Life with The Sound of Music
For most youngsters, learning takes place in the classroom. But the youthful cast from the stage production of The Sound of Music lead a different life - the theatre is their classroom and audience applause is their reward.
Hong Kong is the final stop of their Asian tour after having performed in Shanghai, Beijing, Singapore and Malaysia. Together with adult cast members Jennifer Semrick (Maria) and Jim Ballard (Captain Georg von Trapp), the seven young performers - aged between six and 22 - will dazzle Hong Kong audiences.
Written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein 45 years ago, the musical classic is based on the true story of the von Trapp family.
It revolves around Maria, a spirited nun who is unsure whether a monastic life is her true calling. She is sent to be the governess for the seven unruly children of a stern widower, Captain Georg von Trapp.
Her loving care and beautiful music warms the children's hearts and thaws their father's cold reserve. But the family must endure the anguish of war during Adolf Hilter's takeover of Austria.
The young performers who play the motherless children of Captain von Trapp are sure to steal attention. But lead performer Semrick said she doesn't mind sharing the spotlight with them.
'I love working with children. It's a gift to work with them because it reminds me to keep fresh and exciting,' she said.
'Children are less inhibited. They wear their emotions on the outside more. Adults can get tired ... [of] doing the same show so many times. But the kids never do.'
It takes trust, not discipline, to work with children. 'It's important to develop a friendship with them offstage as well as on,' Semrick said.
Despite their young ages, the children are seasoned performers. For example, 10-year-old Ashley Caroline Easterly, who plays Brigitta, has performed in 220 shows since she joined the production last year. Her six-year-old sister Mary is playing Gretl during the Hong Kong leg of the tour.
Ashley said performing in theatre is fun because every show is different. 'The audiences are different. Once, my tooth fell off onstage when we were in Malaysia - that made it different, too,' she recalled.
Knowing that the show must go on, she went offstage and put a tissue in her mouth before returning to face the audience. 'I was very scared after that, though,' she said with a grin. 'I was shaking.'
Ashley's elder brother had also starred in the musical as Friedrich, but he won't be joining his sisters in Hong Kong as he has grown too tall for his character and has been replaced by 14-year-old Trevor N. Olds.
'We're like a family,' Trevor said. Although they sometimes have trivial arguments - for example, over a card game - they have good rapport, like real brothers and sisters.
They have four hours of daily classes and a tutor is on hand to help them with their schoolwork.
Performing in theatre has also given them a different perspective on life. 'The great thing about going to theatre is whether you're sad or in a high time of your life, you can escape for 21/2 hours,' said 16-year-old cast member Lisa Kay Carter. 'You can be someone else and you can see something else.'
The Sound of Music runs until November 6 at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Ticket prices range from $290 to $690 for adults and $190 for students, with family packages (two adults and two children under 12) at $1,380 and $1,560. Reservations on HK Ticketing at 3128 8288
Joyce Siu
