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Louisa (Holly Keenan) experiencing the pure joy of music and family and “My Favorite Things” while carrying her little sister, Gretyl (Violet Curran). -
Gretyl (Violet Curran) sings ‘The sun has gone to bed and so must I …” from the poignant and beloved song, “So Long, Farewell” -
Ally Thorpe (as Maria) and the seven Von Trapp children: Max Yakubwich (Kurt), Tom Lott (Friedrich), Annie Lelio (Liesl) and Holly Keenan (Louisa). Abby Durell (Birgitta) is laying on the ground with “real life” sisters, Violet Curran (Gretyl) and Hazel Curran (Marta). -
Thorpe (Maria) has a fascinating theatrical background proceeding her Concord performance as Maria. After graduating from Plymouth State she moved to Philadelphia to work as an actor with professional credits including tours with “My Little Pony Live and Sesame Street Live” -
The good nuns of the Abbey trying to figure out “How to Solve a Problem Like Maria” as they gather around the Mother Abbess played by Dorothy Yanish. From Left to Right: Rae Easter, Maddie Short, Natalie Locke, Hannah McCauley, Deidre Arcand, Lauren Matava and Katherine Demers. -
The young and innocent love of Liesl (Annie Leliothat) and Rolf (Jagger Rep) is celebrated with the lovely and memorable song “I am Sixteen, You are Seventeen” before they need to confront the challenges by the oncoming confrontation of the Nazis. -
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Hannah McCauley plays Sister Sophia. -
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The “Sound of Music” is a beloved family musical, enjoyed by multi-generations – and which introduced songs such as “Do Re Mi” and “My Favorite Things” to our families throughout the years and have been sung together in sing-alongs on road trips, in living rooms, nurseries and even assisted living facilities!
The Community Players of Concord’s production of “The Sound of Music” brings all of these familiar tunes to the City Auditorium this week, while incorporating family both on stage and behind the scenes. Perhaps more than any other time in the Players’ 96-year history, the presence and the number of families involved, is exceptional – husbands, wives, parents and siblings all sharing the stage together.
Shawn and Courtney Carmody bring their family’s long love of this show on stage together as Courtney plays a nun and Shawn plays the imperious Captain von Trapp, father of seven. “Milk, bread, eggs and ‘The Sound of Music’ have been staples in our household ever since I can remember!” reflects Courtney, while Shawn learned his signature song, “Edelweiss” from his brother Joey who played it incessantly on his Fisher-Price record player.
Another family represented on stage: Maddie Short playing a nun and her dad Joe playing Admiral Von Schreiber. Long-time Community Player and local veterinarian, Donna Julian, plays Baroness Elberfeld and shares the stage with her daughter, Hannah McCauley, a kindergarten teacher, who plays Sister Sophia. Her dad, Andy Julian, will be running the follow-spot for this current production. Lisa Cohen is running curtains and “flying” scenery and her husband Mark is also on follow-spot.
The Demers family are spending copious hours this week rehearsing at City Auditorium as a family. Paula plays the Vienna socialite Elsa Shraeder, Captain von Trapp’s fianceé, and is joined by her husband Chris, a Concord educator, who plays Franz, the suspicious butler. Daughter Katharine is part of the Nun Chorus as well as an integral part of the backstage crew making sure the beautiful set pieces are moved religiously.
Young actress Holly Keenan will also be on stage as Louisa von Trapp, while mom Natasha Reiner toils and trills in the Nun Chorus. Two very young actresses who are sure to steal your heart as the two youngest von Trapp children, Marta and Gretl, played by real-life sisters, Hazel and Violet Curran. Both youngsters are already accruing an extensive resume of on-stage time in various local productions and their admiring parents have been heavily involved with a variety of important back stage tasks.
Behind the scenes, the Bryson family of Warner are all-in with this production – husband and wife duo Ron and Beck are (respectively) designing and running lights and Beck is Stage Manager. Their son, Parker joins them this week to supervise the makeup transformation of the actors.
The “Sound of Music” is all about family – in the book, on the stage,
Performances are Nov. 17 and Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 19 at 2 p.m. at Concord City Auditorium, 2 Prince St., Concord. Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for juniors/seniors. Tickets are available online at communityplayersofconcord.org or by calling (603) 344-4747. The theatre box office will be open 90 minutes before each performance.