The beloved musical “The Sound of Music” has recently celebrated its 60th anniversary. It premiered in 1965, and since then, it has become many people’s favorite. It’s important to celebrate all the wonders that this movie possesses.
In the movie, Maria travels to Salzburg, Austria to take care of the seven children of Captain Von Trapp. At first, the family is very strict and tight, but she manages to bring life and music to the household. The movie portrayed the rise of Nazism in Austria, the courage of families resisting the Nazi regime, and how music can be a beacon of hope for people in troubling times. This story inspires many to stop and slow down to see the beauty in music.
“As a child, I used to sing ‘So Long, Farewell’ to my parents as I went to bed because we would watch it all the time together,” said Senior Ali Ibanez.
In 1963, they began scouting for locations to film, and in 1964, they began filming in Salzburg, Austria, with actors Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, and Eleanor Parker. Salzburg was not the only place they chose for this film, Salzkammergut and Berchtesgaden were also chosen. Today, people visit these beautiful locations filled with the joy this movie has brought.
They originally planned the filming to take six weeks, since the flights and housing for over 250 actors, crew members, technicians, and architects was immensely expensive, but due to bad weather, it took 11 weeks. Whenever the weather was bad, they would film the indoor scenes, like the nuns in the Nonnberg Abbey.
It was first released on March 2, 1965 at the Rivoli Theatre in New York. Theatres all over America were sold out for weeks. “The Sound of Music” became most people’s top favorites. Even today, it’s a top favorite.
“It has a lot of historical significance, it has a lot of cultural significance. It teaches us, it opens our world, it helps us understand the human condition. That’s what the arts do. The arts bring the human condition to the forefront,” said Vivian Kimbler, high school performing arts teacher.
Andrews, the star of “The Sound of Music” who plays Maria, recently celebrated her 90th birthday on October 1. She made her Broadway debut in 1954, starring in the show “The Boy Friend.” After ten years on Broadway, she was offered the lead in Disney’s “Mary Poppins” by Walt Disney himself. She continued on in the film industry and became one of the most beloved actresses of all time.
“Julie Andrews is a mega talent. There’s nothing really that Julie Andrews can’t do. She’s tenacious, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Julie Andrews many many times. She’s just very versatile, just a legendary voice, the way that she integrates the use of her body and her voice in film and on stage is legendary. She’s just a force,” said Kimbler.
“The Sound of Music” is a classic that all admire and love because of its wonderful history and fun music. People love watching Maria sing “The Hills are Alive” on top of a hill, and it makes us all want to frolic in nature just like her. She inspires us to use music as an escape from troubling times, and as a way to bring us together.
