It’s not an exaggeration to say that The Sound Of Music is the most beloved film musical of all time. It has touched more than one generation, as over the years, many parents have shared the magic of this wonderful movie with their children. Seven very special people experienced The Sound Of Music firsthand—the seven young actors cast as the von Trapp children. Now, for the first time, they tell their stories about making this celebrated film, from their auditions to rehearsals in Los Angeles to an incredible spring and summer in Salzburg, Austria. What was it like to work with Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer? How did they learn the songs and dances for the musical numbers? Who almost drowned when the boat tipped over? What was it like to attend the gala Hollywood premiere? What were their lives like after starring in this legendary movie? And how did they become a family in real life, remaining as close as any brothers and sisters for the last 45 years? The answers are revealed at last, along with personal cherished memorabilia, such as letters sent home to their families from Europe, a page from the script with edits written in the margin, and a ticket to the premiere. For anyone who is thrilled by the sight of Julie Andrews spinning around on top of a mountain, or who spontaneously bursts out singing “Do-Re-Mi,” this captivating behind-the-scenes story is a must read. Fred Bronson’s extensive television credits include writing the annual American Music Awards and episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. He has appeared four times on American Idol as a musical expert and has written biographies of many Idol finalists for their record labels. He is the author of several books, including Dick Clark’s American Bandstand (with Dick Clark) and The Billboard Book of Number One Hits. Movies www.carltonbooks.co.uk £25.00/US$34.95 Duane Chase o s and Debbie Turner C ntent with actress Eleanor Introduction .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 Parker, who starred At a special screening of the movie at a theater on Wilshire as Baroness Elsa Boulevard in Los Angeles. The Real von Trapps.. .. .. .. .. .. 6 Schraeder. n The Auditions . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 8 io Charmian Carr.. .. .. .. .. .. 14 t In the canoe for My Favorite Things .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 18 the filming of the roduc boat scene. nt Bon Voyage .. .. .. .. .. .. 22 I On Location .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 24 Nicholas Hammond . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 32 Rock the Boat . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 36 There are many members of The Sound Of Music Meet the Parents . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 40 a sprawling group, and I come to it by dint of my family. job: I It’srun the Heather Menzies . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 42 Rodgers & Hammerstein office in New York. At reunion events Singing and Dancing.. .. .. .. .. 46 over the years, starting with the 25th anniversary in 1990, I got to know those connected to the Duane Chase .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 54 film—including, of course, the On Set .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 58 extraordinary Julie Andrews and Angela Cartwright .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 66 Christopher Plummer. Various groupings of “the Robert Wise .. .. .. .. .. .. 70 kids,” as they still get called, The Escape. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 74 were at these reunions. Over the Debbie Turner . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 76 years, we have joined forces in a range of celebrations, and along The Premiere .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 80 the way have become friends. I Kym Karath .. .. .. .. .. .. 84 must credit my stalwart associate Becoming a Family .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 88 here at the office—Bert Fink—for Index .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 94 his tireless efforts through the years in wrangling whatever has Credits.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 96 needed to be wrangled in order to keep all relationships open and cheerful and moving forward. The fact that these seven adults, who were fortunate enough to have been cast when they were youngsters as the von Trapp Screen siblings children, are still vibrant and active, is Duane Chase and nicely reassuring. I think many of us Debbie Turner. look at them today and think: “If they can grow up successfully, so can I!” I am thrilled that this remarkable gang of seven has assembled their personal stories and memorabilia into this scrapbook. I look forward to many more milestones to celebrate with the extraordinary “Family von Trapp.” – Ted Chapin, President, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Summer 2011 Kym Karath, Angela Cartwright, and A behind-the-scenes look at the filming of Nicholas Hammond enjoy recess outside the scene in "Do-Re-Mi" where the cast runs along of the schoolhouse on the the river. Fox lot. The cast takes a break while filming the first part of the "Do-Re- Mi" sequence at Werfen. THE SOUND OF MUSIC 5 Three In 1949, Maria von Trapp wrote a book about their adventures, The the l generations of Story Of The Trapp Family Singers. A German company bought the re von Trapps meet a stage and screen rights to the book for $9,000 and produced a movie, in December 1998. s Back row: the Die Trapp-Familie, released in Germany in 1956. Two years later there app real von Trapps. was a sequel, Die Trapp-Familie In Amerika. on Tr Middle row: the Stage director Vincent J. Donehue saw both German films and v film von Trapps. screened them for musical star Mary Martin and her husband, producer Long before Charmian Carr, Nicholas Hammond, Heather Front row: Richard Halliday. Maria von Trapp was doing missionary work on the Menzies, Duane Chase, Angela Cartwright, Debbie Turner, the Broadway South Seas island of New Guinea with Father Wasner when she received and Kym Karath portrayed the von Trapp children in a production movie called The Sound Of Music, there was a real von von Trapps. a letter from Martin and Halliday about turning her life story into a Trapp family. They really did have a governess named Broadway musical. Maria was not interested, and tore up the letter. Maria, they really did sing as a family, and they really did When Maria and the priest returned to the U.S., they arrived by ship flee Austria after Hitler’s invasion. Their story became a in San Francisco. Halliday was waiting for them on the dock, two tickets book, two German films, a Broadway musical, and finally in hand to see his wife in the musical Annie Get Your Gun at the Curran a big Hollywood motion picture that won five Academy Theatre. Maria enjoyed the show, but confessed she no longer had the Awards, including Best Picture. rights to her own life story. Martin and Halliday would have to negotiate with the German film company. It took six trips to Munich, but rights were secured. Howard Lindsay Georg von Trapp was born on April 4, 1880, in Zara, Dalmatia, and Russel Crouse were hired to write the book for the play, which then part of the Austro–Hungarian Empire. At 14 he entered the would feature the songs the von Trapps sang on their tours. Then navy and in 1910 was given command of his first submarine, a Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, the leading Broadway vessel that was christened by Agathe Whitehead, granddaughter of composers of the day, who had changed the course of Broadway the British gentleman who invented the torpedo, Robert Whitehead. musicals with Oklahoma! in 1943 by integrating plot, music, and dance, Georg had first met Agathe at a society ball in 1909 and they were were asked by Halliday to write a couple of new songs. The men behind married within two years of first meeting. The couple had seven a run of successful musicals that included Carousel, South Pacific, and children: Rupert, Agathe, Maria, Werner, Hedwig, Johanna, and The King And I thought the musical should either be all traditional von Martina. Young Agathe contracted scarlet fever and her mother Trapp songs or all original material, but not a combination of both. caught the disease from her and died in 1922. Lindsay and Crouse agreed to wait for the composers to complete their Four years later Maria also fell ill. By that time, the children had work on Flower Drum Song so they could write a full original score for gone through 25 teachers and governesses. When she arrived at The Sound Of Music. the von Trapp home from the Nonnberg Abbey in Salzburg, Maria Mary Martin spent ten days with Maria at the family lodge in Stowe, Augusta Kutschera was the twenty-sixth. She was hired specifically studying the woman she would portray on Broadway, and developing to take care of the ailing Maria, but soon found herself caring for a friendship as well. Later, Martin sent Maria a present—a pale green all seven of the von Trapp children. gown and matching shoes to wear to the opening night of The Sound Poster from the original Before she died, Agathe had urged her husband to take a second Werner von Trapp sent a 1959 Broadway production Of Music on November 16, 1959. When the show ended to thunderous wife so the children would have a new mother. When Georg asked letter of thanks to Duane. of The Sound Of Music. applause, Maria was the first person to give the cast—and her friend Maria to marry him, she was not in love with him—yet. But she did Mary Martin—a standing ovation. Three Marias: love the children and she said yes. Georg and Maria were married on At the 1960 Tony Awards, The Sound Of Music won six statuettes, Florence Henderson from November 26, 1927. Heather, Angela, Duane, Debbie, the national tour of including Best Actress for Martin (who was competing against Ethel When the bank in which they kept their money failed, the von Kym, and Maria von Trapp at The Sound Of Music, Merman’s performance in Gypsy) and Best Musical (tied with Fiorello!) Trapps took in boarders in their three-storey mansion.