The Sound of Music returns to Macau this summer
Globally acclaimed stage musical The Sound of Music will be performed in 16 shows from Aug. 10 to 22 at the Grand Auditorium of Macao Cultural Centre, the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) told a press conference yesterday afternoon.
Box office for the shows will open 10 a.m. Friday.
This edition of the performance was premiered in 2015 at New York’s Broadway. After several years touring the country, the production commenced its world tour in 2020, with Asia being its first stop.
This upcoming showcase in Macau will be the China debut of this edition of the musical. This new production conceived by three-time Tony award winner Jack O’Brien features an international company of leading performers and young stars in the roles of the Von Trapp family.
The tour is led by Jill-Christine Wiley as Maria Rainer, Trevor Martin as Captain von Trapp, with Daniel Fullerton as Rolf, Lauren Kidwell as Mother Abbess, Joshua La Force as Maximillian Detweiler, Lauren O’Brien as Liesl and Gail Bennett as Elsa Schraeder.
Earlier this year, when speaking with the press, the IC president said the bureau plans to invite international-level stage productions from Broadway or London’s West End to Macau. The Sound of Music’ is the fulfilment of the pledge.
It is not the first time the musical has been staged in Macau; it has seen at least two prior performances. From late 2017 to early 2018, the musical was staged at the Venetian Theater at the namesake resort. Earlier than that, the Macao Cultural Centre had also invited the production for performances.
The IC said bringing the production to Macau is among its strategies to “enrich local cultural tourism resources and broadly promote Macau’s cultural image through cooperation with tourism platforms, thus contributing to the city’s economic diversification through culture.”
The classic film version of the musical starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, originally won five Oscar Awards, including Best Picture.
Event academic applauds Musical return
Global-scale musicals, among other similar events, will help nurture the city’s “cultural value and knowledge,” Dr Ubaldino Couto, assistant professor of event management at the Macao Institute for Tourism Studies (IFTM), told the Times considering the expected return of “The Sound of Music”.
The academic finds these events playing “a huge role” in improving the cultural experience for people in the city. It is also as important, according to him, that cultural events help widen entertainment options for both local residents and visitors.
Questioned on doubts that the city constantly inviting returning performances and shows that some people may not find appealing, Couto found returning shows not uncommon in a global perspective.
“We naturally have younger generations who have not had the opportunity [of viewing classic shows],” he said, adding that it is common and somewhat natural that live productions adjust their performances during each tour.
“Live events such as musicals are supposed to be a bit different each time with new cast members and revised arrangements as well as the event attendees’ personal circumstances that may renew and create different experiences,” the academic further explained.
“Live events are thought to evoke memories and nostalgia, enhancing one’s subjective wellbeing. These are also a means of building cultural capital and encouraging expenditure, therefore attracting investments and business objectives,” he said.
