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More than 80 cast and crew members and a 25-piece student orchestra will bring “The Sound of Music” to Westfield High School for its 2025 Cappies production.
Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, May 1-2, and 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 3-4. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $10 for students and will be available at the door or through Westfield Theatre’s website.
Set in Salzburg, Austria, in 1938, the Academy Award-winning musical follows the real-life story of the von Trapp Family Singers as Nazi Germany prepares to take control of the country before World War II.
Retired naval officer Capt. Georg von Trapp has raised his seven children under strict military discipline since their mother’s death. Their lives begin to change when Maria, a spirited young woman studying to become a nun, arrives as their governess. She introduces music and warmth into the household, grows close to the children and falls in love with their father as the family faces a decision about whether to remain in Austria.
Director Christine Maxted said the production draws students from across Westfield’s Performing Arts Department, including theater, choir, band and orchestra.
The show features a rotating, two-level set depicting the interior and grounds of the von Trapp home, a garden gazebo and the church abbey. Projected images will create the surrounding Austrian scenery.
Students also designed and made the costumes, including children’s play clothes, military uniforms, full habits for the nuns and formal gowns and tuxedos for a party scene. Maxted said extensive research went into recreating Austrian architecture and clothing from 1938.
The musical has personal significance for Maxted, who grew up watching it and was taught by nuns. She said that experience helped her appreciate the accuracy of its religious elements, including the Latin chants performed by the nuns.
Audiences can expect live orchestral music, a cappella choral performances and dances created by student choreographers Alyssa Staton and Karli Powell. Maxted said the story’s family struggles remain relatable and its message offers hope for the future.
Senior Lilli McNerney, a four-year choir member, will play Maria in her first leading role. She described the character as energetic, joyful and determined to lift the people around her, even when her impulsiveness creates uncertainty.
McNerney said she connects with Maria through their shared energy and love of singing. Although the role requires significant work, she said collaborating with the cast and exploring the character’s complexity have made the experience rewarding.
Her favorite and most challenging song is “The Lonely Goatherd,” which required her to learn to yodel and sustain demanding high notes. She praised the student choreographers for transforming the scene into a full dance number.
McNerney expects audiences to enjoy Maria’s developing romance with the captain, played by Peter Dalton, as well as the performances of the younger actors portraying the von Trapp children. She also highlighted Max and Elsa as a strong comic pairing.
Senior Scarlett Anthony plays Elsa, the captain’s wealthy and confident fiancée. Anthony said Elsa is not unkind but has little experience interacting with children. Playing an older, elegant character has given her a contrast to the younger roles she usually performs.
Anthony’s favorite number is “So Long, Farewell,” which gives individual characters brief moments in the spotlight as they say goodbye. She said the classic musical lets audiences see a family become closer through music while also confronting the pressures of its historical setting.
Senior Jacqueline Larsen portrays Liesl, the captain’s 16-year-old daughter. Larsen described her as friendly, protective and sometimes bossy with her siblings, as well as a boy-crazy teenager anxious about her family’s future.
Larsen said she recognizes much of her own 16-year-old self in Liesl. Her favorite song is “Climb Every Mountain,” particularly the closing reprise featuring the entire cast. Julia Leonard performs the number as the Mother Abbess.
The production should appeal to children and adults, Larsen said. Revisiting the musical as a teenager has allowed her to notice historical themes, humor and dramatic depth that she missed when she was younger.
Senior TJ Brescia plays Max, a charismatic show-business producer who wants the von Trapp family to enter a choir festival. Brescia described him as the comic relief in an otherwise dramatic story, though Max also cares deeply about the family, his reputation and the success of the performance.
It is the largest role Brescia has taken on. He called the opportunity intimidating but exciting and singled out “Edelweiss” as a powerful, calming song that expresses the captain’s love for Austria.
Brescia said the cast and technical crews have poured passion into the production, from its performances to its elaborate costumes and scenery, and he expects that work to be visible when the curtain rises.