Sound of Music 1965

Originally a Broadway Musical

One of the most famous musicals of all time

Written by Richard Rodgers (who wrote the music) and Oscar Hammerstein (who wrote the words to the songs)

Set in Austria

Based on the life of Maria Kutschera who was studying to be a religious sister at Nonnberg Abbey

Maria can’t seem to follow the rules of the abbey, so she is sent away for the summer to be a governess of Captain Von Trapp’s 7 children

She is sent away for a short while so she can find out what the world expects of her, and if she does, hopefully she can then learn to expect it of herself. She will be allowed return in the Fall.

Captain Georg von Trapp was a highly decorated hero, Austrian Imperial Navy

His wife Agatha died in 1922 of Scarlet fever leaving him the seven children

Ever since Agatha’s death, the Captain runs house like one of his naval ships: marching orders, whistles, no playing, and NO MUSIC!

The movie stars Julie Andrews as Maria and Christopher Plummer as Captain von Trapp

The story takes place in the late 1930s when Germany is set to march into Austria and take it over. Hitler wanted to unify Austria and Germany. This unification was called the Anschluss. The Anschluss happened in 1938.

Some Austrians were in favor of the Anschluss. Most were not. Captain Von Trapp was not in favor of the Anschluss.

An Overture is played at the beginning of a musical. It is a short sample of the many songs that will be played in the musical that is about to start. Later in the musical, after an intermission, the Entract does basically the same thing to begin the second half of the show – it replays parts of the songs that were heard in the first half, and introduces some new ones that will be heard in the second half.