Sound of Music to open Friday in Rogers City

The Rogers City Theater will be alive with ?The Sound of Music? beginning this weekend. The live performance by the local players will be performed Friday and Saturday at 7:30 and Sunday at 2 p.m. Performances for the second weekend, Nov. 5, 6 and 7 will be on the same schedule with Friday and Saturday performances at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Mike Marx, who has appeared in many roles with the Rogers City Community Theatre, is in his first stint as director of the performance. ?It is a great experience. It has been an evolution from actor to director. It was time for me to become a director. So I took that step,? Marx said.

THE STORY is a familiar one, with the play written by Howard Lindsay based on the Maria von Trapp autobiography titled ?The Trapp Family Singers.? The songs from Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II are from the last collaboration from the famous songwriting duo, finished just before Hammerstein?s death in 1960. The original play opened on Broadway in Nov. 1959 with Mary Martin and Theodore Bikel cast in the lead roles as Maria and Captain Georg von Trapp. The movie version, with Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer in the leads won multiple Academy Awards in 1965 and has remained a favorite for 45 years.

?It is the musical of musicals,? Marx said. ?I have had some tremendous help. It has taken a load off.? Marx said the play is different in several ways from the motion picture version of the story. There will be many of the familiar songs, but some which didn?t appear in the movie version.

?The story line is basically the same. Some of the songs are in a little bit different spots than they are in the movie. I think with the actors and the help that we have with this, we will pull it off really well,? Marx said. Some newcomers will make their community theater debut, and many veterans of the local production company return.

CAST IN THE role of Maria is Nicole Grulke, her first lead role. ?This is her first major role. I think the community knows her voice. They have heard her at many things like Miss Rogers City (where she won the tale

nt award). She has taken the Maria role and made it her own,? Marx said. Karl Heidemann, is cast as Capt. von Trapp, one of many lead roles he has had through the years since cast as Tevye in the 2001 production of Fiddler on the Roof, directed by Bryan Mills. ?His professionalism and his experience shines through,? Marx said of Heidemann. ?He is a joy to watch on the stage. He has taken this role and will shine.?

One of the newcomers is Bev Grulke, cast as Mother Abbess. ?The community will have the chance to hear her sing and it is going to be truly a thing to come see. She is worth the price of admission.?

Other cast members include (in the order listed in the program) Jackie Poch, Val Schalk, Janet Lamb, Dana LaBar, Elaine Heidemann, Julie LaBar, Quintin Kelly, Kayli Witulski, Ben Sedwick, Salena Heidemann, Grace Darga, Ava Kelly, Steve Sedwick, Pennie Kelly, Brian Current, Alison Marx, Rosemary Howell, Meg Bruning, Diane Wagner, Deanna Karsten, Denise Perrault, Mary Hazlett, Marilynn Ellenberger, Ed Perrault and Charlie Harp. Marx said the community should be treated to a great performance of a well-loved play. Tickets are available at the door or at the Rogers City Theater box office, the chamber office, from cast members or at the Advance office.

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