ROTARY’S ‘SOUND OF MUSIC’ PLAY FAMILIAR, BELOVED AND FULL OF FUN FOR ALL AGES

BRACEBRIDGE — The grand Rotary tradition of an annual Broadway musical showcasing local talent is back.

The service club has been mounting the “Rotary Show” since 1978, interrupted only by the pandemic.

Its 43rd production closed at the beginning of March, 2020, just days before the world began to shut down.

Even then, Rotary managed to harness its community of talented performers to mount its 44th show, an all-virtual show it called ‘All Together Now,’ which raised money for the local hospital foundation.

The comeback 45th show is a perennial favourite, ‘The Sound of Music.’

Director Emma Philips was keen to bring her own unique touch to a show that is familiar to — and even beloved of — so many.

Producer Jean Polak says there are sometimes unrecognized depths to the familiar story: besides being a happy love story and a celebration of family, it also includes some resonant themes about the importance of resisting oppression. It is set in a time when fascism was creeping through Europe and reflects a real life story of a family who would not bow down to the Nazis.

The Oscar-winning film is so well-known that it is sometimes forgotten that before the movie there was a highly successful stage version starring Mary Martin, which won five Tonys including best musical.

The stage version does differ in some ways from the film, but the general story is essentially the same. Two new songs were added for the film after the death of lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, so both music and lyrics of ‘I Have Confidence’ and ‘Something Good’ were provided by his musical partner Richard Rodgers.

Both songs are in the Rotary version of the play. Many of the other songs in the show are also classics, such as ‘Do-Re-Mi,’ ‘My Favourite Things’ and ‘Edelweiss.’

As usual, the Rotary show gives local talent a chance to shine.

There are more than 30 cast members, including a large chorus of nuns.

The leads include Hannah Archibald as Maria, Parres Allen as Captain von Trapp, Aussa Penniall as Baroness Schraeder, Brian Jones as Max Detweiler and Nicole Louise Moore as the Mother Abbess.

Allen, Penniall and Moore have all previously had lead roles in other Rotary shows.  Among their many other roles, Parres will be remembered for his stunning turn as the Emcee in ‘Cabaret,’ Aussa as the title character in ‘Mary Poppins’ and Nicole as the Chaperone in ‘The Drowsy Chaperone.’

Jones was previously in the chorus of Rotary’s productions of ‘Mary Poppins’ and ‘South Pacific,’ and is now in his first lead role.

Archibald is new to the Rotary shows, but not to performing in lead roles. Before she and her family moved to her husband’s hometown of Bracebridge, she had a professional singing career and acted on television.

Once again a talented band under the baton of music director Neil Barlow provides the sound of some lovely music. Performances of the cast have been honed over four months of rehearsals under the guidance of director Phillips and assistant director Earl Sacrey. The choral director is Fran Harvey and the choreographer Tia Pearse.

‘The Sound of Music’ opens at the Rene Caisse Theatre with a gala dinner and show on Thursday Feb. 23. Although numbers are being firmed up with the caterer, some tickets for the gala may still be available (call 705-64-2855 for gala tickets only).

Tickets for regular performances can be purchased online at www.thecaisse.ca. Those performances start on Friday, Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m., and continue with evening performances on Feb. 25 and Thursday and Friday March 2 and 3.

There are also two matinées (which are already selling out) on Sunday Feb. 26 and Saturday March 4, both at 1:30 p.m.

Tickets are $25 for youth and $30 for adults. A discounted group price is available for groups of 10 or more — call 705-706-1938 for group sales or general questions.

“The Rotary Shows are a great tradition that we are proud to bring back after the disruption of the pandemic” says producer Polak. “The Rotary club sponsors these annual musicals as a community service, not only to the volunteers in the cast and crew who commit so many enjoyable hours together as the show takes shape, but also to the hundreds of people who enjoy the finished product. It has been a joy to help people rebuild the bridges of community engagement that had been undermined by the social isolation of the last three years.”

In addition to the annual musical, the Rotary Club of Bracebridge sponsors the fireworks extravaganza on July 1, the Centennial Gardens, and Annie Williams Park to name a few. Rotary also gives back through, among other things, its own local humanitarian fund which helps local families in need and the international drive to eradicate polio worldwide.

Don’t miss ‘The Sound of Music,’ this year’s annual Bracebridge Rotary Musical and “your show” since 1978.