The Sound of Music comes to Malaysia with local kids in cast

The Sound of Music is an evergreen for both adults and children. (Base Entertainment Asia pic)

KUALA LUMPUR:

The Sound of Music is a classic musical that remains dear to many, thanks to the memorable performances of Julie Andrews and Christopher Plumber when it was made into a movie in 1965.

But it began as a stage musical, making its Broadway debut in 1959.

Today the story of Maria, a nun and governess, who weaves music and song into the lives of widower Captain von Trapp and his seven children, still has the ability to move those who watch it.

And this December, Istana Budaya, Kuala Lumpur will come alive with the sound of music – albeit with a Malaysian “touch” as 17 talented local children will share the stage with actors from Broadway.

The local cast will take turns playing the roles of the six Von Trapp children, so that they can take sufficient breaks over the three weeks of staging.

Presented by Base Entertainment Asia, its CEO Chantal Prudhomme, told FMT: “During the pandemic, I was talking to the producers, and we thought that this is a good show for the Malaysian audience as it’s a happy show. It’s also about resilience and overcoming obstacles together.”

Chantal Prudhomme hopes the audience will be proud to see local children alongside the Broadway actors. (Azrul Zahari @ FMT Lifestyle)

The audition subsequently took place on June 28 and 29 at Dominus Arts Venue in Wangsa Maju, Kuala Lumpur and Prudhomme shared that almost 500 children turned up with their parents.

“It was incredible. A lot of them don’t have traditional training in theatre or dancing. But a lot of them are absolutely raw talent,” enthused the 57-year-old French-Canadian.

“After watching the production, I hope that the audience will walk away with a smile on their faces and that it will make them happy and proud to see local children on the stage with international Broadway actors.”

An upcoming initiative, she added, is to establish a performance arts academy that offers workshops and classes among others, to kids with talent.

“It’s important for me to offer opportunities, particularly to Malaysian youths, because they are the adult performers of tomorrow – both on the local and international scene.”

Behind the scenes

For Natasha Tan, 13, the audition for the musical was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and she was elated to be picked to play Brigitta Von Trapp.

“It’s very exciting and I honestly didn’t expect to get picked for the role as there were so many people there.”

Tan, who is part of her church’s teenagers’ choir, is now preparing for her role by familiarising herself with the music and practising with the music scores.

Natasha Tan and Izz Quedy are both 13 years old and will play Brigitta and Friedrich Von Trapp respectively. (Base Entertainment Asia pics)

Izz Quedy, also 13, will be playing the role of Friedrich Von Trapp. He said that the audition process was “really intense especially when it was the time to eliminate people”.

He was beside himself with joy when he was picked – certainly a sweet feat as he dreams to make it to Broadway someday.

When asked if he shared any similarities with his character, he shared: “Yes, Friedrich wanted to be seen as the man of the house when his father was not around. I like to do the same thing when my parents are not at home!”

Christiano-Lafayette Victor, who will play Kurt Von Trapp, auditioned for the part as he wishes to become a famous actor and singer someday.

“I was shocked that the effort I put in was enough, happy that I got in, and thrilled to be a part of this journey.”

This is the first show that the 11-year-old has auditioned for, and he hopes to experience how theatre works, saying this is just the beginning for him.

Playing Kurt and Marta Von Trapp are Christiano-Lafayette Victor and Allegra Hew. (Base Entertainment Asia pics)

For Allegra Hew, The Sound of Music has always been one of her favourite musicals. The nine-year-old found out about the audition from her mother.

“The audition was quite interesting because we had to learn harmonies and put them together with the other parts. It was a challenging task as all of us got confused by everyone else’s voices. But when we started to get the hang of it, we sounded amazing together.”

When she found out that she had been selected to play the role of Marta Von Trapp, she felt “happy, very excited, and grateful for the opportunity”.

The musical is directed by three-time Tony award-winner and Broadway veteran, Jack O’Brien and choreographed by Danny Mefford. It also features music supervision by Andy Einhorn and includes an all-Broadway creative, design and production team.

Catch Natasha, Izz, Christiano-Lafayette, Allegra, and the rest of the ensemble cast in action!

Venue: Istana Budaya Kuala Lumpur

Showtimes: Dec 27 to Jan 15, 2023