Have you ever wondered what makes a Broadway hit? Why do certain shows captivate an audience but sour the critics? How can a revival of a successful musical compete with the original masterpiece? How can a golden oldie remain relevant and continue to resonate with the public through numerous amateur, college and school productions?
Rodgers & Hammerstein's The Sound Of Music has proven itself as one of the pillars of the musical theater. It has withstood the test of time and continues to be criticized, discussed, hummed, praised, sung and written about. Laurence Maslon provides a photographic depiction of Maria Von Trapp and the musical rendition of her life in his new book The Sound Of Music Companion. Max Wilk recounts all the gory details and events leading up to and culminating in the musical throughout the years in The Making of The Sound Of Music. For background information on the inimitable collaboration of Rodgers & Hammerstein, one may check Stanley Green's Rodgers and Hammerstein Fact Book : A Record of Their Works Together and With Other Collaborators and Frederick Nolan's The Sound Of Their Music:The Story of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The original Broadway cast or movie soundtrack would be an appropriate backdrop as you explore and learn about this musical classic.