In addition, the family actually started their singing career while in Austria, for financial reasons. Captain von Trapp lost most of his fortune in the 1929 financial crash; the family had to let all the servants go and live on one floor of the mansion. It was at this point that they took the family on the road, to keep bread on the table. What is true is that the von Trapps were horrified by the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in 1938. After the Captain was inducted into the German navy, the family left the country. They left quite openly by train instead of dramatically fleeing over the mountains, but hey- it's a great scene.
This week we watched The Sound of Music which is my favourite Rodgers & Hammerstein musical. The movie was made in 1965 and starred the incomparable Julie Andrews as Maria. It was of course based on the 1959 musical written by Rogers & Hammerstein, with the screenplay being written by Ernest Lehman who heavily relied on the musical's book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. What isn't as well known is that the musical was inspired by a German film from 1956, entitled Die Trapp-Familie (The Trapp Family). This film was such a hit that it got a sequel: Die Trapp-Familie In Amerika. The source for these films was the memoir written by Maria von Trapp in 1949 entitled The Story of the Trapp Family Singers. Of course, quite a few liberties were taken with the facts in these various adaptations. For example, while it's true that Maria was a young governess from the convent who cared for Captain von Trapp's seven children and then married him, most of the other details are completely changed. In actuality, the Captain was apparently quite mild-mannered, while Maria was the strict, forceful one. Also, they were married in 1927 and had three children of their own. In addition, the family actually started their singing career while in Austria, for financial reasons. Captain von Trapp lost most of his fortune in the 1929 financial crash; the family had to let all the servants go and live on one floor of the mansion. It was at this point that they took the family on the road, to keep bread on the table. What is true is that the von Trapps were horrified by the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in 1938. After the Captain was inducted into the German navy, the family left the country. They left quite openly by train instead of dramatically fleeing over the mountains, but hey- it's a great scene. When we discussed what to watch Sunday night and someone suggested The Sound of Music, I was startled to realize that I hadn't actually seen the film in a number of years. Actually, I think the last time I watched a version of The Sound of Music, it was the made-for-TV 2013 movie starring Carrie Underwood as Maria. To be frank, it's not great- especially not when compared to the 1965 film- but I enjoyed it for a couple reasons. As I've mentioned before, my high school put on The Sound of Music while I was there, and I played first clarinet in the pit orchestra (a.k.a. the gym floor). It was all sorts of fun, and I loved learning the other songs from the musical which didn't make it into the movie. One thing I liked about the 2013 version is that it was the musical, so these songs were in it. While it's understandable that these pieces were cut for the film, it was great to hear them again. Also, I enjoyed our high school production not because it was professional (it wasn't) but because I loved the music, loved the play, loved being part of it, and appreciated the efforts of the actors & singers who put their hearts into every scene. I liked the 2013 TV version for the same reasons- the musical is great, I wasn't expecting perfection, and I appreciated the efforts of the actors performing it live on television.
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