Theatre
The Sound of Music, King's Theatre, Glasgow
Alison Kerr
three stars
For a production of the universally loved Rodgers and Hammerstein show celebrating the 50th anniversary year of its movie version, The Sound of Music - which opened in Glasgow this week - is, surprisingly, a bit of a non-event.
This new touring production, which stars Danielle Hope (barely recognisable, under a dodgy blonde wig, as the winner of the BBC's Over the Rainbow talent contest a few years back) as Maria, is diverting enough but will seem like a poor relation to anyone who saw Andrew Lloyd Webber's sumptuous, classy and breathtakingly designed and lit production when it came to the King's in 2011.
The 2015 one looks similar but doesn't have the high production values of its predecessor. Worse, it seldom shifts out of neutral gear - and it was only when the Von Trapp children were being taught Do-Re-Mi at Tuesday's performance that the show came to life. Their a cappella rendition of the title song at the end of the long first act, plus the show-stopping Climb Every Mountain, thrillingly sung by Jan Hartley as the Mother Abbess, were the two stand-out moments of the evening.
Otherwise, this was like an anaesthetised version of the show, with Maria - who in this production is deprived of her uplifting solo number I Have Confidence - rather lacking in the natural, youthful exuberance we have come to expect, and the captain (played by Steven Houghton) charisma-deficient and stiff. Even the Nazi threat seemed distinctly un-menacing. This was The Sound of Music lite - and even though it had one song fewer than previous versions, it felt much longer.
*Runs to February 28.
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