Although my every waking moment seems to be occupied by “Les Miserables” at the Racine Theater Guild and “Cosi fan tutte” at Carthage (both of which open this Friday night) I found time amidst all the craziness to travel down to Chicago this past Tuesday night to see the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s production of The Sound of Music. And even though it was a school night, my wife Kathy came along with me. And I am SOOOOO glad she did! I’m not sure what it is exactly about this show, but The Sound of Music is not something you should see all by yourself. It’s the kind of show you want to share with someone else…. maybe because one of its central themes is how music is one of the very best means by which we connect with one another. And as we settled into our seats (about five rows behind where Marshall and I typically sit when we’re seeing an opera there) there was this buzz in the air that simply isn’t there when you’re there for Il Trovatore. There was this unmistakable sense that everyone there in that huge theater (all 3,400 of us) knew and loved this show and couldn’t wait to experience it in this new and exciting way. It’s one of those shows that seems to belong to all of us. And another reason the opera house felt very different from a normal opera night is that it seemed like nearly half of the people there were young children, bringing an exuberant energy all their own to the moment.
And, of course, it’s a very special musical with an absolutely enchanting score and a story that really tugs at one’s heart strings. I think one of the things that makes it work is that the show – for as saccharine as it might seem at a glance – is actually not afraid of serving up plenty of darkness and sadness. There is Maria’s failure to fit in with the sisters of the Abbey – her unhappiness at being sent away – the unkindness of the von Trapp children (which eventually gives way) – the rigid coldness of the Baron (which also gives way, eventually) – and the self-serving calculation of the Baroness. And looming over all of it is the evil cloud of Nazism. Saccharine? Hardly. And the fact that at least some of this story springs out of the lives of real people and what really happened to them makes it all the more moving.
I don’t adore every single thing about this show. “Climb Every Mountain” is a magnificent song (and in the Lyric’s production it’s sung magnificently by Christine Brewer – she absolutely brings down the house) but it doesn’t fit very well into the story. (The Mother Abbess has just told Maria that she has to return to the von Trapp home and figure out her feelings for the Baron. It’s a frightening prospect for her, of course, but the lyrics to “Climb Every Mountain” seem melodramatic and over-the-top for such a moment. They do fit the end of the show perfectly.) The song “Something Good,” sung by Maria and the Baron in the second act, makes all these references to Maria’s “wicked childhood” and “miserable youth” that don’t have anything to do with what we know about her. Gorgeous music- weird words. (I wish the Lyric’s production had stuck with the gorgeous song “An Ordinary Couple” that was sung at this point in the original show.” And I would probably like the song “Do Re Mi” if the children didn’t master music quite so perfectly from the first second. A comic opportunity was missed there where you could have had the children struggling just to match pitch rather than breaking into spontaneous four-part harmony three minutes after being taught the notes of the scale for the very first time. So yes, there are a few things that make me grumble.
But how much do they matter to me in the end? Not at all. The glories of this score sweep all of those misgivings aside, and not just because so many of these songs are so very beautiful. It’s also that these songs resonate so deeply within us, in part because we know them so well. (I could sing any song from this show perfectly, by heart, except for “Lonely Goatherd.” I can’t think of another show where that’s true- even shows like “Showboat” that I’ve been in!) And I’m sure that sense of “Sound of Music” belonging to all of us is why when NBC aired a live performance of the original stage version, it stirred up such a ruckus. Had it been done with any other show, I don’t think people would have particularly cared about whether or not Carrie Underwood should have been cast or any of the other complaints or concerns raised by millions of Americans via their twitter and facebook accounts. We care about The Sound of Music a lot.
The main reason I took the time to see The Sound of Music in the midst of such a ferociously busy time for me is that the Racine Theater Guild will be doing the show next fall – and I thought it was a good idea for me to experience the show as Live Theater in person rather than on a screen. So I looked at it almost like a Business Trip of sorts. But it didn’t take long before I was a blubbering mess, crying over “Climb Every Mountain” – crying as tiny Gretel sang “the sun has gone to bed and so must I” – crying at the awesome sight of the von Trapp mansion rolling into view as Maria finished singing “I’ve got Confidence.” After awhile, it felt like I was spending more time crying than not crying! And for Kathy, it was a very touching night as well because this show was her mom’s very favorite, and it was incredibly poignant to be seeing this just a few days before Mother’s Day. And that might be one reason why I found myself so deeply touched by one fact of the story that had never made much impression on me before: the von Trapp children’s need for a mother, or at least for someone to mother them. (Not quite the same thing.) It is that aspect of the story that was most poignant to me. There are all kinds of children all over the world who – for one reason or another – do not have a mother close at hand to love them and tell them how precious they are. The von Trapp’s children is not like most in that they are living in the lap of extraordinary luxury, with servants plus a governess to attend to their material needs. But it’s not enough. (Think of what a cold word “governess” is, without the slightest connotation of warmth and affection.) Even amidst all that opulence, the von Trapp children need a mother’s love.
That’s what we all need. Even when we would seem to be beyond the need for mothering, we all need to be loved with that kind of warm, all-encompassing love- which can flow from fathers too, and for that matter from people who are not our parents at all – but who have a way of making us feel special and cherished and remembered. One of my Facebook friends recently posted this quote from Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you did; people will forget what you said; but people will never forget how you made them feel.” I think that helps explain how a mother’s love continues to hold us and embrace us even after our mothers are no longer with us.
So yes, The Sound of Music is about the miracles that music can bring about in our lives. But don’t forget about the miracle of Mothering that is just as important a part of the von Trapp story. That’s what I’m thinking about today, on this special day when we honor mothers and pause to be thankful for whoever has shown us the unique warmth of a mother’s love.
pictured above: Jenn Gambatese, who performed the role of Maria so winningly in the Lyric Opera’s production of The Sound of Music, is surrounded by the talented youngsters who portrayed the von Trapp children. I met several of them backstage afterwards; they were absolutely delightful.