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Nov. 7 , 2008

'Sound of Music' to Open at Herndon High School

By Rebecca Plevin Observer Staff Writer

Herndon High School senior Robert Fowler said he first watched the movie, "The Sound of Music," when he was 15. He said that seeing Christopher Plummer portray Captain Von Trapp made him "wish I had the chance to play" that character.

Fowler's wish will come true when Herndon High School's musical, "The Sound of Music," opens Nov. 13. Fowler will play Captain Von Trapp and he said it is a "dream role for me." He said Captain Von Trapp is the "best romantic lead you could picture."

Senior Kate Merryman said she is excited to play Maria, especially since "The Sound of Music" has always been one of her favorite musicals. One of the challenges of her role, she said, is making "Maria my own character, and not the Julie Andrews version." She said she has had to "put the movie aside, and focus on the actual script."

To authentically portray Maria, Merryman said has "really had to tap into my own experiences." Throughout the day, she said she thinks to herself, "what would Maria do in this situation?" And she said she has not watched the movie version of "The Sound of Music" since before her audition.

Performing in "The Sound of Music" has also been a dream come true for 8-year-old Allie Lytle. The third-grade student at Clearview Elementary School plays Gretl, the youngest member of the Von Trapp family, and Lytle said she has enjoyed "hanging out with the big kids." She said working with the high-school students has taught her that, "you always sometimes have to take a risk and believe you can do something." She said the experience has "inspired me to maybe do more plays when I'm older and take drama when I'm in high school."

Merryman encouraged people to see the production because it is a classic musical and, "we offer a little bit of a fresh idea to the show." Fowler said watching the show would be like, "revisiting an old friend." Junior Evi Dobbs, who plays Mother Abbess, did not think it would be hard to convince her friends to come to this year's musical. "Everyone in the school knows the show," she said.