Sound of Music Comes to Spring Lake

The Spring Lake Theatre Company's production of “The Sound of Music” recently opened at the borough's and audiences are raving.

“The Sound of Music” is a musical based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp. The setting: Salzburg, Austria. The time: just before World War II. Notable songs included: "the Sound of Music," "My Favorite Things" and "Do-Re-Mi."

Engineer Bob Bean of Audubone, Pa., among others, is impressed with the show and was pleased with it in relation to the popular movie.

"The singing is incredible. It shows that the cast is having fun -- they have great voices and you can see that they are enjoying what they are doing," said Bean.

Bean also went on about how he thought the visuals were incredible and how the cast and crew did a great job with the set.

"It's elaborate for the size of the stage," he said. "I've always loved 'the Sound of Music.' It was a great play and the singing here is comparable."

Sue Keane of Crofton Maryland is visiting family in Bayhead and her mother, Janet Jankulow of Bayhead suggested taking the family to the play for granddaughter Caroline's 9th birthday.

"It's a wonderful performance," said Jankulow.

"All the characters in the play are realistic to the originals in the movie. They are very talented actors and actresses," said Keane.

"'My Favorite Things' is my favorite song" said 9-year-old Caroline.

"The girls love the music," added Keane.

The hardworking cast had just four and a half weeks to practice, and star of the show Laura Bembridge, 21, New Egypt who played Maria, had even less time.

"I was traveling and I came on late. The cast was very welcoming," said Bembridge.

On what it was like to be a lead _- Bembridge said it was a lot of pressure but a challenge she was glad to step up to. This was her first performance with the Spring Lake Theater Company, but as a college student studying music and theatre, she had been performing for years.

Male lead Jeff Skalecki has had many encounters with the Spring Lake Theatre Company. In his 20 years of performing with it, he says this was his first time he played a more serious roll.

"I couldn't fall back on my comedy chops. It was a challenge," said Skalecki.

It took a lot of time and dedication to make the musical work.

"We were on a strict schedule in a short time -- about 4 and a half weeks," said director Derek Hulse of Point Pleasant. "The show is so well known because of the movie so people expect to hear songs from the movie and the play is written differently."

For the running at the Spring Lake Theater Company, the crew combined what the audience knows while keeping it true to its original script, according to Hulse.

This series of showings is dedicated to former Spring Lake Theatre Company actress Francie Meehan.

"She passed away recently and had played the role of one of the maids when she was in the show 10 years ago," said Hulse.

Meehan was a long time supporter of the Spring Lake Theatre Company.

"The Sound of Music" will run shows through August 27. For exact show time dates and ticketing information visit www.springlaketheatre.com.