The Sound of Music
Produced by Young Stars Theatre Academy (YSTA)
By Eve Weston
As experienced in South Pasadena ~ February 2025
The Experience & How it Works:
This is a fairly traditional theatre performance. There is one very interesting twist: you get to choose between two casts when buying your ticket. You can either attend the youth cast performance (all kids!) or the traditional cast performance.
Why it’s Interesting, IMHO:
A show loved by audiences of all ages, The Sound of Music is a timeless classic that now feels timelier than ever. Also, interestingly, the Broadway production is a little different than the movie. For example, in the movie Elsa, the Captain’s girlfriend, has no songs; in the stage production, she has two!
Initial Impression & Critical Discussion:
I attended this production uncertain whether there would be any immersive elements and also optimistic that there might be some, as that seems to be a trend for theatrical productions. Sure enough, from the start, I was not disappointed. Early in the story, Maria enters from the back of the audience, down the center aisle. Later in the second act, the kids exit up the center aisle. In the second act, Maria enters for her wedding from the side aisle, and at the very end the Von Trapp family climbs “up the mountain” right through the audience — that was a particularly appropriate and compelling use of the space.
Additionally, during the concert performance in the show, the audience for the theatrical performance because the audience for the concert performance, naturally picking up the cue to applaud after the family’s performance (when they had not applauded at the same song earlier in the show, at the party Gaorg had thrown).
During the curtain call for the cast, the cast sang one of the favorite tunes from the show and, while it wasn’t clear if the audience was singing along, it felt like they may have been welcome to.
Outside the theatre, there was an additional opportunity for interaction. A bulletin board was mounted on the wall asking for audience members to add “a few of their favorite things.” Notecards, pens and pushpins were provided on a table underneath so that they could do just that.
In addition to the above noted immersive elements, the performance benefited from the immersion provided by such a well-told story. There were at least two to three scenes that brought me to the verge of tears. The cast did an excellent job landing the emotional beats and had some powerful performers.
HOT TIPS:
- A Few of My Favorite Foods. The concession stand at intermission has coffee, water, soda, chips and candy.
- You Look Happy to Greet Me. If you’d like to see the cast after the show, your best bet is to wait outfront of the theatre. Each of the stage’s wings exits to a different side of the theatre and, to account for this, the cast seems to come to the front.
Experiential Viewpoint Expression (E.V.E.):
Embodied, 3rd person visual, 3rd person narrative, non-entity/entity, mortal
Note: The effectual POV changes to entity only for the scene in which the Von Trapps are singing at the concert and the live modern day audience acts as the concert audience.
Story Anchor:
When a family with seven children needs a new governess, Maria is sent by The Mother Abbess to fill the role of governess through September, and then Maria falls in love with the children’s father.
Pillars of Game:
N/A
Note: This is not a game, nor was there any intention that it would be.
Who Should Experience This?
Anyone who loves this story and/or the music. Anyone who’s never seen The Sound of Music. It’s an ideal family outing and also makes a great outing for someone just looking to get a little bit of theatre and/or culture into their week. After all, who couldn’t do with a few of their favorite things?!
