accurate. A great deal of work also went into the set, plus research into the architecture and costumes [of 1938 Austria].”
She said audiences will be able to relate to the characters, as well as to “the challenges of family dynamics. They’ll also enjoy the live, pit orchestra; the dances designed by our two student choreographers, Alyssa Staton and Karli Powell; and the nuns’ beautiful a capella choral music. This story offers a message of hope for the future – which I think everyone needs to hear and be reminded of.”
Portraying Maria is senior Lilli McNerney, who’s also been in choir for four years. “Maria’s a ball of energy and happiness,” said McNerney. “She wants to lift up the people around her. But sometimes, she gets the feeling that her actions might be a little impulsive. She loves the children with all her heart and soul and only wants what’s best for them. And as the story progresses, she falls in love with the captain [played by Peter Dalton], too.”
McNerney called it “great fun” playing Maria because – “as someone who’s also high energy – she reacts to things like I do. And she loves to sing – which, as a choir kid, myself, is really nice. It’s my first lead; but everyone’s been so helpful to me so I can do all the cool stuff Maria does. It’s hard work, but I get to interact with lots of different people. And seeing all the hard work pay off – and all the complexities of her character – is freeing and rewarding.”
“The Lonely Goatherd” is McNerney’s favorite song. “It’s my most challenging piece because it takes a lot of air to sing it,” she said. “And I had to learn how to yodel for it. The song also has a bunch of my favorite high notes in it, where I get to sing up into the stratosphere. And our talented choreographers took what was originally a boring scene and turned it into a beautiful dance number. This has been the most fantastic musical experience I’ve had to date, with the most amazing cast.”
“Audiences will enjoy watching the captain and Maria fall in love,” she continued. “And they’ll be blown away by the little kids because they sing and act so well together. You can see them coming into their own and helping move the plot along. They’ll also get a kick out of Max and Elsa [the captain’s brother and fiancé]. They’re the best comedy duo and are hilarious together.”
Senior Scarlett Anthony plays Elsa. “She’s rich and knows her worth as a person,” said Anthony. “She’s not a mean character, just confident in herself. But she’s not great with children because she has no experience with them.”
She enjoys portraying Elsa because “she’s older than me and more mature than a lot of the characters. So it’s a cool contrast from the younger characters I usually play. And it’s nice playing a fancy, elegant person; it makes me feel like a queen.”
Anthony especially likes the song, “So Long, Farewell” because “each character gets their own, little cameo – and some even have solos or duets – as they’re saying goodbye [during a performance]. It’s such a pretty piece and the song is so wholesome. And at the end, the captain and Maria sing a beautiful duet.”
She said audiences will love this show because “it’s a classic – a more traditional musical, compared to today’s modern musicals. And they get a look inside the time period they lived in and see what they had to go through. They’ll also watch this loving family come together through music and grow even stronger.”
Portraying Liesl, 16, one of the captain’s daughters, is senior Jacqueline Larsen. “Liesl is mostly friendly, but a little bossy and protective when it comes to her siblings,” said Larsen. “She’s definitely a boy-crazy teenager who loves her family and is worried about what will happen to them going forward.”
Larsen likes playing this role because “Liesl is a relatable character. I see a lot of my 16-year-old self in her. It’s also just a fun part. And I enjoyed working with the choreographers a lot – they created great scenes.” Her favorite song is the show’s iconic number, “Climb Every Mountain,” especially the reprise at the end with the whole cast. “Julia Leonard, who sings it as the Mother Abbess, sounds amazing.”
Larsen said the show will appeal to people of all ages. “Kids will enjoy it, as well as adults,” she said. “Now playing in this production as a teenager, I can see the historical depth in the script and the fun songs that I’d missed as a child. There’s a lot more to it than I realized, including some funny jokes I didn’t pick up on then.”
Senior TJ Brescia plays the children’s Uncle Max. “He’s the comic relief in this mostly dramatic show,” said Brescia. “A showbiz producer, he wants to get the von Trapp family to participate in a choir festival. He’s fun-loving, energetic, funny and charismatic. He cares deeply about the family, the show going right and his reputation.
“It’s the biggest role I’ve ever done. Taking on a major part in such a prestigious show is intimidating, but I’m also very excited to do it. I especially like the song, ‘Edelweiss.’ It’s powerful but also relaxing, and I love how it’s used in the show. It helps carry the emotion of the story and relates to von Trapp’s love of his country.”
He said audiences will really love this show’s music and story. “We’ve put a ton of passion and hard work into this musical and it’s going to pay off,” said Brescia. “The costumes are beautiful and unique. Everyone in tech is doing a great job and the actors are having a good time – and that’ll all be reflected onstage.”