Modern The Sound of Music

[greenifyme2]

Posted: 12/17/19 at 11:05pm

So after more than 15 years of knowing my husband it came up the other day that he has never seen The Sound of Music, so we started watching it. Were only halfway through and Ive seen it dozens of times, but its really interesting to watch it with someone new to it who has hilarious play-by-play commentary and questions. Hes not really into musicals but is actually enjoying it for the most part.

It got me thinking, what would a modern version of this show look like? Darker, and grittier like Oklahoma! would be quite interesting. (And of course shorter).

Thoughts?

[Globefan]

Posted: 12/17/19 at 11:10pm

greenifyme2 said: "So after more than 15 years of knowing my husband it came up the other day that he has never seen The Sound of Music, so we started watching it. Were only halfway through and Ive seen it dozens of times, but its really interesting to watch it with someone new to it who has hilarious play-by-play commentary and questions. Hes not really into musicals but is actually enjoying it for the most part.

It got me thinking, what would a modern version of this show look like? Darker, and grittier like Oklahoma! would be quite interesting. (And of course shorter).

Thoughts?"

It can be done like what Ivo van Hove is doing with WSS. I love the idea. 

Updated On: 12/17/19 at 11:10 PM

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 12/17/19 at 11:15pm

greenifyme2 said: "It got me thinking, what would a modern version of this show look like?"

It would look a lot like School of Rock. It’s practically the same story without the nuns and nazis.

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 12/17/19 at 11:23pm

I feel like it would just end up like Cabaret

[Plannietink08]

Posted: 12/19/19 at 9:56pm

Interesting idea. The issue is that The Sound of Music is a true story, the characters are real people who’s children are still alive today so I’m not sure how well it would go down. 

[Globefan]

Posted: 12/19/19 at 10:00pm

What other musicals can get a modernization? 

[Plannietink08]

Posted: 12/20/19 at 7:31am

Globefan said: "What other musicals can get a modernization?"

It’d interesting to see a modern and gritty version of SOUTH PACIFIC. 

[SeanMartin2]

Posted: 12/20/19 at 9:38am

Globefan said: "What other musicals can get a modernization?"

A recent London production of SWEENEY moved it to the Depression era, and it worked amazingly well.

I would imagine CAROUSEL could also get a modern-day approach, since it deals with issues that are (sadly) still part of our culture, like spousal abuse and racism. And it would be great fun to see a MAGA-era production of CABARET.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 12/20/19 at 5:47pm

I saw a production a few weeks ago at the Asolo Theatre in Sarasota.  I had to be dragged since I had never seen a good live production.  I felt that I had the movie...

The Asolo production was as close as SOM will ever get to a justifiable modernization, I suspect, and I thought it was great.  Any scenes with Nazis were just darker and more ominous than I had expected, particularly the scene at the festival.  Also, the very end is the only convincing one I have ever seen vis-a-vis escaping through the Alps.

So, yes, it can be darker, more ominous where it is appropriate, and it can maker it feel less stage-bound; but it still is The Sound of Music...not sure you can do much re-thinking of Do-Re-Mi, My Favorite Things, The Lonely Goatherd, the title song, or How Do you love A Problem Like Maria.  (Cut some of the cute songs out and reset the show to take place in a concentration camp, where we learn that that their escape was unsuccessful).  

 

[C.Jack]

Posted: 12/20/19 at 8:09pm

Focus and enhance the Max and Elsa subplot as some of those plot point (especially their two songs) are quite dark in retrospect.

[astromiami]

Posted: 12/21/19 at 9:31am

Updated On: 12/21/19 at 09:31 AM

[astromiami]

Posted: 12/21/19 at 9:34am

Plannietink08 said: "Interesting idea. The issue is that The Sound of Music is a true story, the characters are real people who’s children are still alive today so I’m not sure how well it would go down."

Actually, the von Trapps were  critical of SOM for straying so far from the real life events and character, they might prefer a darker version that more clearly demonstrates the danger the family was in and the bravery of their actions.

 

[Skywalker3]

Posted: 12/22/19 at 6:45am

I would like to see a version that is just Maria and the nuns playing the story because they are so bored and made up a story just the get time by and the lost there selfs in the play.

[Plannietink08]

Posted: 12/22/19 at 10:56am

astromiami said: "Plannietink08 said: "Interesting idea. The issue is that The Sound of Music is a true story, the characters are real people who’s children are still alive today so I’m not sure how well it would go down."

Actually, the von Trapps were critical of SOM for straying so far from the real life events and character, they might prefer a darker version that more clearly demonstrates the danger the family was in and the bravery of their actions.
 

Really? I wasn’t aware of that. I assumed they were pretty happy with the adaption given how popular it is. Maybe a darker and grittier version would be a good idea then! I know that the real story isn’t as dramatic as the musical makes out because they quite happily boarded a train and left Austria in complete comfort rather than hiking over a mountain. 

 

[greenifyme2]

Posted: 12/22/19 at 11:42am

Plannietink08 said: "astromiami said: "Plannietink08 said: "Interesting idea. The issue is that The Sound of Music is a true story, the characters are real people who’s children are still alive today so I’m not sure how well it would go down."

Actually, the von Trapps were critical of SOM for straying so far from the real life events and character, they might prefer a darker version that more clearly demonstrates the danger the family was in and the bravery of their actions.


Really? I wasn’t aware of that. I assumed they were pretty happy with the adaption given how popular it is. Maybe a darker and grittier version would be a good idea then! I know that the real story isn’t as dramatic as the musical makes out because they quite happily boarded a train and left Austria in complete comfort rather than hiking over a mountain.

True the VonTrapps were unhappy how their father was portrayed because I guess in reality he wasn’t cold and cruel. Sounds like Maria was the one with the temper. They left on a train for America. nhttps://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2005/winter/von-trapps-html

like many adaptations the Sound of Music is loosely based on a true story.

Updated On: 12/22/19 at 11:42 AM

[Plannietink08]

Posted: 12/22/19 at 12:52pm

greenifyme2 said: "Plannietink08 said: "astromiami said: "Plannietink08 said: "Interesting idea. The issue is that The Sound of Music is a true story, the characters are real people who’s children are still alive today so I’m not sure how well it would go down."

Actually, the von Trapps were critical of SOM for straying so far from the real life events and character, they might prefer a darker version that more clearly demonstrates the danger the family was in and the bravery of their actions.


Really? I wasn’t aware of that. I assumed they were pretty happy with the adaption given how popular it is. Maybe a darker and grittier version would be a good idea then! I know that the real story isn’t as dramatic as the musical makes out because they quite happily boarded a train and left Austria in complete comfort rather than hiking over a mountain.

True the VonTrapps were unhappy how their father was portrayedbecause I guess in reality he wasn’t cold and cruel. Sounds like Maria was the one with the temper.They left on a train for America.nhttps://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2005/winter/von-trapps-html

like many adaptationsthe Sound of Music is looselybased on a true story."

You can’t get a train from Austria to America, haha. No, I know they they didn’t leave Austria bound for American. They went to Italy first then moved to England and eventually settled in American four years after leaving Austria. I do know quite a lot about the real story I just didn’t realise the Von Trapps weren’t happy with the musical because they do so much promotion for it. I know one of Maria’s granddaughters actually played her in a production! 

[TobiasRagg]

Posted: 12/22/19 at 1:58pm

Plannietink08 said: "greenifyme2 said: "Plannietink08 said: "astromiami said: "Plannietink08 said: "Interesting idea. The issue is that The Sound of Music is a true story, the characters are real people who’s children are still alive today so I’m not sure how well it would go down."

Actually, the von Trapps were critical of SOM for straying so far from the real life events and character, they might prefer a darker version that more clearly demonstrates the danger the family was in and the bravery of their actions.


Really? I wasn’t aware of that. I assumed they were pretty happy with the adaption given how popular it is. Maybe a darker and grittier version would be a good idea then! I know that the real story isn’t as dramatic as the musical makes out because they quite happily boarded a train and left Austria in complete comfort rather than hiking over a mountain.

True the VonTrapps were unhappy how their father was portrayedbecause I guess in reality he wasn’t cold and cruel. Sounds like Maria was the one with the temper.They left on a train for America.nhttps://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2005/winter/von-trapps-html

like many adaptationsthe Sound of Music is looselybased on a true story."

You can’t get a train from Austria to America, haha. No, I knowthey they didn’t leave Austria bound for American. They went to Italy first then moved to England and eventually settled in American four years after leaving Austria. I do know quite a lot about the real story I just didn’t realise the Von Trapps weren’t happy with the musical because they do so much promotion for it. I know one of Maria’s granddaughters actually played her in a production!"

They settled in Vermont once they got to America because the scenery reminded them of home. It’s now a lodge where people can stay on vacation, or have weddings. I live a couple hours from it. It’s absolutely beautiful. They’re all buried there on the property too. 

Updated On: 12/22/19 at 01:58 PM

[astromiami]

Posted: 12/22/19 at 3:58pm

Plannietink08 said: " I just didn’t realise the Von Trapps weren’t happy with the musical because they do so much promotion for it. I know one of Maria’s granddaughters actually played her in a production!"

I think the family has made its peace with the film. However, in the 60s and 70s Maria von Trapp usually made slighting references to the film, (perhaps colored by the fact that she did not financially benefit from it).

To quote the article linked below:

How did the von Trapps feel about The Sound of Music? While Maria was grateful that there wasn't any extreme revision of the story she wrote in The Story of the Trapp Family Singers, and that she herself was represented fairly accurately (although Mary Martin and Julie Andrews "were too gentle-like girls out of Bryn Mawr," she told the Washington Post in 1978), she wasn't pleased with the portrayal of her husband. The children's reactions were variations on a theme: irritation about being represented as people who only sang lightweight music, the simplification of the story, and the alterations to Georg von Trapp's personality. As Johannes von Trapp said in a 1998 New York Times interview, "it's not what my family was about. . . . [We were] about good taste, culture, all these wonderful upper-class standards that people make fun of in movies like 'Titanic.' We're about environmental sensitivity, artistic sensitivity. 'Sound of Music' simplifies everything. I think perhaps reality is at the same time less glamorous but more interesting than the myth."
 

 

https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2005/winter/von-trapps-html

[Musicaldudepeter]

Posted: 1/11/24 at 4:03am

SeanMartin2 said: "Globefan said: "What other musicals can get a modernization?"

A recent London production of SWEENEY moved it to the Depression era, and it worked amazingly well.

I would imagine CAROUSEL could also get a modern-day approach, since it deals with issues that are (sadly) still part of our culture, like spousal abuse and racism. And it would be great fun to see a MAGA-era production of CABARET."

Regent's Park in London did a modern day 1980s set Carousel with Northern English accents and a brass band as accompaniment instead of an orchestra. Keys were lowered, so no sopranos. It was hideous. 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 1/11/24 at 7:48am

Plannietink08 said: "Interesting idea. The issue is that The Sound of Music is a true story, the characters are real people who’s children are still alive today so I’m not sure how well it would go down."

As covered above, THE SOUND OF MUSIC is loosely based on a true story (even the family has claimed this). Aside from Maria and the Captain, the children and all the other characters are fabricated and loose composites of several people - sorry, folks - there was no Liesl or Rolf or even a Baroness. Yes, there were many children in the real family but none of the children in the musical are based on the actual children, not even their character names. 

[verywellthensigh]

Posted: 1/11/24 at 9:08am

No.

[Impeach2017]

Posted: 1/11/24 at 9:41am

I saw a My Fair Lady set in the London mod era.  It did not go well.  As for SOM, it is hard to think of a property more ill-suited for updating.

[Seb28]

Posted: 1/11/24 at 10:10am

I'm sure Maria would have less class and would sing about the fact that she doesn't need a a man. That she is the independent girl boss who doesn't need anyone. That's modern. Maybe she has some weapons on her or slaps the men she comes across. Just like Wendy in the modern Peter Pan. In modern films men only exist to support women's ego and to be belittled. The only thing men are allowed to be in films nowadays is being "funny", but only if their jokes support the female lead's ego, empowerment and character arc.

Updated On: 1/11/24 at 10:10 AM

[JSquared2]

Posted: 1/11/24 at 12:18pm

Seb28 said: "I'm sure Maria would have less class and would sing about the fact that she doesn't need a a man. That she is the independent girl boss who doesn't need anyone. That's modern. Maybe she has some weapons on her or slaps the men she comes across. Just like Wendy in the modern Peter Pan. In modern films men only exist to support women's ego and to be belittled. The only thing men are allowed to be in films nowadays is being "funny", but only if their jokes support the female lead's ego, empowerment and character arc."

 

Oh Seb, who hurt you??

 

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 1/11/24 at 12:47pm

The likes of Tucker Carlson hurt him, and hurt us all. Sad.