'Sound of Music' coming to FSHS stage

A group of Fort Scott High Schools students will bring their own version of the popular 1959 Broadway musical, "The Sound of Music," to a local stage this fall.

FSHS choir teacher Pat Harry began conducting auditions on Wednesday for the musical, which was originally written for the musical stage by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, and based on a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The Lindsay and Crouse book was based on the book "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers" by Maria Von Trapp.

Auditions for the show will also be held on Thursday evening. About 36 students let their musical talents shine at the auditions Wednesday night. Harry said that she expected about the same number of students to participate in auditions Thursday evening.

Harry will not be alone in her efforts to direct the cast. FSHS English teacher Don Parsons will collaborate with Harry for this production as the assistant director, Harry said. FSHS speech and drama teacher Patty LaRoche will lend her expertise to the production by operating the lighting for the show, Harry added. Harry said that the theatrical performance's backdrop will be created by FSHS art teacher Ellen Kendrick's art class.

Harry said that a musical differs from a play in several ways. Directing and performing a musical is much more expensive than a non-musical production. Also, the cast required for a musical performance is larger than that required for a play. In addition, the preparation of the musical pieces requires extra time and practice along with the time required to learn theatrical lines, she said.

In order to retain the rights to perform the musical, Harry said that she had to contact the Rodgers and Hammerstein organization to request permission to use the show's lyrics and script. The production's scripts must be rented from the company. In addition, Harry had to pay a license fee to perform the musical, which means the school had to pay royalties for the production, she said.

The cost of securing the rights to perform the musical is one of the most costly aspects of directing a musical performance. To offset the cost of these expenses, FSHS officials will charge an admission price for the show, Harry said.

As soon as the roles are assigned to prospective cast members, rehearsals will begin. The students will practice four evenings a week, as well as a couple of Saturdays, in order to prepare the show for its opening on Nov. 13 in the FSHS auditorium, 1005 S. Main St. Performances are also scheduled to take place Nov. 15 and 17 as well.

"The Sound of Music," which features several songs that have become popular standards, was also made into a popular 1965 movie musical starring Julie Andrews in the lead role. The show enjoyed numerous productions and revivals since its original release in 1959, and created several cultural references. It was the final musical written by Rodgers and Hammerstein; the latter of whom died of cancer nine months after the show's premiere.