The Sound Of Music's Book Summary

The Sound of Music’s book was written by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. Its lyricist was Oscar Hammerstein II and its music was written by Richard Rodgers. This musical was first performed in Broadway on November 15, 1959.
Rodgers and Hammerstein first began working together in 1943 and are known for several other musicals like Carousel (1945), South Pacific (1949), and The King and I (1951). Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse’s first collaboration was writing the book for Anything Goes and went on to write a non-musical play, Life with Father (1939), which starred Lindsay and his wife.
The Sound of Music is based on a real story that takes place in Austria during World War II. Maria, the musical’s protagonist, lives in a convent where

she is to become a nun. She is later sent to the Von Trapp family’s home to become the governess of seven children because their father, Georg Von Trapp, is a navy captain and his wife passed away, so there is no one at home to take care of his children while he is overseas. Maria spends her time teaching the children how to sing and how to love music, which then opens Georg’s eyes to happiness and love once again. He brought his friends, Max Detweiler and the Baroness, whom he was to marry, but instead he falls in love with Maria and marries her. Max chooses his family to sing at a talent show, which earns them the title of the Von Trapp Family Singers. As soon as Georg gets back from his honeymoon with Maria after their marriage, he is summoned to join the Nazi regime, but he refuses to and tries to escape Austria with his family after they have performed at the talent show.
The song my partner, Krista Cabiltes, and I chose to perform was Edelweiss. This song is in ¾ time signature and is sung by Captain Von Trapp at the end of the second act before he and his family escape. He sings this because he shows the nationalism he has for his homeland, Austria. It is significant and crucial to the story because he already knew that his homeland would be soon taken over by the Nazi regime and it was his last goodbye before he fled to find refuge elsewhere.