“The Sound of Music” cast list:

Maria, Eila Wilson;  Mother Abbess, Laura Church; Sister Berthe, Erin Smith; Sister Sophia, Anne Crump; Sister Margeretta, Jessica Antone Shaw; Captain von Trapp, Michael Sherrod;  Franz the Butler, John Levenseller; Frau Schmidt, Margaret Donaghue; Liesl, Alexaiya Backman; Friedrich, Alan Sherrod; Louisa, Elysia Roorbach; Kurt, Ben Marcotte; Brigitta, Grace Bell; Marta, Brynne Robbins; Gretl, Adelaide Minton; Rolf Gruber, Tim Berry; Elsa Schraeder, Melody Bickford; Ursula, Stephanie Marcotte; Max Detweiller, Gordon LePage; Herr Zeller, Hal Robbins; Baron Elberfeld, Roger Condit; Baroness Elberfeld, Anne Smith; New Postulant, Julia Christie; Admiral von Schreiber, Mike Sayward; party guest, Mathew West.

FARMINGTON — Sandy River Players take to the stage this week when their musical production, “The Sound of Music,” debuts at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 14, in Alumni Theater at the University of Maine at Farmington.

The show continues with evening performances on Jan. 15, 16, 22 and 23. Matinee performances take place at 1:30 p.m. on Sundays, Jan. 17 and 24.

Voices united for warm-up exercises led by Jane Parker as the large cast of 38 prepared for runs through the play during the rehearsal. Some were already dressed in costume although dress rehearsals take place next week.

“This play was chosen because it is a production that would include young and old,” Karen West, co-director, said.  “And, everyone loves the play.”

“It is a play, not the movie, and is a little different,” co-director Robin Lisherness said.  

Just be prepared it is a musical not the movie everyone watches every year on television, he said.

The large cast including a number of talented kids, ages 7 to 18, were selected from auditions held in October. They began rehearsing in November, West said.  Along with the children, the cast includes UMF students and community members.

This production takes a huge community effort, West said during Thursday’s rehearsal. 

But, it is a community rich with singers and the SRP organization wants to give good, local theater to the community, West said.

“We rely on the community for support and, attendance,” she said. “We couldn’t do it without them.”

SRP usually produces a play every other year, West said. SRP’s last big production was “Once Upon a Mattress” in 2013, she said.

Producing “The Sound of Music” is “just a huge undertaking of … time, resources and especially financially,” she said. “This play will cost $8-$9,000.”

SRP has been a part of West’s life since she was a small child. Her parents, Allan and Joanne Smith, and grandmother, Verlie Smith, were instrumental in forming the community-based organization in the late 1960’s, she said.

“They wanted to do theater and give theater to the people,” she said. “There are no professionals. They are all local singers and actors.”

The 20-nuns including Mother Abbess, played by Laura Church, do an amazing job as do the youngsters who play the von Trapp children, she said.

The part of Maria is played by Eila Wilson and Capt. von Trapp by Michael Sherrod, she said.

“This is a huge production. There are a lot of set and costumes changes,” Lisherness said.

Sets were made by SRP members. Props were found in area homes and businesses such as Frost Antiques, West said.

Costume mistress Beth Dorr, who also teaches at UMF, pulled costumes together from SRP’s stock and UMF Theater, she said. 

Lisherness has directed five SRP productions and acted in a couple. He participated in theater while at UMF and taught at Skowhegan High School, West said of her co-director.  

Tickets for the play are on sale at Devaney Doak and Garrett Booksellers or people can call the reservation line at 779-7884. Some tickets will be available at the door, West said.

Admission is $14 for UMF students, $15 for seniors and students and $17 for the general public.

abryant@sunmediagroup.net

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