The Sound of Music Companion

If you love The Sound of Music (and who doesn’t?) you are in for a treat. The Sound of Music Companion is a beautiful, extensive coffee-table book full of fun facts and interesting, little-known details about the von Trapp family, the Broadway musical, and of course the beloved movie. The real-life Maria and her musical family ended up touring the world as a musical sensation, but how the story came to the attention of the amazing Broadway team of Rodgers and Hammerstein, and eventually became the wonderful movie, completes the rest of this enthralling book. You meet the actors who have played Maria, from Mary Martin in the stage version to Julie Andrews (who supplied a lovely forward to the book), punctuated with exceptional photographs from various productions, as well as portraits (written as well as photographed) of the extremely talented collaborators. Various songs from the musical thematically separate the sections of the book, and you get the pleasure of seeing early drafts of lyrics and their evolution. The indomitable real-life Maria is constantly popping in and out of the picture, to directors’ consternation and fans’ delight. Wonderful photos and lively, interesting writing make this book a treasure fans will love.