EVERETT A 10-year-old who attends Pinewood Elementary School in Marysville, Sierra Price, is playing Marta in the Northwest Savoyards production of The Sound of Music, which is directed by former Arlington High School drama teacher Susan Weingarten. A current drama consultant to AHS, Bob Nydegger, is acting in the show as Uncle Max.
This is one of the most fun family shows youll see in a while, Nydegger said adding the show is great family entertainment because of all the young talent, like Sierra Price.
Price plays Marta, the second to the youngest in the von Trapp Family that is featured in this Rodgers and Hammerstein classic.
She said it was her music teachers, Lois and Noelle Forde, who suggested she should try out for the part.
I thought it would be fun to try, Price said last week, during the narrow window between school and rehearsal.
The young lady said she knows all of her lines and is ready for opening night this coming Friday.
Yes, Im pretty sure Im ready. Price sings in many of the songs as one of the seven children in the family. This is her first live stage production. She follows in the footsteps of an elder sister who has been in three high school plays.
She likes working with all the other talented actors and said that they have been very nice to her.
Lois and Noelle have been very helpful. Id like to thank my mother, too, for all the running around she has to do to take me to rehearsals,?Price said.
A theater professional who works as a consultant to many theater productions, including most AHS productions in the past three years is acting in this show.
Im having lots of fun with the kids in this show in fact, its been a blast, Nydegger said adding he has been working with the Savoyards for a long time, and first discovered Arlington when then-drama teacher Irene Simpson took her students to see the NWSs The Pirates of Penzance when they were preparing to produce that show a few years ago.
In this one I play the minister of art and culture, Nydegger said adding that everybody should go see the show because Uncle Max says so.
A resident of Everett, Nydegger was working with UW School of Drama when he called Simpson to see how he could help with her production of Pirates. He is now helping with their spring production of Pippin which is scheduled to May 11 19, two weeks before the new PAC opens, he said.
Nydegger will be assisting at the grand gala at the opening of the new performing arts center and he is also helping with the Arlington Arts Councils Winter Concert Series.
I just like teaching the kids how to use the old space in that old theater, he said. The old ones have a lot of charm,
Another north county contributor to The Sound of Music is Steven Feris, who is assistant stage manager.
The Northwest Savoyards got rave reviews on its fall production of Gilbert and Sullivans most popular operetta, The Mikado and they are anticipating even bigger crowds at The Sound of Music because of its broad-based appeal.
Originally presented on Broadway in 1959 and The Sound of Music won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Richard Rodgers wrote the music and lyrics are by Oscar Hammerstein II. The dialogue by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse is based on the autobiography, The Trapp Family Singers, by Maria Augusta Trapp.
The subsequent Hollywood film version released in 1965 starred Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer and won five Oscars, including best picture.
The Sound of Music contains some of perhaps the best sing-along music, such as Climb Every Mountain and Doe, Ray, Me, which is Prices favorite of all the songs.
Its a classic Sound of Music?song,?she said.
Musical direction for the Northwest Savoyards production is by Doug Lewis.
The story evolves from the sweet young postulate whose love of freedom makes it painfully obvious to her superiors that she is not suited for religious life, Maria Played by UW student Lindsay Powers, of Woodinville, Maria is dispatched from her abbey to assume the role of governess to Captain von Trapps seven motherless children played by Ashleigh Emmons of Bothell, Jonathan Fine of Lynnwood, Grace DiCrescentis of Edmonds, Drake Slansky of Everett, Lauren Rosenauer of Snohomish, Sierra Price of Marysville and Kennedy Miller of Mukilteo.
The children do everything in their power to make Maria miserable, but unlike previous governesses, Maria befriends the children and engages them through their mutual love of music.
With the encouragement of Uncle Max, their very strict father finally recognizes the importance of music, and he falls in love with Maria. Finally its the music that enables an escape when the Nazis invade Austria.
Several members of the cast have appeared in previous NWS productions. Playing Captain Von Trapp, Steve Pendleton of Lynnwood, was seen in Cheaper by the Dozen and last year played a role in Gypsy, as did Kennedy Miller who plays Gretl.
Those returning to NWS after singing in the chorus of The Mikado last fall, Lisa Thiroux plays Sister Margretta, Scott Freshman plays Franz, Edward Phillips plays Rolf, Michael Domingo is Herr Zeller and Kathleen Goff plays Frau Schmidt.
Grace DiCrescentis was a Duckling in Honk.
New to NWS, the remaining cast members bring a tremendous range of experience from other stages to this production. Laurie Miller played the role of the Mother Abbess once before, with the Northwest Civic Light Opera, of Stanwood, and Jonathan Fine who plays Kurt, sings in the jazz choir for Meadowdale Middle School and was formerly a member of the Northwest Boychoir.
The Sound of Music, opens at the Everett PUD Auditorium, 2320 California St., Friday, Jan. 26 and continues on weekends through Feb. 18. Show times are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $20 for adults and $17 for youth, seniors and military at 866-811-4111.