Do you know the song that goes like this? 

Raindrops on roses and AU’s musicians  

Talented cast and great stage technicians  

Scott Taylor’s packages, orchestra strings,  

These are a few of my favorite things!  

You’ve probably heard it a little differently, but there’s a reason for the updated lyrics.   

This year, the Anderson University Department of Theatre and Dance is performing the five-time Oscar-winning musical The Sound of Music. I was lucky enough to be able to sit in on a rehearsal for this star-studded program. Trust me: you don’t want to miss it.  

The Cast  

Hannah Auci delivers a powerful performance; her stunning vocals and contagious joy make her the perfect candidate to play Maria. I already had high expectations. She exceeded them through her sincerity and joyful countenance.  

Maria’s counterpart, Captain Von Trapp, is played by Jackson Caito (who absolutely kills it) with elegance and discipline, making the classic romance highly worth watching. On top of this, several children from the local community have been coming in to prepare for their roles as the Von Trapp children, bringing further joy and authenticity to the play. Every actor who stepped foot on stage deserved to be there—auditions were back in March, and they worked tirelessly over the summer to memorize their script and lyrics.  

Behind the Scenes 

In my recent interview with Ken Watts, one of the costume designers for The Sound of Music, he told me about the massive amounts of work they put in behind the scenes to make a project like this play happen. They’ve made more than 90 costumes in preparation for this play, with more than 30 built from scratch. When you add to this the beautiful and intricate backdrops utilized, you have a completely immersive and engaging environment. You could even say the hills are alive.  

The environment is significantly elevated by Thomas Cawood’s light design. “I want us to show the distinct difference in how Maria affects her environment. And so when she’s at the Abbey, it’s brighter, it’s not dark,” said Dr. David Sollish, the director. “When she comes into the lives of the children and the captain, it gets brighter. 

“Thomas has done this amazing job of creating a lighting design that is not typical Golden Age musical theater, but it complements the scenic design so well,” Dr. Sollish said. 

The Details 

The Sound of Music features a cast of 35 AU students and six children from the community, along with an orchestra of 16 wonderful musicians, not to mention beautiful scenic, costume, and lighting designs and gorgeous choreography to bring the story to life.  

You can support the Department of Theatre and Dance, The South Carolina School of the Arts, and this spectacular production by attending one of four performances. Shows are on October 17, 18 and 19 at 7:30 p.m. You can catch a 2 p.m. matinee on October 20.   

Tickets are available daily at the Rainey Fine Arts Center Box Office from 9 a.m. until noon or online at https://ci.ovationtix.com/35709. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $5 for faculty/staff/students. Tickets cannot be purchased online at the discounted faculty/staff/student rate.   

For questions, please call the box office at 864-231-2080 or email boxoffice@andersonuniversity.edu.