Overview:
The students at Great Falls Middle School and Turners Falls High School are performing "The Sound of Music," with four shows on February 13-15. The production was delayed from November due to a change in directors, but the students have remained dedicated to the show. The musical tells the story of Maria, Captain von Trapp, and their seven children as they flee Austria during the rise of Nazi Germany. The show features themes of family and morals, and the students have been taught about the historical context of the story. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students.
The hills are alive in Turners Falls, but the students at Great Falls Middle and Turners Falls High aren’t just rehearsing songs — they’re grappling with history. This February, the school’s double-cast musical production of “The Sound of Music” finds its heart in the resilience of the von Trapp family during the rising tide of 1938 Austria.
The production features four performances from Feb. 13-15. The Blue Cast takes the stage for the first two shows, Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m., followed by the Gold Cast for the final two, Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m..
The show features a number of recognizable songs, like “Do, Re, Mi” and “My Favorite Things,” with themes of family unity and moral integrity.
This show was rescheduled from its original November date, as middle and high school music teacher Alyssa Comeau was brought on to join Special Education Teacher Jessica Vachula-Curtis as a new co-director.
Comeau said that pushing the musical into the new year gave the students, who were already busy with academics and sports, more time to understand and learn the musical. She said that even with the change in the show schedule and leadership, the students have remained resilient and dedicated to the show.
“They worked hard, and they have put together a really beautiful show where they are individually trying to tap into different feelings and emotions of 1938 Austria, with the rise of Nazi Germany,” Comeau said.
This musical is based on the memoir by Maria Augusta Trapp, “The Story of the Trapp Family Singers,” and tells the story of Maria, her husband, Captain von Trapp, and their seven children as their home country of Austria is overtaken by Nazi Germany. The family must make a moral decision to stay or go, and in real life, the von Trapp family fled to the United States to live in Vermont.
While the show features a number of joyful moments, the undercurrent of this being based on a true story of a family experiencing the rising tide of fascism in Austria is a history that Comeau says she taught the students about. She points to how the cast talked about resilience and “fighting through” one’s moral beliefs, and what that experience must have been like in 1938 versus today, also pointing to how the von Trapp children may’ve felt at this time in not understanding why their father would be called back to serve in the Navy.
To help them better conceptualize what was happening to the characters, Comeau says she had students remember a time in their lives where they felt similar to the von Trapps’, and had them use those moments to try and drive their performances.
“Our worlds are often so limited in what we experience and what we feel, and trying to put ourselves in those shoes sure gives us a better understanding of other people’s lives,” Comeau said, adding that the kids have “met and even exceeded” the moment when it comes to portraying these characters and story, even for some of the first-time actors in the show.
Michael Waite, a senior, is not new to the stage at the school, having played the title role in “Shrek: The Musical” during last year’s musical production. Portraying Captain von Trapp, however, Waite says offers a new challenge — requiring more emotional depth and a historically accurate accent.
“I think some of the scenes where it’s shifting the emotion … not really so much the theme parts, but like seeing [Captain von Trapp] grow as a father, I think a lot of that was interesting,” he said.
As he tackles this new challenge, Waite said that he appreciates the help of his directors in learning the show, and the focus on the historical accuracy.
“It’s really great. There’s a very big emphasis on historical accuracy,” he said. “All the costumes are accurate, and they’ve really been helping break down the scenes … because it’s some of it is very old-timey, it helps us break down the language.”
Sophomore Scarlett Pouliot is portraying Maria von Trapp, which is her first lead role in a show at the school. She said that she feels connected to her character, both for the love she has for children, and that she likes to help others and use music as a tool for learning.
Pouliot said she tries to enjoy the lighter, joyful parts of the show when the more intense moments of the show “take over” her focus. Similar to Waite, she said that the directors have really prepared the students for the history behind the musical.
“They help us to understand those heavier topics and to show us what it actually means, why we are doing these things, and why it’s important to understand it,” she said.
Being the matriarch of the family in this story, and playing a character based on the real Maria Augusta Trapp, Pouliot says that this role is a responsibility she feels ready to carry.
In reflecting on the message of the show, Pouliot says she takes away the message of how much family matters.
“I think it’s a show that will show you that family matters, and that even if you don’t realize it yet, you should definitely try and connect with the family that you have, and just don’t let them go,” she said.
Ready for their moment
As showtime nears, Comeau says that the students will be getting microphones for rehearsals soon, the set pieces will be finalized, and “tech week” — the week before opening night when the cast runs the show and finalizes the performance — is when she expects there to be an energy shift for the students as they near showtime.
When asked if there is a scene or moment that she’s seen her students work hard and grow through, Comeau points out a tense scene involving the characters of the Baroness Elsa Schraeder — played by junior Lia Little — and Captain von Trapp.
In this scene, Schraeder, who wants to marry von Trapp, realizes that their moral differences in how they view the Nazi party entering Austria mean they can’t be together. Comeau said she asked the actors to recall a time they’ve seen adults argue, and the awkwardness that can happen from that interaction, and use that to guide the feelings in that scene.
“They are nailing it, [and] giving me chills thinking about the fact that in normal conversation, when energies are a little high, or you’re trying to gauge how someone is feeling, there are moments of silence that are awkward, but they’re awkward because you care so much and you’re feeling so much,” Comeau said. “That little scene is gonna be so powerful.”
After a long journey from the initial casting calls to opening night, Comeau said she hopes the cast’s dedication resonates with the audience.
“I would hope that the audience sees that these students have been very thoughtful in their interpretation of their character, that they have worked very hard to memorize all their lines and their songs and their lyrics,” she said, “and I would hope that the audience sees just how wonderful our students are.”
Tickets for “The Sound of Music” at the Turners Falls High School auditorium, 222 Turnpike Road, are $10 for adults and $5 for students.