The Sound of Music Soars at PPAC

The touring production of the beloved The Sound of Music, now being performed at Providence Performing Arts Center, is an unqualified triumph. The singing is first-rate, the Rodgers and Hammerstein songs are all gems, and the show looks fabulous, from the sets to the costumes.

Kerstin Anderson is an enormously likable and attractive Maria, who is asked to serve as governess to the von Trapp siblings – Liesl, Friedrich, Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta and Gretl.
Their father, Captain Georg von Trapp, is a stuffy and seemingly humorless man who treats his children like his own mini-army. Maria teaches her young charges how to sing and they become seasoned performers in no time. After Brigitta tells Maria that she thinks her father and Maria are in love, Maria flees back to the convent to seek spiritual guidance from Mother Abbess. Meanwhile, the German army, under the command of Adolph Hitler, threatens to invade Austria. The von Trapps’ happy world is later encroached upon by the Nazis, a situation that may forever alter their lives.

Ben Davis is a strong and convincing presence as Captain von Trapp. He delivered a stellar vocal on the classic song, “Edelweiss.” The child actors are all excellent, especially Paige Silvester as Liesl. Silvester shares a smashing duet with Dan Tracy’s Rolf, “Sixteen Going on Seventeen.” The biggest star of this production is Melody Betts as Mother Abbess. Betts, a vocal powerhouse, shook the rafters with a soul-stirring “Climb Ev’ry Mountain.”

Scenic designer Douglas Schmidt created a posh mansion for the von Trapps and a somber-looking convent for the nuns.

The Sound of Music has plenty of humor, mostly supplied by Merwin Foard’s Max.
One of the more effective moments comes when Captain von Trapp breaks out of his self-imposed gloom and sings along with the children he never took the time to know.
The romance between Maria and von Trapp is charming and believable thanks to the chemistry between Anderson and Davis. The climactic scene is genuinely poignant and is the perfect capper for a wonderful night of entertainment.

The Sound of Music runs through March 13 at Providence Performing Arts Center. For tickets, call 401-421-ARTS. Web site is www.ppacri.org.