The Sound of Music with a touch of Finesse!

THERE will be a touch of Finesse to The Sound of Music when Cheddington’s am-dram group, affectionately known by their fans as CADS, take to the village stage.

Helen Owen, playing Maria - a role made famous in the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical by Julie Andrews - is more usually seen as a member of an award-winning quartet called Finesse. She has previously starred as Nancy in Oliver with the group.

The Sound of Music is also giving children from the Cheddington and Tring area a chance to shine when they take turns to play the infamous Von Trapp family.

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Spokeswoman Meg Grant said: “With the four youngest girls we have two teams who will alternate when it comes to performances. This has made rehearsals more interesting due to the need to re-run sections with a different team!”

The Sound of Music, which was brought to the stage and screen by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein ll, came from a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse that was adapted from Maria Augusta Trapp’s own book called The Family Singers.

The story (for those one or two who haven’t heard of it before!) is set in Austria at the start of the Second World War. Maria wants to be a nun but is given to bursting into song at inappropriate moments. In an effort to help her decide what she wants to do with her life, she is sent to the von Trapp family as a governess.

Since their mother died, life for the seven von Trapp children has been regimented and cheerless with music missing from their lives. Maria changes all that, wins the children over and, with a little more persuasion, Captain von Trapp himself (being played by Court Theatre actor and director Dan Clucas).

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The show contains a playlist of memorable songs including The Lonely Goatherd, My Favourite Things, Climb Every Mountain and the title song.

Said Meg: “The whole team is looking forward to entertaining what we certainly expect will be sell-out audiences.”

Performances run from April 17 to 21 at Cheddington Village Hall. For tickets and times call the box office 01296 662609.

The amateur production is presented by arrangement with Josef Weinberger Ltd on behalf of R & H Theatricals of New York.