Play: The Sound of Music

Overview
Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music is a 1959 stage musical with music by Richard Rodgers and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Based on the memoirs of Maria von Trapp, it was the duo's final collaboration and quickly became one of the most popular and enduring works of American musical theatre. The show blends buoyant melodies, warm family drama, and a growing political shadow as Europe moves toward war.
The musical follows a young postulant named Maria who is sent from her convent to be governess to the seven children of widowed Captain Georg von Trapp. Her infectious spirit and love of music transform the rigid household, and she and the captain fall in love even as the Anschluss and the demands of Nazi rule threaten their safety and values.

Setting and Characters
The action takes place in Austria in the late 1930s, in the scenic setting of the von Trapp family villa and the surrounding Salzkammergut countryside. Maria arrives as a lively, free-spirited novice who struggles with convent life but finds an immediate rapport with the children and the outdoors. Captain von Trapp is a proud, disciplined retired naval officer, mourning his late wife and running his household by strict rules.
Supporting characters include the charming pragmatist Max Detweiler, who encourages the family's public performances, and Baroness Elsa Schraeder, an elegant socialite who is at first considered a suitable match for the Captain. The dynamics among these figures create both comic moments and deeper emotional shifts as the household moves from rigidity toward warmth and unity.

Plot Summary
Maria's arrival upends the household; through patience and music she wins the children's hearts and restores joy to their lives. Songs and lessons, both joyous and instructive, become the vehicle by which the family reconnects: playful learning in "Do-Re-Mi," cozy longings in "My Favorite Things," tender courting moments between Maria and the Captain, and the Captain's eventual softening in private confession. A pivotal moment occurs when Maria takes the children to sing at a local festival, where the family's public performance kindles pride and exposes them to wider social circles.
Romance grows between Maria and the Captain, creating tension with the Baroness and with the Captain's sense of duty. The political situation escalates as Austria is annexed into Nazi Germany, and Captain von Trapp refuses to join the German navy. Faced with increased pressure and imminent danger, the family must choose between acquiescence and escape. Their final decision to flee Austria is framed by both fear and a courageous desire to remain true to their conscience and to one another.

Music, Themes, and Legacy
The score supplies much of the musical's emotional force, featuring classics such as "The Sound of Music," "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," "My Favorite Things," "Do-Re-Mi," "Sixteen Going on Seventeen," and "Edelweiss." These songs range from playful instruction to soaring anthems of faith and resolve, giving voice to personal growth, familial love, and moral courage.
Central themes include the transformative power of music and love, the importance of family and authenticity, and the moral imperative to resist oppressive regimes. The contrast between the warmth inside the von Trapp home and the cold, authoritarian forces outside creates dramatic urgency without diminishing the story's optimism. The musical's Broadway success and its later 1965 film adaptation turned it into an international cultural touchstone, celebrated for its melodies, heartfelt storytelling, and enduring message about choosing compassion and conscience in dark times.