Berkeley Playhouse has a reputation for doing family-friendly musicals right, and their latest production, The Sound of Music, hits that sweet spot again. With a cast that blends seasoned pros and impressively talented young performers, this production serves up all the charm and heart you remember—minus the commercial breaks. The true story of the von Trapp family—altered by Howard Lindsey and Russell Crouse for the musical—transformed into internationally famous singers by their governess Maria has a timeless and heartwarming message. The secondary theme of standing up for their values in oppressive war time definitely resonates today more than ever.

Marah Sotelo (Maria) and the Do-Re-Mi youth cast: Lucy Fisch as Liesl, Jaxon Hunt as Friedrich, Miranda Klein as Louisa, Ray Khalili as Kurt, Sage Luu as Brigitta, Kaylee Lopez as Marta, Erin Koh as Gretl

Under the direction of , the classic story of Maria and the von Trapp family feels as fresh as ever. Sure, we’ve all seen the movie (probably more times than we’d like to admit), but there’s something special about experiencing this show live, especially when the cast is this good. The greatest thing, of course, are composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II’s unimprovable songs, a few of which were cut for the movie, but remain in the stage musical—and two from the film ended up in this version.

The Nuns (not in order): Teressa Foss, Chloe Angst, Sage Alberto, Akshaya Lakshmi, Dana Lewenthal, Erica Bland, Grace Margaret Craig, Jennifer Nageotte, Marie Alexandra Ibarra, and Andrea Dennison-Laufer

Marah Sotelo is a winning Maria—her warm smile and strong vocals pull you in immediately, and you can see why the kids and the famously stiff Captain von Trapp would fall for her. Speaking of the Captain, Robert Lopez finds just the right balance between stern stodginess of a taskmaster and then slowly softening, without slipping into cartoonish grumpiness. His transformation feels earned.

Marah Sotelo (Maria Rainer) and Robert Lopez (Captain Georg von Trapp)

brings gravitas and a gorgeous voice to Mother Abbess, leading the nuns with power and grace. Erica Bland’s performance as the Baroness Elberfeld is worth mentioning. Unlike Eleanor Parker’s fake sweetness masking bitter jealousy in the movie, her Baroness is shrewd and funny. She doesn’t put up a fight when she recognizes that Georg von Trapp has different priorities than surrendering his principles to the impending Nazi regime.

Teressa Foss (Mother Abbess) and Marah Sotelo (Maria Rainer)

The Do-Re-Mi cast and the Edelweiss cast rotate at different performances–that means seven different von Trapp children, who were uniformly delightful at my performance. As with most theater these days, the cast is made up of a rainbow coalition, making me wonder if Captain von Trapp had more than one wife before Maria arrives. All the kids sing beautifully and handle ’s choreography with ease, especially in the always adorable “So Long, Farewell” number, where the little ones pop out like a peacock from behind the older siblings.

Grace Margaret Craig (Elsa Schraeder) and the Do-Re-Mi youth cast

The live orchestra, tucked under the stage, keeps the energy high and the familiar melodies sparkling. Music Director leads a tight group of musicians who give the songs plenty of life without overpowering the singers. They are on keyboard, on trumpet, on trombone, on flute and piccolo, on clarinet and oboe, on bass and on drums and percussion.

Christopher Sotelo (Max Detweiler) and the Do-Re-Mi youth cast

It’s exhilarating to see so many families filling the house, and the kids were fully engaged—a pretty good sign that this story still lands. It runs through June, and if you’ve only seen The Sound of Music on TV, this stage version is worth the trip. It’s a warm, well-paced, crowd-pleasing production that knows exactly what it’s doing.

Rowen Weeramantry (Rolf Gruber) and Lucy Fisch (Liesl), Do-Re-Mi cast

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The Sound of Music
Berkeley Playhouse
Julia Morgan Theater, 2640 College Ave. in Berkeley
ends on June 29, 2025
for tickets ($19-$55), call 510.845.8542, ext. 351 or visit Berkeley Playhouse