Review: Cork Opera House's The Sound of Music exceeded all my expectations

I didn't think that Cork Opera House's production of The Sound of Music could surprise me. Nor did I think it could quite measure up to my love for the 1965 film iteration of the musical, starring Julie Andrews. But I was wrong on both counts.

Directed by Davey Kelleher, the Opera House’s production of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music opened to a full house last Saturday night.

From the first notes of the show’s opening Preludium by the Nuns of Nonnberg Abbey right through to the Finale Ultimo: Climb Ev’ry Mountain, it is fair to say that the cast had the audience absolutely mesmerised with their powerful performances and exquisite vocals.

The story is one which is familiar to many and follows young Austrian nun Maria as she is sent to become a governess to the seven children of widower Captain von Trapp. We watch as Maria gets to know the children, as she and the Captain fall in love, and as they marry. Of course, this all happens against the backdrop of the Anschluss in Austria by the Nazis. There is all of the drama, romance, politics, and tension that you would expect.

The cast includes international and local actors with acclaimed Soprano and Classical Brit Award Nominee, Wendy Carr, as Maria Rainer while West End star and cast member of Netflix’s The Crown, Matt Blaker, played Captain von Trapp. From the get-go, there is a credible chemistry between Wendy and Matt, as well as the von Trapp children (expertly played by Team Hammerstein the night I attended), reeling the audience into their story.

For me, well-known Irish Soprano Majella Cullagh, who plays Mother Abbess, was the absolute star of the show. Majella’s voice is a force to be reckoned with, and she made the familiar songs of The Sound of Music sound like they were written just for her.

In all, the production features 45 cast members as well as a 16-piece orchestra and an offstage crew of over 100 people, and it has to be said that the offstage crew have worked to make the production of this show something really special. The costumes here transported the audience right back to the Europe of this time. Every set was thoughtfully designed, and even the set changes added to the ebb and flow of the musical. The clever use of sound and lighting throughout created a palpable tension and pulled the audience right into the performance.

The production is a long one; the show opened at 7pm with audiences leaving the Opera House just after 10pm, but yet, it felt like it was over in a flash. The planning and work that has gone into this production of The Sound of Music is abundantly clear, with every single minute detail evidently expertly crafted and executed.

I didn’t think anything could exceed the 1965 film version of this story for me, but Cork Opera House’s production has done just that. A must-see that I’d recommend to anyone who can get along to see it over the coming weeks.

The show is the largest-scale professional musical that has been produced in-house at Cork Opera House and it will run until August 23 with an ISL interpreted performance on August 8 and a relaxed performance, in association with The Rainbow Club, Cork, on August 18. Tickets for the ISL Interpreted Performance and the Relaxed Performance can be booked through the Cork Opera House Box Office. 

All other performances can be booked online on www.corkoperahouse.ie