By Armita Mirkarimi , Staff Writer
The rolling green hills of King Farm in Woodstock will come alive with the “Sound of Music” later this month as BarnArts Center for the Arts presents its first-ever outdoor production of the beloved Rodgers and Hammerstein classic. With performances running June 19-29, the production promises to blend the timeless story of the von Trapp family with the natural beauty of Vermont.
“We have planned to stage ‘The Sound of Music’ outdoors for a few years, and it timed perfectly with the move of our June outdoor location to King Farm,” BarnArts executive director Linda Treash told the Standard. “The view and the setting on the farmhouse lawn is spectacular, and we are using it as our set, keeping the production simple and natural.”
Vermont as backdrop for the performance is particularly appropriate. The real-life Maria von Trapp, whose story inspired the musical, eventually settled with her family in Stowe after fleeing Nazi-occupied Austria in 1938. Now, nearly 90 years later, their story unfolds against the very landscape they once called home.
For some cast members, the production represents their first encounter with the iconic musical. Albert Falcone, who plays Captain von Trapp, admitted he had never even seen the movie before auditioning.
BarnArts performers stage scenes from the ball in rehearsal. The cast of 28 includes both longtime BarnArts veterans and newcomers to community theater. Courtesy of BarnArts
“One thing I did know about it, at least the movie version, is that Captain von Trapp rips up a Nazi flag and I was like, ‘Hey, that sounds like fun,’” Falcone told the Standard. But what he discovered was a story far more complex and compelling than he expected. “It has a lot of really interesting lines to deliver and a lot of really strong rebuke of what’s happening politically in the background.”
The story’s political dimension resonates particularly strongly for Falcone, who sees community theater as uniquely positioned to make historical themes feel immediate and personal. “I think that considering the political themes of the story, it gives a strong sense of like, yeah, this sort of thing — just like it happened there — can happen here,” he reflected. “It’s always something that’s important to be reminded of.”
The production has drawn 28 local performers, many of whom are new to BarnArts or returning to theater after long absences. For performer Beth Malow, who moved to Vermont from Nashville about a year ago with her husband, the show represents both a bucket-list item and a way to build connections in their new home state.
“It’s always been a bucket list kind of thing to be in community theater, especially for my husband,” said Malow, who performs in the nuns ensemble. “We were at a restaurant when we saw a flyer and I said, ‘Why don’t we just try out and see how it goes?”
The experience has exceeded Malow’s expectations. Malow says she has grown particularly fond of the Latin chanting her character performs. “There’s about 12 of us singing four different choral parts and I’m really getting into some of the harmony and meditative chanting of the Latin more so than I thought I would at the beginning.”
The outdoor setting presents unique opportunities for the musical elements of the production. Michael Zsoldos, who serves as vocal director while also teaching in Dartmouth’s music department, brings eight years of experience leading the BarnArts Chorus to the ‘Sound of Music’ project.
“The most rewarding part has been getting people to believe that they can produce a beautiful sound,” Zsoldos said. His approach focuses on building confidence across the cast’s varied musical backgrounds, from experienced choir members to children just starting out.
Zsoldos is particularly excited about musical elements that audiences familiar only with the film won’t recognize. “I love the wedding music that the nuns get to sing, which people who have only ever seen the movie will not be familiar with because that’s something that the Broadway production had that the movie did not,” he noted. The nuns will showcase “some very talented singers” performing complex harmonies, he said.
For Falcone, one standout moment comes in “No Way to Stop It,” a song absent from the movie where Captain von Trapp debates his friends Max and Elsa about accommodating the incoming Nazi regime. “It gives the captain the opportunity to really kind of show off his moral center, which I appreciate,” he said.
Beyond its musical merits, cast members see the production as offering timely themes about resistance, family, and the power of art during dark periods. Zsoldos drew connections between the show’s wartime setting and contemporary concerns.
“At the moment that our country’s in — you know, where we’re in a very politically fraught time — this show is set in a very politically fraught time that ended up defining the global order for the remainder of the 20th century,” he observed. Yet, the story also offers hope. “Just seeing that — wow, how comforting to know that in spite of all of the political storms that are going on around us, that we can tune into something sacred if we choose to. And singing can really help bind us together in that way.”
Taylor Hobson, who plays the iconic role of Maria, echoes this sentiment. “This story has always held a special place in my family,” she said. “Performing in ‘The Sound of Music’ feels like sharing part of myself with my community.”
The production will take advantage of King Farm’s natural amphitheater, with stone walls and large trees providing both acoustic benefits and scenic backdrop. An eight-piece live orchestra will perform on the side of the stage under a tent, while actors use the full expanse of the lawn during dance numbers and the famous ball scene.
Costume designer August Doughty is managing over 100 costumes for the production, including personally designed ball gowns for Maria and Liesl. The cast includes both seasoned BarnArts veterans and newcomers, from 16-year-old Marlena Farinas living out her dream of playing Liesl to ensemble members seeking joy and connection in uncertain times.
As opening night approaches, the cast and crew are embracing both the challenges and magic of outdoor theater. For Treash, the experience embodies the organization’s mission of bringing communities together through art.
“The actors are often in sync with the audience just to help with audibility because we’re outdoors and sound travels and dissipates outdoors,” she explained. But rather than a limitation, this intimacy becomes part of the production’s charm — breaking down barriers between performers and audience, much like Maria herself breaks down the walls around the von Trapp family’s guarded hearts.
“The Sound of Music” runs June 19-21 and June 27-28 at 6 p.m., with matinee performances June 22 and 29 at 4 p.m. at King Farm in Woodstock. Tickets are $25 for adults, $18 for students/discount, and $12 for children 12 and under, available at barnarts.org. Rain or shine performances. Audiences are encouraged to bring chairs, blankets, and picnics to enhance the outdoor experience.