With a talented cast and inspired director, The Sound of Music figures to be amazing, again

Dancing nuns, backflipping Gretl and a Maria who previously played in the orchestra, all highlight the 2017 Leavenworth Summer Theater production of The Sound of Music. Longtime local director, Kevin McKee, returned to direct the show for the third time. 

“It’s looking great. I have a great cast. I have a bunch of locals and returning people. There are a lot of locals that are really fantastic. I’m excited about it,” McKee said. 

The best part about directing the show, for McKee, is taking the best of the actors, putting that together, and finding out how to make the most entertaining show. Last week, he found out one of the two young actresses who play Gretl could backflip, so he figured out how to add that to the show. 

“It’s the little things like that where I can find ways to make the show more entertaining just using the talents of the people I have that year,” McKee said. “This year, we had a lot of nuns are very skilled dancers. We said, why don’t we make the one nun number more of a dancing number. So we have some dancing nuns this year.”

Veteran actor Ernest Palmer returns to play Captain Von Trapp. McKee said he is thankful Palmer took on the role. He is opposite Stephanie Wilson as Maria. Previously, Wilson performed as a youth in the show, but also played in the orchestra. 

McKee believes this is the first time they’ve had someone who has played in the orchestra, a Von Trapp kid and then move into the role of Maria. 

“First off, she is crazy talented. She has a fantastic voice and an energy she brings to this and physicality to the role. She lights up the stage when she is there. I love what she does with the role,” McKee said. “This morning we were up on the Ski Hill, blocking where Maria starts on the hill. The understudy was there, wondering what the music sounded like. Stephanie knew all the parts of the orchestra, to tell her here’s what the clarinets are doing and that’s when you come out.”

Wilson was in the orchestra at age 12. She also played Louisa and Liesl. She went off to college, and now is back, 13 years later. 

“I love Sound of Music. I’ve always loved Sound of Music. It’s definitely my favorite musical. This summer, it worked out perfectly for me. I did not have any other obligations. My fiance is at Sequoia National Park working as a park ranger,” Wilson said. “I thought it would be a fun way to spend my summer. Next summer, we’re getting married. It all worked out.”

Most recently, Wilson played Mary Poppins for the Apple Blossom Musical. She went to school for theater in New York City at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. After doing that, she decided she loved theater but did not want to make it a career. 

Back to college she went. She’s now an Inpatient Diabetes Specialist at Central Washington Hospital. Certainly her background gives her a unique perspective on the role. 

“I know a little bit about every aspect of the production. The experience of seeing all the different Marias before me, how they’ve embodied Maria and their take on the role. That has helped me create my own and make it my own,” she said. “Just knowing the show inside and out has made the process really fun. It doesn’t seem like work, it is just play.”

Being back in the Sound of Music has been “so awesome.” 

“It is such a trip being back at the middle school. Today was our first day at the Ski Hill. Just being back there was so much fun. The kids are just amazing. They are so fun and so sweet, so talented. I’m just having a blast,” Wilson said. “Kevin is amazing to work with. There are people in the show that have been around like Susan Gubsch, Gary Hesse. It’s fun to play with them too.”

Noted local dance teacher and thespian Briar Hoper takes on the role of Elsa this year. Veteran actor Gary Hesse returns to the role of Max.  

“I’ve worked with Briar for years and years. I’m tickled with what she is doing with Elsa. She has a very comic take on the character. I’ve directed Gary in other roles. I’m excited to have him playing Max. That’s been a lot of fun,” McKee said. “We have a great cast of kids and supporting characters. Paul Atwood is one of the other (LST) directors. I have three of his kids in my show, which is awesome. We just have some really talented people coming back to these roles.”

McKee said this is the first time he’s directed the song, Confidence, in the show. McKee listened to it and thought it was a pretty upbeat number, so he decided to make really entertaining and upbeat for the audience. He believes it has come together nicely. 

Certainly, practices have been challenging in the often overheated Icicle River Middle School. 

“It’s been tough. We were at IRMS. The commons has gotten very sweaty, partly because we’ve upped the amount of dancing from everyone, so they are exhausted. But they are just troopers. Everyone is working so hard, putting everything they have into it,” McKee said. “It’s going really well. We ran act one last night without a hitch. We are pushing through. It is a looking and sounding amazing at this point. I’m very happy with it.”

The Sound of Music opens Friday, July 7 at the Ski Hill Theater.  

Ian Dunn can be reached at 548-5286 or editor@leavenworthecho.com.