Local audiences will be treated to a true classic later this fall with Ponoka Community Theatre's production of The Sound of Music.
Performances will be held at the Ponoka United Church Nov. 29-30 and Dec. 6-7 at 7 p.m. and on Dec. 1 and Dec. 8 at 2 p.m. as well.
All tickets are $20, and are available by heading to kfatheatre.com or by dropping by the church office (Wednesdays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
With music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, the production is based on the book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse.
It's been described as a heartwarming story based on the real life experiences of the Von Trapp Family singers, one of the world's best-known concert groups in the era immediately preceding World War II.
Maria becomes a governess in the home of a widowed naval captain with seven children, and brings a whole new passion for life and music into the home.
"Maree Okabe, who is the director, came to us and asked if we'd be interested in doing a show. She had just done Calendar Girls in Wetaskiwin, and now she wanted to do The Sound of Music because it involved kids as well as adults, and there were parts for those who wanted to have lines and to sing, and also parts for people who could come on for a scene and not worry about lines," said Robin King, the organization's board chair.
Ultimately, the cast numbers about 40.
"Marie had a plan, and we just said yes! Auditions were in August, rehearsals started at the beginning of September - and it's all going very well," he said.
"It's one of those shows that is so popular. One of the things that also makes it tricky is that people know so many of the songs, and how they go. And the stage version is a little bit different from the film. There are some new songs, but of course there are songs that are familiar," he explained.
"So it's a fair amount of work to put it all together. But it's going to be a great show.
"There is a lot about is that is appealing," he added. "It's such a great family piece. There is also the parts where the captain stands up to the Nazis, and they ultimately escape," he said of the Von Trapp family.
"So it's not just the story of the captain and his kids finding a new life, it's a story of all of them finding a new life. And the songs are great!"
Consider the compelling Edelwiess, he noted.
"People talk about how it's a traditional Austrian song, but it isn't - it was written for the movie."
As mentioned, the production is indeed packed with classic tunes, ranging from The Lonely Goatherd, Do-Re-Mi, and Something Good, to The Sound of Music, Sixteen going on Seventeen and Climb Every Mountain.
"Many people know these almost from memory," said King of the famous soundtrack.
For King, minister of the Ponoka United Church who also happens to be a classically-trained musician, working in the local theatre scene provides a superb source of fulfillment.
"I'm helping them learn the songs, and we are also using a soundtrack - like an orchestral track to accompany the show. It's great, because instead of them only singing along to a couple of pianos for example, like we have done in the past, they get to sing along with a full orchestra," he explained.
In the meantime, one of the joys of bringing a production together is that sense of camaraderie.
"The thing I like the most about community theatre, when it's done really well, is that it's not just about the production that the community sees. It's also about the community that has created the production. That's everyone in the cast, the people who work behind the scenes building the sets, the technical crew, the front of house people - it's an opportunity to build community among all of them.
"And when it does truly become like a family, that is the most valuable piece."
For more information about the show or about Ponoka Community Theatre, call 403-783-4081.
