Whedonesque Mobile : Comments on 10812 : ASH to Play Von Trapp in Sound of Music?

July 09 2006

ASH to Play Von Trapp in Sound of Music? It looks like Anthony Stewart Head has been cast in a revival of "The Sound of Music." But according to his official fan site, it says he isn't.

Not only is ASH playing the Captain, but the role of Maria is apparently going to be an open casting. Anyone here want to take on the role?

Meltha | 05:04 CET | 22 comments total | tags: anthony stewart head, london, ash

I have a hard time understanding how mounting The Sound of Music is relevant in this day and age. If anyone has ideas, please write. Although, it's actually Head's role I've always found most interesting and if anyone can do something more subversive with it than Christopher Plummer was allowed to in the film, it's him.

Tonya J | July 09, 05:14 CET

TonyaJ, I suppose as a big ol' musical geek "relevance" isn't the first thing that comes to mind when I spaz about a new (or newly mounted old) musical. That said, try this on for incendiary commentary: there are some freaky overtones in U.S. American foreign policy these days (pre-emption not being the most). Ooh---imagine a "Sound of Music" interpretation set in the United States of America. . . . Okay. I'm stopping now.

dfcj | July 09, 05:24 CET

Personally, I think beautiful music and a classic storyline are always relevant.

Meltha | July 09, 05:29 CET

I never thought Oklahoma could be interesting to me again. I mean how many interpretations can you give the old Chestnuts? Then I saw the filmed stage version with Hugh Jackman as Curly and Shuler Hensley as Judd. I was proved wrong that time; those two revitalized an old, worn out musical. Cabaret was a good choice as a recent revival with Alan Cumming as the Emcee. Scads of relevant updating that could be done. I don't have the bucks to see TSOM in London, but maybe Lloyd-Webber will prove me wrong again.

Tonya J | July 09, 05:35 CET

What bothers me is the search for Maria will be a new idea for a reality show, which means we'll see an American version any day now. You know, if they could get Kristen Chenoweth as Maria, the casting would be over...even if this is a London revival

[ edited by impalergeneral on 2006-07-09 03:52 ]

impalergeneral | July 09, 05:51 CET

Oh man I wish I could go to London to see this. Good for ASH.

unscrewed | July 09, 05:52 CET

Wow, go Ash!!

spikeylover | July 09, 06:01 CET

A story about finding love and bringing cohesion to a family unit is always relevant. Plus great songs!

crossoverman | July 09, 06:28 CET

I've always loved the 'Sound of Music' and also wish I could go to London to see this! I hope it's a huge hit! ASH will be absolutely fabulous in this role!

Firefly Flanatic | July 09, 06:32 CET

Tonya J,

How about - instead of WWII and Nazi's, it's modern day Iraq. Saddam is the Captain. His cousin was groomed/trained/hypnotized/brainwashed to be his double and is the one captured and on trial.

Wait, no - The Captain and his family are modern day missionaries in Somalia, when...

Er, um... How 'bout - Maria is a journalist in East Timor during the fascist -

Sigh. OK. I like dfcj's idea better!

(edited for punctuation)

[ edited by napua on 2006-07-09 04:55 ]

napua | July 09, 06:54 CET

I was thinking about parallels along the lines of HBO's series, Big Love, but I don't know how that would all pan out. Believe me, if I could swing it I'd be there in the front row opening night rooting for Mr. Head. Sigh. How do you solve a problem like penury?

Tonya J | July 09, 07:11 CET

Relevance? Besides the already mentioned healing of a traumatized family there is also the individual following the dictates of his conscience even if it means giving up all his material possessions to go against the desires of friends and orders of a government that will willingly destroy him and his family.

That said, I am not sure I could will myself to sit through a performance of the Sound of ~~Mucus~~ ~~Money~~ Music even with the number of years it has been since the last production I was in. It is not a show that wears well on the performers.

newcj | July 09, 07:34 CET

Well, I'm looking forward to it. Tony is a blast in acting. I still bust a gut in watching his performance in the "Rocky Horror Picture Show." You don't get any better than that.

Madhatter | July 09, 08:15 CET

Personally, I think it's great! I'm almost peeing myself with excitement!

ladyforash | July 09, 08:44 CET

You might want to see a doctor about that... ;)

Sound of Music is one of my least favorite musicals (West Side Story is my least) but I'd still be interested in seeing ASH in the role. Actors can mean quite a bit to how a show works in my eyes.

kishi | July 09, 08:58 CET

In the officialy Anthony Head site it's write that is not true.......
http://www.anthonyhead.org/

Barby | July 09, 12:35 CET

Thanks for that Barby, I've added that bit to the subject line.

Simon | July 09, 13:12 CET

Beauty has nor time, nor age. Relevance is just a tiny posibility in the endless worlds of arts. Relevance is a prison for the modern day, becase, what else may be defined as a prison as the forbidding of a part of ourselves in favour of a very little aspect of our reality?

Darkness | July 09, 13:25 CET

Muiscals are like live television on a stage -- if television shows can still be relevent years after their departure, why not musicals? Both tell a story of human suffering and triumph.

YellowBear | July 09, 21:36 CET

Both tell a story of human suffering and triumph

Having been forced to set through Fame the musical, I can relate to the human suffering part.

Simon | July 09, 22:25 CET

"In the officialy Anthony Head site it's write that is not true.......
http://www.anthonyhead.org/"

Too bad for the show. I have no doubt he would be wonderful in the role.

newcj | July 10, 04:41 CET

He'd be perfect, he has such a great voice! Too bad it's not true.

I've seen a stage presentation of Sound of Music, and hated it. It was simply boring. However, with some directorial vision and budget, it might be just great.

I've also been to a sing-a-long-sound-of-music (yes, it's basically upgraded karaoke and part of the audience is in costumes!), and that was such fun. I second the great music and stories are always relevant argument :-)

Karenina | July 10, 19:59 CET

You need to log in to be able to post comments.
About membership.

« Older We Have Our Summer Knight. | Comic-Con has some Joss-related go... Newer »