6/13/13: The Sound of Music at the North Shore Music Theatre

 The Hills of Beverly, MA are alive with The Sound of Music.  Well at least the North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) is alive with The Sound of Music and we were lucky enough to attend the show the other night.  We attended as a family and my kids loved the show as much as we did.  The show is still going on until June 23rd so there is still time to get tickets.

 Credit for all photos to: ©Paul Lyden
First off, Lisa O'Hare was fabulous as Maria.  Her voice was powerful and her character so believable.  It is hard to live up to Julie Andrews but she did an amazing job with the part and I was quite impressed.   

Another character that had an absolutely phenomenal voice was Suzanne Ishee as Mother Abbess.  When she sang Climb Ev'ry Mountain it was so amazing.  Words can't even describe how beautiful it was sung and the crowd cheering at the end of the performance was evidence of how moved others were too.

The kids were also wonderful.  My children were impressed by them and inspired by them.  They had wonderful voices and great stage presence.  When they sang So Long, Farewell it was adorable.  

David Andrew Macdonald was wonderful as Captain von Trapp.  His voice was great and his affection for Maria was well done.  As always the North Shore Music Theatre is a wonderful venue as you are surrounded by the action as it is a theatre in the round.  It is a quite lengthy show with the longest portion in the first half.  The show runs 2 hours and 40 minutes with a 20 minute intermission.  Take this in to account if you are taking young children to see it.  Some tips:  There has been a 2pm matinee added on Thurs, June 20.  Kids 18 and under save 50% on ‘Family Friday' June 14.   

More about the show:
Let's start at the very beginning... the award-winning North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) is alive with THE SOUND OF MUSIC as the treasured musical takes the stage for the first time since 1989.  Opening Tuesday, June 11 and playing through Sunday, June 23.

"When I selected The Sound of Music to open the 2013 Musical Season, I could never have predicted how popular it was going to be, and this production is going to be a knock out. With a talented cast, led by Lisa O'Hare, under the direction of James Brennan, I have confidence this production won't disappoint," said owner and producer Bill Hanney. "This show has already outsold some productions from past seasons.  We haven't even had our first performance yet but I have added one performance and will determine soon if we can add more.  I expect tickets to become scarce."    

The final collaboration between Rodgers & Hammerstein was destined to become the world's most beloved musical. When a novice nun proves too high-spirited for the religious life, she is dispatched to serve as governess for the seven children of a widowed naval Captain. Her growing rapport with the youngsters, coupled with her generosity of spirit, gradually captures the heart of the stern Captain. Featuring a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse and a score by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, THE SOUND OF MUSIC is filled with some of the most memorable and well-loved songs of all time including "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," "My Favorite Things," "Do-Re-Mi" and "So Long, Farewell." 

 The cast of THE SOUND OF MUSIC will be led by Lisa O'Hare playing Maria Rainer. Lisa returns to NSMT following her critically acclaimed performance in the 2011 production of My Fair Lady. Other credits include Camelot (Guinevere), Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins), Gigi, Copacabana, and television appearances on "Castle," "The Closer," and "Undercovers."  Following this production, Lisa will be headed to Broadway in A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder. Stage and screen actor David Andrew Macdonald will play Captain Georg von Trapp. David has appeared on Broadway in Mamma Mia!, Coram Boy, and Two Shakespearean Actors, and in the National Tour of Stephen Daldry's An Inspector Calls for which he received a Jeff Award nomination in Chicago. His television credits include "Sex and the City," "Law and Order," "Law and Order: SVU," and ten years (1999-2009) playing Edmund Winslow on The Guiding Light. 

  Tickets for the THE SOUND OF MUSIC are priced from $45 - $75. Performances are June 11 thru June 23, Tue - Thurs at 7:30 pm, Fri & Sat at 8 pm, matinees Wed, Sat and Sun at 2 pm.  

For tickets and information call (978) 232-7200, visit here or visit the box office in person at 62 Dunham Rd., Beverly, Massachusetts.  Discounted Five- Show Subscriptions and Trio packages are available. THE SOUND OF MUSIC is sponsored by Abiomed.
Play the Sound of Music Game and win 4 VIP Tickets for the show on June 22nd.

The 2012 musical season continues with The Wizard of Oz (July 16 - 28), Cats (August 20 - September 1), La Cage aux Folles (September 24 - October 6) starring Charles Shaughnessy, Miss Saigon (November 5 - 17), and concludes with the return of New England's brightest holiday tradition A Christmas Carol (December 6 - 22), starring David Coffee, celebrating 20 years as Ebenezer Scrooge.

So don't let this show go "So Long, Farewell" before you get to enjoy it.
You can also check out the North Shore Music Theatre:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NorthShoreMusicTheatre

Twitter: http://twitter.com/NSMusicTheatre

Disclosure:  I received 4 tickets to attend this performance of The Sound of Music.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.