Ockie & Dick's Culmination

Greetings, everybody. Recently, I proclaimed that stellar, marvelous news occurred. It'll now be revealed to you. I was cast in a production of The Sound of Music, courtesy of my hometown's Rotary Club. It'll be Rotary's 1st musical staging since 2020, which is a huge, local ordeal.

They were faultless in choosing the show. Obviously, the piece is totally endurable. It'll exude joyousness and draw multigenerational crowds. It's libel to be a production of top-tier calibers. The directors are versed visionaries and simpatico as a team. The remainder of the creative team are habile at their tasks. Personally, I'm utterly elated. It'll be fulfilling. The venue has sentimental value. I get to be a character actor (currently, you're reading text written by a 1-man men's chorus). I'll work with prior collaborators, all while getting to know new people. That's utterly rewarding.

The 1st rehearsal is fastly approaching. In the meantime, let's go back to very beginning. We're going to discuss the show's 1959, original Broadway cast recording. In other words, we'll ramble about it.

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II composed a congruent, yet motely score. Ockie's legitimate lyrics were peerlessly paired to Dick's majestic music. The songs are multiplex in their simplicities. Their score manages to be romantic, tranquil, folksy, elegant, triumphal, topical, tuneful, ebullient and poignant.

Richard and Oscar's work was elevated by other factors. Columbia Records knew how to turn out cast recordings with towering qualities. As a record producer, Goddard Liberson was an ace. Robert Russell Bennett thrived as an outstanding orchestrator. Trude Rittman and Frederick Dvonch were total enrichers of the material. The instrumentals are sumptuously devised and played, too.

It's saddening that the performances of John Randolph (Franz), Nan McFarland (Frau Schmidt) and Stefan Gierasch (Herr Zeller) weren't preserved, they were staggerous individuals. However, the performers on this recording enamor. The nuns and postulants possessed vivid ability (especially Muriel O'Malley, Elizabeth Howell and Karen Shepard as our main trio of sisters). Brian Davies made a splendiferously laddish Rolf. Lauri Peters was a totally twee, affably amiable Lisel. Consequently, Evanna Lien, Mary Susan Locke, Marilyn Rogers, Joseph Stewart, Kathy Dunn and Bill Snowden were enchantingly cultivated talents. The 7 onstage Von Trapp children were deserving of a special Tony. Marion Marlowe's Elsa Schrader was offsetting, vibrant and so debonair. Theodore Bikel, a durable leading man, flourished as The Captain! He delivered an engrossing performance. Winning Tony #4 for playing Maria, Mary Martin's youthfulness, professionalism and benignity were evident. My favourite performances were given by featured players. Patricia Neway's operatic Mother Abbess is unrelentingly astonishing--Neway compelled and sure earned her Tony. The urbanely resolute Kurt Kasznar engages as Max Detweiler, he had striking presence and provided relieving comedy.

The original cast album enraptures. Back in the day, it was actually quite rife, too. The Sound of Music was unfortunately Rodgers and Hammerstein's final collaboration. Tragically, Ockie succumbed to his illness and passed on 9 months into the Broadway run. It's sensible that we conclude this post by bringing up their last song as a duo--Edelweiss. It was a belated addition during the tryout period and a thoroughly lovely number. Bikel, a Jewish individual who fled Austria because of the Nazis, was beyond exceptional at performing it. Interestingly, the final lyric Oscar penned was "forever". It undoubtedly sums-up the musical's utter longevity. It was a blaze of glory. Richard and Oscar couldn't have had a grander Swan song. My colleagues and I will do it justice. This is dedicated to Oscar's memory. His songs will be sung once more. Thank you for reading.