Growing up with The Sound of Music

December 28, 2010

When I saw that Oprah was going to have a reunion of the cast members from The Sound of Music I had to tape it.  I watched it this morning and cried nostalgic happy tears over my coffee.  Christopher Plummer is as handsome as ever and I'd still want him to sing Edelweiss to me.  Julie Andrews is as pretty and poised and lovable as ever, too.

I was barely in school when The Sound of Music film came out.  (The Broadway and West End musical came out in 1959)  It has been my most favorite film practically my whole life.  It wasn't hard for me to imagine my Dad as Captain Von Trapp, because he is an ex-military man and was pretty strict with us.  My Mom looked a lot like Julie Andrews, too.  Unfortunately my real life family didn't have the happy ending like theirs, but then again not many do.  That the story was based on a real family made it all the more fabulous.

Yukon Territory, 2001

At my youngest I imagined I was Gretl cute as can be and spoiled by all.  By my mid-teens I imagined I was Liesl being courted by Rolf who was a year older so just right for me:  Sixteen going on Seventeen.  There was even a time I imagined becoming a nun!  And I'm not Catholic!

Anyone who has loved this musical I imagine sang the songs at the top of their lungs and learned their scales from do-re-mi!  I know I did.  I practically wore out the LP record playing it over and over and over again.  I'm sure it was much like listening to someone sing along with their iPod badly, but the outright joy and freedom I feel when alone and belting them out can't be matched! 

In the mid 90's my husband and I and his parents went to Salzburg where the scenery came alive with our memories of the film, even down to the magnificent mansion they lived in by the lake.  We took a tour called the Sound of Music tour and it wasn't as hokey as it sounds.  The sights are just too beautiful and hit such chords in your head if you're a fan of this film.  We even went into the church where they were married.

In 2001 my husband and I took a trip to a lodge in the Yukon Territory.  The photo above is from the lodge towards a grassy domed mountain with snow still clinging.  One day while he fished I took a helicopter ride over it, saw a grizzly loping across a neighboring hill top as an extra treat, and landed with the pilot and another couple.  I couldn't help imagining myself striding across the field and twirling and singing the hills are alive with the sound of music...  I didn't, but I would do it today!

As soon as I finished watching Oprah's special I went to Amazon and bought the Limited Edition Collector's set in Blu-ray!  Can't wait to watch it in this new format!