Lee Theatre to perform “The Sound of Music”
Beyond raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, the Lee University Theatre Department hopes to add their performance of “The Sound of Music” to a list of their audience’s favorite things.
The show kicks off on Friday, April 5 at 7 p.m. in the Dixon Center, pairing with a buzzing campus full of annual Lee Day activities.
The other showtimes for “The Sound of Music” are as follows:
April 6 at 7:30 p.m.
April 12 at 7:30 p.m.
April 13 at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
All performances will be held in the Dixon Center.
Tickets can be purchased for the shows here.
“The Sound of Music” will feature students from all over campus, specifically students with backgrounds in theatre, music and opera theatre.
Caroline Layton, a senior vocal performance major, plays Maria Rainer, one of the musical’s main characters. Despite the show being Layton’s Lee Theatre debut, her connection to “The Sound of Music” goes way back.
Layton recalls her time in the Chattanooga Girls Choir and ending every concert with “Edelweiss,” a song from the musical’s soundtrack.
“I wanted to quit. My dad was like, ‘No, you’re singing ‘Edelweiss’ your senior year,’” said Layton.
But the COVID pandemic struck during Layton’s senior year of high school and she never got to sing the song. Now, as a senior in college, she finally gets to grant her father’s wish.
“It’s kind of like a little gift to my dad to get now to my senior year of college and getting to do that and getting to be Maria for him. It’s been really sweet,” said Layton.
The opportunity to play Maria is more than a gift to her dad. The role is a dream come true for Layton.
“Maria is very similar to me as a person. She’s very confident in who she is but she is kind of caught between a lot of crossroads a lot of times … and she knows the right thing to do, but sometimes she just doesn’t always do it,” said Layton. “I think that’s been really fun, getting to explore her character and see how much she is really like me.”
Cody Hopper, a sophomore vocal performance major, plays Captain Von Trapp, the head of the Von Trapp family. His character begins in a stoic state, still recovering from his wife’s death. But when Maria comes along, his outlook on life changes.
Hopper is very different from the character he plays but uses his talents to tap into his role.
“He’s a very … manly man. That’s just not me, I guess .… so I’ve kind of had to channel my inner man. Kind of be a little more beefy. I kind of have to get in that mindset,” said Hopper.
Hopper said that it can be challenging being a full-time student and playing a role but pulls out his script any chance he has free time.
“Just running it over and over again,” said Hopper, reflecting on how he has prepared for the big role.
Emma Flannagan, a freshman theatre major, plays a house maid and nun in the show.
Flannagan shared that the talented cast is what makes the show shine. “We have such a talented cast. Honestly, the talent in this group is so amazing.”
Flannagan believes the show will showcase the multiple talents of theatre and music students at Lee and inspire students to become involved in these departments on campus, just like she was when she saw a production in 2023 during Lee Day.
Flannagan hopes that the production will “draw the audience in and make them want to see more in the fall.”
“I think when people do something great, you want to see more. You want to see what else they can do,” said Flannagan.
Layton revealed that the show will differ from the popular and famous 1965 film, featuring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. “I think that there will be kind of an element of surprise for some people … it’s not bad, it’s just a different way.”
The Theatre Department invites everyone to come and see “The Sound of Music.”
“We want to be good at this. We want to do the story justice. So we put our time and our dedication and I think that’s really going to show in what we do,” said Flannagan.
To purchase tickets for any of the show’s performances, visit Eventbrite.
