Federal Way High School’s production of “The Sound of Music” opens on May 8 and will feature Highline Running Start students in its cast. “The Sound of Music” tells the story of the von Trapp family singers in 1930s Austria in the political context of the Nazi annexation of Austria. The family resists submitting to the Nazi party, despite the consequences of such rebellion.
Gale Miller will star as Maria Rainer, the young postulant who, due to her frequent singing and inability to fit in, is sent to be a governess for the von Trapp children. “[Maria is] so much more complex than people give her credit for. Like, people look at characters that Julie Andrews play, and they’re like ‘that’s just a fun, family loving woman’ whereas, in actuality, she has gone through many identity crises, lost her parents at a very early age, and struggled with feeling like she’s not good enough in her life and in the musical,” said Miller.
Miller went on to say, “when I play her I aim to accentuate those struggles and bring them to the forefront because I want her to be complex, have depth, and I want her story to be rich.”
Another Highline student, Avi Taylor, will play Captain Georg von Trapp, and regarding portraying this character, he said, “… getting to show what it was like for those who were expected to fall in line but refused; getting to portray that fills me with pride and hope for the future.”
Additionally, Alinea Kirshenbaum will portray the eldest of the von Trapp children, Liesl.
Choosing “The Sound of Music” for the spring musical after performing “The Diary of Anne Frank” in the fall was an intentional selection from director Holly Rose. “In Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’, Hamlet says ‘Art holds a mirror to nature.’ We’re reflecting back what society has done over decades and ages. If we don’t learn from our history, we repeat it, so we need stories like this to remind us what can happen if we’re not paying attention.”
For the first time in Federal Way High School’s history, the musical will be supported by a live, student orchestra, conducted by Ian Martinez, Federal Way High School’s band director and music teacher. In that student orchestra, there are four additional Highline Running Start students. Lucy Locker plays the saxophone, Aiden Nguyen plays the oboe, Aster Tran plays the clarinet, and Olivia Ottley plays the double bass.
Fans of the musical and the songs it contains have a chance to sing with the actors on stage during the sing-a-long performance on Saturday, May 9.
For more information about the show, additional cast members, and to purchase tickets, visit the Federal Way High School Drama Department website, or check out their Instagram page.