Review: ‘The Sound of Music’ sounds great at Hancher

Hancher Auditorium was alive Tuesday night with 'The Sound of Music,” as the national tour of the famed Rogers and Hammerstein production sailed into town.

The well-known and well-loved story of the von Trapp family - including the widowed Captain von Trapp and his seven children - and their new governess Maria Rainer, a wannabe nun who can't help but sing her way through the day, is a favorite of many, including myself. The nearly sold-out auditorium was filled with anticipation as the orchestra struck up the familiar opening tune.

While some may remember the movie as being epically long, the musical production moved swiftly along, diving right into some of the classic ballads - that will inevitably be stuck in my head for the rest of the week - including 'The Sound of Music,” 'Maria” and 'My Favorite Things” all within three scenes of the first act. The vocally talented cast truly brought those most notable songs to life to the audience's delight.

Charlotte Maltby, 23, had a playful stage presence in the leading role of Maria. Her smile was infectious and her lovely vocals did justice, or rather brought a distinctly optimistic vibe, to what could have been a daunting role.

The fun truly began when Maria and the audience met the von Trapp children - Paige Silvester as Liesl, Roy Gantz as Friedrich, Ashley Brooke as Louisa, Austin Levine as Kurt, Iris Davies as Brigitta, Kyla Carter as Marta and Anika Lore Hatch as Gretl. They became the darlings of the stage.

They exuded a familial camaraderie and had beautiful harmony as they sang 'Do-Re-Mi.” Their exuberant rendition of 'The Lonely Goatherd” was truly a crowd favorite.

Speaking of crowd favorites, Melody Betts in the role of The Mother Abbess truly blew the audience away with her stunning vocal range on several numbers including 'Climb Ev'ry Mountain.” Tony award winning actor Ben Davis in the role of Captain von Trapp, brought a softer, relatable take on the part, wooing the audience with his striking baritone voice, especially with his rendition of 'Edelweiss.”

The show's set was impressive, shifting seamlessly from the abbey to the mountains and the von Trapp villa. Perhaps one of the most fun elements of the show is the fact that the audience becomes part of the production toward the end as the von Trapp family singers take the Concert Hall Stage in Kaltzberg before making their stealthy getaway from Nazi occupation.

It was in those final scenes that the poignancy of the production and what the von Trapp family is fleeing becomes palpable. Given today's political climate, I'm guessing Captain von Trapp's sentiments were not lost on some audience members. It seems the message, albeit not as resoundingly as the songs, of 'The Sound of Music” are timeless.

The Sound of Music will be performed at Hancher through Sunday and limited tickets still are available. If the standing ovation and cheers at the end of Tuesday night's performance are any indication, it may well become one of your favorite things.