The phrase “Break a leg!” isn’t meant to be taken seriously. Though it seems some in the recent Lewis S. Mills production of “The Sound of Music” took it literally. “Break a leg” is a traditional way of wishing good luck to those in theater because performers often consider actually uttering the words “good luck” a jinx.
But one actress, Catherine McFadden who played Frau Schmidt, moved the expression from metaphorical to literal, juggling her crutches, boot and lines. She was not the only one with broken bones. Another student, Calleigh Guerrera, a member of the tech crew, broke her arm during the production (both incidents occurred outside of rehearsal and were not related to the production). Still, the show went on – albeit with some extra help behind the scenes to keep the musical humming.
Catherine, for example, had to store her crutches backstage for her moments in the spotlight. She would then hobble off stage and use her crutches again until her next cue. Performers and stage hands adapted by giving her a seat, or holding her crutches. The cast and crew were creative problem solvers and worked cooperatively as a team, ultimately opening the show on time. It takes a unique group of performers to withstand the 6-8 weeks of 2–3-hour rehearsals every day and even more during tech week, and to put in the hard work to put a musical as technical and demanding as “The Sound of Music” together.
Nov. 17 was the opening night of the Region 10 Players’ “The Sound of Music,” and the cast was ready to perform. However, as with many shows, what the audience never witnesses or realizes is the amount of effort that got them to the opening curtain. Like all stage productions, this musical had its of hardships and challenges to overcome.
There can be many hitches along the way to opening night, from props and costumes vanishing or breaking to technology glitches such as malfunctioning microphones and disobedient lighting. But no matter the dilemma, as the cliché indicates, the show must go on. Region 10 Players have repeatedly met this mantra – last year, a lead actress nursed a voice stolen to illness and managed to blow audiences away by wowing in a lead role as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. This year, Director Meredith Roll, an English teacher at Har-Bur Middle School and veteran of local theater productions, said that this year’s musical had different challenges than previous years, other than injuries.
“This was a historical fiction play, so students had to work a little harder to understand the reality,” Mrs. Roll explained. Putting on a production based around something as heavy and elaborate as World War II would be tricky. If it was to be done right, everyone involved had to understand the gravity of the situation which certainly made it more difficult. With that, the number of students in the play was quite enormous (around 45 students), “We had a lot of new students, which was great.” Mrs. Roll had expressed. Many of these students had to be taught the ropes of being a performer, especially in a musical with such depth, which complicated the process even further.
As Jim Henson would say, “The only way magic works is by hard work. But hard work can be fun.” The magic of “The Sound of Music” beamed off the performers, wowing the audience. Maria, the lead, was played by a sophomore, Megan Tucker. Her voice was sweet and musical with a gorgeous vibrato. Logan Bell, or Captain Von Trapp, a junior, had an undeniable stage presence and portrayed the character perfectly, especially seeing as Von Trapp had a huge character change and acts coldly throughout the duration of the play. Lena Hogan, a senior who played Elsa Schraeder, was a phenomenal actress who fully embodied her role by changing the way she talked and moved to match the stuck-up women such as Elsa. Jillian Grustas, a senior, played Lisel. Jillian is a seasoned performer with great poise and passion for acting, able to take on any role, including Lisel. A sophomore, Abigail Roe, played The Mother Abbess. Her dedication to her character was unmatched, with some lovely dashes of singing sprinkled in. The helpers in the Von Trapp household were Frau Schmidt, as mentioned earlier, played by Catherine McFadden, a freshman, and Franz, played by a sophomore, Raine Wells, were able to embody their characters in such seriousness and show their true talent as performers. Norah McCarthy, a freshman, played Max Detweiler. She has a quality stage presence and captured Max perfectly with her incredible acting skills. These are only a few of the many outstanding performers in this musical; everyone did very beautifully. Every role counts, regardless of stage time; tremendous commitment always pays off. The cast worked together to create a superb production, and they should be very proud of their outcome.
The twists and turns before opening night bonded the cast of “The Sound of Music” and strengthened their overall performance—the commitment and hard work of the past several months had been worthwhile, making the drama a favorite thing of cast, crew and audiences alike.
