A review roundup for recently extended The Sound Of Music
Posted on 21 August 2013
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre is the current home for the umpteeth revival of classic Rogers and Hammerstein musical The Sound Of Music. It's a musical that audiences have adored for over half a century, and this unique outdoor setting brings an extra level of magic to the heartwarming show. The limited run show was recently forced to squeeze in an additional week due to phenomenal public demand, and the critics haven't been shy singing their praises either.
With classic songs such as Do Re Mi, Edelweiss, How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria, Sixteen Going On Seventeen and the soaring title track, The Sound Of Music musical is perfect fare for all ages.
The Daily Mail enthuses: “This drop of golden sun will warm your heart", whilst The Times describes it as “Glowing with warmth, performed with freshness and sung with clarity and simplicity. Resistance is futile, so go on – indulge yourself."
Praise has been heaped upon the spot-on casting for the new production, with the Daily Telegraph calling Charlotte Wakefield "superb as Maria: funny, forthright and movingly vulnerable when the emotional stakes are high.” Their reviewer dubs the revival "the finest production of this musical that I have ever seen." The Evening Standard says that "Michael Xavier brings a lovely understated poignancy to the Captain’s transformation from rigid patriarch into affectionate father" and call the show “A sure-fire hit."
The Mail on Sunday heap prise on the show's director: “Rachel Kavanaugh’s superbly staged, gloriously atmospheric revival…scales every peak…climb every mountain…to get a ticket.” The Observer echoes this sentiment, praising Kavanaugh for avoiding a heavy-handed approach claiming it "looks as if she has simply put a few stitches between the string of marvellous melodies so that the evening is an almost seamless musical tapestry", dubbing it "gloriously staged."
The Sound Of Music is now playing at the Open Air Theatre Regent's Park until Saturday 14 September
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