As voices from the cast of “The Sound of Music” echoed in the Upper School’s (US) Lindberg-Serries Theater, the audience joined in for classic songs, such as “Edelweiss,” “How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria” and “Do-Re-Mi,” in the US’s first musical sing-along performance.

 The cast told the story of Maria, a postulant, or nun in training, who goes to live with Captain Von Trapp and his seven children before they escape Austria at the beginning of World War II. The cast performed four times. To involve the audience, the matinee on March 8 was a sing-along, a first one in US history.

 The audition process for “The Sound of Music” began just before Thanksgiving break and lasted until Winter Break. The cast began rehearsing in early January for two hours each school day and four hours every Saturday.

 US Theater Director Ross MacDonald chose “The Sound of Music” as the winter musical because its focus on decision-making felt applicable to the audience.

 “I believe that we always need to engage the audience,” he said. “I also think it’s important to find a show which students will enjoy exploring in the process. You have to do a show that will entertain and reflect what’s going on in our own society. I felt ‘The Sound of Music’ was the right show to think about the choices we make as a society and how we can be so quickly divided. The show is a classic, loved by generations, with a powerful message.”

 Mr. MacDonald appreciated seeing the cast bond while creating the musical. The presence of laughter and joy enabled students to be creative, he said.

 “There’s nearly 70 students involved. It’s a privilege to be part of that. It’s a joy and a privilege to be part of a process that has seen so much laughter. I’m really grateful to the seniors for setting a really good example, and I’m really excited about the future.”

 Sophia Stafford ’25, who played Maria, originally joined the musical because she enjoyed singing and was excited to spend time pursuing her passion. Sophia continued contributing because she loved the community, she said.

 “I thought that we had a really special cast this year. I thought that they brought really positive energy.”

 Sophia also loved the choice of “The Sound of Music” because the classic play and its message are familiar for much of the audience, she said.

 “The Sound of Music represents acting with joy and optimism in the face of uncertainty. That’s what the characters are doing and it’s always an applicable lesson.”

 The new sing-along helped engage younger children in the audience, Sophia said.

 “‘The Sound of Music’ features characters who find joy in singing. Having a cast that shares that love made playing them really special, but inviting the audience to sing along brought the experience full circle.”

 Asher Esty ’25, who played Captain Von Trapp, acted in the musical for the past three years, participating in “Into the Woods,” “Chicago,” and “Annie.” To him, the musical community is an inclusive space.   

 “The musical is a community of people who really like to act and sing and hang out with people,” he said. “I think one of the best things is that I get to meet so many people from a bunch of different grades and get to interact with a bunch of different people.”

 “The Sound of Music” was a fitting show to end Asher’s musical career since it created a strong sense of community within the cast, he said.

 “Backstage, the show, the cast was a really close-knit community, which really, really helped everybody feel so good about what they were doing and feel great about the production.”

 Alicia Jiang ’28, who participated in the costume crew, said a challenge was creating enough costumes for the large cast due to the number of students involved.

 “There was definitely a lot more stuff that we had to make, especially since there’s obviously a larger cast. But I think we did pretty well.”

 Alice Chung ’28, an audience member of the Thursday preview, liked the choice of musical, she said.

 “It’s a classical musical, and it’s very well-known throughout musical history. Its songs are really popular, too.”

 In the spring, Mr. MacDonald will direct “Picasso at the Lapin Agile.”