The Sound of Music

Musical (1959)
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse
Based on The Story of the Trapp Family Singers (1949) by Maria von Trapp
Directed by Jack O’Brien
Broadway in Boston
Citizens Opera House
Washington Street, Boston
January 8-18, 2026

Music Supervision and Additional Orchestrator: Andy Einhorn; Music Director: Jonathan Marro; Orchestrations: Robert Russell Bennett; Dance and Vocal Arrangements: Trude Rittmann; Choreography by Danny Mefford; Scenic Design: Douglas W. Schmidt; Lighting Design: Natasha Katz; Costume Design: Jane Greenwood; Sound Design: Kai Harada; Hair Design: Tom Watson

With Christiane Noll (Mother Abbess), Cayleigh Capaldi (Maria Rainer, a Postulant at Nonnberg Abbey), Kevin Earley (Captain Georg von Trapp), Nicholas Rodriguez (Max Detweiler), Kate Loprest (Elsa Schraeder), Rolf Gruber (Ian Coursey), Jade Litaker (Sister Berthe, Mistress of Novices), Tess Primack (Sister Margaretta, Mistress of Postulants), Meredith Lustig (Sister Sophia); Children of Captain Georg von Trapp: Ariana Ferch (Liesl), Eli Vander Griend (Friedrich), Ava Davis (Louisa), Benjamin Stasiek (Kurt), Haddie Mac (Brigitta), Ruby Caramore (Marta), Luciana Vandette (Gretl); Neighbors of Captain Georg von Trapp, Nuns, Novices, Postulants and Contestants at the Festival Concert: John Adkison, Blaire Eilene Baker, Sydney K. Borchers, Dylan Bradford, Alli Echelmeyer, Corey Greenan, Zach Herman, Charlotte Jenkins, Jade Kitaker, Meredith Lustig, Jennifer Malenke, Mark Bradley Miller, Tess Primack, Daniel Robert Sullivan

Maria (Cayleigh Capaldi) is a Catholic postulant – essentially a candidate-nun-in-training – and, though well-meaning and spiritual at heart, has a spiritedness that points beyond the confines of a convent. Her Mother Abbess (Christiane Noll), an insightful and thoughtful guide, arranges to have Maria try out a position as governess in the family of Captain George von Trapp (Kevin Earley), who has seven children. It appears that the children have taken past governesses to task, but Maria, full of youthful energy herself, takes them on with gusto, teaches them all to sing, and wins them over.

Rather than serving in a pseudo-parental relationship with Liesl (Ariana Ferch), the oldest child and already a young woman, Maria offers friendship and guidance. Liesl meets Rolf (Ian Coursey), a young messenger, to whom she becomes attracted. Gradually, as well, a subtle connection grows between Maria and von Trapp, but he is engaged to the very cosmopolitan Elsa (Kate Loprest). Von Trapp’s and Elsa’s good friend, Max (Nicholas Rodriguez), a charming fellow, is full of good intentions about promoting the family chorus that Maria has cultivated, which develops into an interesting relationship with the family as the political environment gets more complicated.

As the Nazi threat develops, however, it appears that Elsa and Max, opportunistic and quite willing to accommodate the inevitably intervening Nazi presence, have a very different outlook than does von Trapp who strictly opposes the Nazis. Eventually, the vividness of opposite viewpoints takes a toll, and all of the players have to put their cards on the table. When, at a premiere concert of the von Trapp Family Singers, there is the indication that von Trapp will have to immediately report to duty as a Nazi naval officer, things take a sudden and dramatic course. Max, Rolf and the nuns at the abbey play special roles in dealing with the von Trapp family when all of this suddenly comes to pass (See spoilers section below for details.)

Any ordinary replay of this very well-exercised musical could potentially be tedious, but this revival is surprisingly well done and full of excellent, singing, acting, and production values. It carries the charm and familiarity of the well-known lyrics and score, which are known to many, but is rendered with a vitality and verve that makes it well worth revisiting here.

At the heart of this verve is the totally spunky and inviting presence of Cayleigh Capaldi as Maria, in an interpretation that has a fun and playful aspect that is interesting, new and completely in keeping with the tenor of the story. The other well-known and historic conveyors of this role – Mary Martin in the original staged version, and Julie Andrews in the film version – are absolute charmers and classics in their own rights. But there is an impishness to Capaldi’s portrayal which goes beyond Andrews’ infectious sweetness and even beyond Martin’s verve, and it’s most welcome to the role. Though the entire cast of this production does an excellent job, it is Capaldi who drives that energy and carries it all forward.

There are lots of wonderful voices here. Certainly, Capaldi, in all the character’s great moments – Do, Re, Mi, The Lonely Goatherd, My Favorite Things, and, of course The Sound of Music – shines, with character and vitality as well as with substantial voice. But, there are plenty of rich and lovely vocal moments, including Preludium, the hymnal introduction by the nuns at the outset of the show. As well, with a rich contralto, Christiane Noll as the Mother Abbess, does a wonderful job in the playful Maria,in the first incantation of My Favorite Things, and, most richly and significantly, in Climb Every Mountain.

The von Trapp children are a trip unto themselves, with sweet acting all around, particularly from Ariana Ferch as the adolescent Liesl, and Haddie Mac as the very funny, marvelously attentive, and all-knowing Brigitta. The whole group of them sings in wonderful harmony together, especially in Do, Re, Mi, The Lonely Goatherd, and So Long, Farewell.

Nicholas Rodriguez as Max and Kate Loprest as Elsa offer a stylish sophistication with a wry humor that is quite appealing, and then which, in the context of political developments, takes on another character. In both cases, the acting does good service to the moral complexity of the roles, conveying the ease with which political accommodation occurs and the moral complexities that sometimes attend it.

As von Trapp, Kevin Earley is an eventually loveable stentorian, rigid at first, hard to imagine as a romantic lead, but who eventually comes across as estimable. Earley does a very good job of handling the extremes, seeming at once a candidate for partnership with the elegant Elsa, but who also harbors something more subtly vulnerable exhibited in his growing appreciation of Maria.

The sets by Douglas W. Schmidt are rich, full, and elegant, and the lighting by Natasha Katz is particularly well done, full of special moments without being showy or calling too much attention to itself. The orchestra, under Music Supervisor Andy Einhorn and Music Director Jonathan Marro, does a very good job.

Director Jack O’Brien has indeed done an excellent job overall. His directorial work is legendary, including excellent productions of many plays of the late great English playwright Tom Stoppard. In 2007, I happened to see O’Brien’s efforts in Stoppard’s lengthy trilogy The Coast of Utopia about nineteenth century Russian political philosophers. Though interesting, the collection of three plays is long and could be wearisome. I saw all three at New York’s Lincoln Center Theater in one marathon day and, largely because of O’Brien’s astute and artful direction, it moved along and was entertaining as well as enriching. He carries that directorial expertise into this production as well and brings out, with delicacy and art, its innate charms as well as its marvelous portrayals of those in ethically challenged situations.

Overall: An excellent rendition of a Broadway classic, well worth one’s time, totally contradicting any passing inclination to think of an account of this show as a ho-hum, not that old thing again, moment.

– BADMan (aka Charles Munitz)