Nandu News Reporter Li Chunhua As one of the most popular classic musicals in the world, the original Broadway musical "The Sound of Music" returns to mainland China after eight years and will embark on a nationwide tour starting from Shanghai. It will be held from January 17th to It landed at the Guangzhou Grand Theater on the 22nd. Many people became familiar with "The Sound of Music" because of the movie, and now they can finally see the original musical performance in the theater. 165 minutes of live performance by an 11-member band, 26 world-popular hits, and heart-warming performances by 30 actors once again conveyed the theme of eternal love into the hearts of the audience.
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The musical "The Sound of Music", which was born in 1959, will celebrate its 65th birthday in 2024. Adapted from Maria Augusta Trapp's book "The Trapp Family Singers", it is composed by Broadway's "golden partner" across the ages - Richard Rodgers, and Oscar Hammerstein II Lyrics. As one of the evergreen musicals in the world, "The Sound of Music" has been performed on Broadway in New York and the West End of London for more than 4,000 times within six years of its release. It has also set a Guinness record for the largest number of theatergoers in one week.
The story of "The Sound of Music" takes place in Salzburg, Austria in 1938. Maria, a young and lively nun, became the governess of the family of an Austrian naval colonel. After the death of his wife, the colonel ran his family like an army. The seven children had rebellious personalities. Maria's arrival changed the family: she taught the children games. , singing, winning the love of children with playful teachings, and melting the cold heart of the colonel with music...
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Art enlightens the soul, children's first musical
In China, "" won six international awards "The Sound of Music" has opened the door to music for countless people. As an artistic enlightenment for countless people, many tracks in "The Sound of Music" have been included in domestic music and even English textbooks, becoming the first song that many children learn. English song. It can be said that "The Sound of Music" is not only a successful musical, it also carries the important significance of artistic enlightenment and musical enlightenment.
The classic songs in the drama are often sung and have become common childhood memories for generations. Even Fei Xiang once said in an interview show that his musical inspiration was also "The Sound of Music".
Natalie Duncan, who plays Maria in the play, was born in a musical family. Her parents are both music teachers. She grew up watching the movies and stage plays of "The Sound of Music". "When I was a child, my grandmother would collect a lot of old music scores. The earliest ones might have been printed in the 1950s. My father would accompany me on the piano when I was practicing singing. I slowly joined in with their help. Many auditions and performances started my musical career."
During the national tour, various theaters also welcomed many "parent-child group" audiences. The young audience members said, "They have heard many songs and can sing them!" "do -re-mi" was their music lesson introduction and was the first English song they learned. Now, they have a deeper understanding of musicals.
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A new North American tour version is unveiled,
helps the classics to be fully upgraded
Over the past 65 years, "The Sound of Music" has experienced various changes in versions. Different from the previous two versions that came to China, the original English version of "The Sound of Music" coming to Guangzhou this time is directed by Jack O'Brien, a three-time Tony Award-winning director, one of the highest awards for musicals.
During the China tour, Jack O'Brien tried to dig out more connotations of the play. In addition to rearranging some music to make scene transitions smoother, he also re-examined the entire story through the perspective of 1938, when the story took place, to make each character reveal more humanity. After its Broadway premiere in New York in 2015, this version officially started touring North America and Asia. This is also the first time this version has appeared in mainland China.
At the same time, the performance of the live band and the wonderful performances of the child actors also added charm to the live performance of "The Sound of Music".The live band consists of 11 musicians and conductors, creating a powerful sound field that makes the audience feel as if they are immersed in the snowy mountains and nature of Austria.
child actors have gone through multiple rounds of casting and screening. It is reported that in addition to performing eight high-intensity performances a week like adult actors, all child actors also need to take time to attend classes during the day to ensure the smooth progress of their studies.
From January 17th to 22nd, the original English-language Broadway musical "The Sound of Music" will continue to be performed in Guangzhou, bringing the heart-warming power of musical notes to more Guangzhou audiences this winter.
Photo courtesy: Guangzhou Grand Theater
