Having been in Clarksville, and within such a large military community for some time now I have finally had my first boot camp experience! It may not have involved as many push ups or any scrubbing of the latrines, but rather an army of yodeling Von Trapp children and a journey up the mountains of Austria all within the walls of The Roxy.
Before starting the rehearsals with the full professional company of The Sound of Music, I had the pleasure of working with all of the Von Trapp children last week in our Sound of Music boot camp. Each morning started out with all three casts of children and myself taking a brisk march around the block and singing “Do-Re-Mi” at the top of our lungs. All 18 children then gathered around the piano to learn some of the most beloved songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein, such as “So Long, Farewell,” “My Favorite Things,” and of course “The Sound of Music.” Most of them could already recite the entire script and score from the movie, however they have all been working very hard on learning pretty difficult harmonies and some fun choreography.
Each one of the children has been simply delightful to play with in rehearsals. I must say that I was nervous at first and a little overwhelmed at the idea of working with such a large group of children, but not to anyone’s surprise they are each so wonderfully talented and have made me excited to get up each morning and go to the theatre.
I remember becoming involved in the theatre community where I lived when I was growing up, and what an invaluable experience it was to have an artistic outlet as a child and an education in music and theatre. It is really amazing to see these young people with a passion for the arts and to know that I am taking part in their education, just like the professionals I looked up to when I was young. They have all grown so much in just one week of rehearsal, and continue to bring so many new and wonderful things to this production.
The Von Trapp children will surely steal the show starting July 15th, and make sure you don’t miss out on The Sound of Music Sing-A-Long on July 20th!
~ Kendall Anne Thompson
