The Mountaineers Players presented the perennial classic Sound of Music after an eleven year hiatus.

Craig Schieber directed with Stephen Wall doing the music direction and Guy Caridi creating the choreography. Schieber was very familiar with the story having been the choreographer of our previous production. Gail Foster and Brian Lindvall were also part of the 1999 cast with Brian even playing same role.

The role of Maria was beautifully portrayed by Beaven Walters, making her Forest Theater debut. Adding a personal touch to the cast, her daughter Sophie played young Gretl. A memorable moment captured in a photo shows Sophie mid-hop—part of Caridi’s choreography where the children leap in sequence. The timing was so perfect that Sophie appears legless in the frame, while Marta (played by Téa Hickerson) is visibly preparing for her jump.

One of the production’s most striking moments came during the Kalzberg Festival scene. At the beginning of the scene, a large swastika unfurled from the back wall and Nazi guards emerged from both sides of the audience. The sudden, immersive staging left a powerful impression, with many audience members commenting on how viscerally it conveyed the looming threat of the era.

Ila Faubion and her future husband, Anthony Dreesen, portrayed Liesl and Rolf. They were also cast opposite each other in both productions of Beauty and the Beast in 2008 and 2022.