Guest Post: The Sound of Uncle Max Hitting the Bottom of the "Swimming Pool"

Tyler Northen, Shreveport
Originally uploaded by trudeau

This entry is from a member of the "Sound of Music" cast.
Poor Uncle Max only wanted to find some singers for the festival in Austria. What he ended up finding was his face in the bottom of the orchestra pit. There's a scene in The Academy of Childrens Theater's production of Sound of Music where Uncle Max (Tyler Northen) is playing a musical version of Marco Polo with the kids...blindfolded. Everyone was already thinking, "Wow, he really is dangerously close to that pit." Well, Saturday night everyone knew just how close Uncle Max really was. The faces of the Von Trapp children were priceless as they watched their uncle tumble helplessly into the gaping hole onstage. The conductor attemped to catch him and, somewhat cushioned the fall. Louisa (Meagan Tinsley) did her best to cover by peering down and meekly asking, ".......Uncle max...... Are you okay?" After the 8 foot drop, his ominous groans and a weak, "I'm okay.." could be heard over the sound system. Next thing you know the sport crawls out of the hobbit-hole that is the entrance to the pit offstage. He stands up and confidently states, "ALRIGHT children that's enough messing around! Let's get serious!" He hops back onstage and countinues with the scene. Later in that scene however, as the Baroness (Jenny Taunton) asks if he would like to go on a brisk walk, exiting stage he wings, "Why yes, and maybe a trip to the hospital!" -The audience losing it at this point- Then The Captain enters stage and says, "I knew we should have filled up that swimming pool with water!" Overall a very eventful performance. These characters as well as many others can be seen at The Marjorie Lyons Playhouse at Centenary Thursday the 8th, 7:00 through Sunday the 11th, 2:00. It really is a great show!

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Habit Forming

Sister Sings
Originally uploaded by Darrell

This angelic faux-nun is my daughter, who makes a cameo appearence or two in the Academy of Children's Theater production of The Sound of Music on the campus of Centenary College.
She's earning trooper points in this show because she has two small roles, sings in two big group numbers and has no lines. She does get to wear a fun costume and play for laughs near the end of the show.
One of her closest friends plays the lead role of Maria and she does a beautiful job. My daughter has no delusions of stardom. She does hope to ascend to meatier roles as she becomes an upperclassman.
Her involvement in community theater has been rewarding in many ways, including dramatically broadening her circle of friends. The kids and adults who put this show together have been working long, late hours. The effort shows. The production is impressive.
After two weekends at Marjorie Lyons Playhouse, Maria will outpester any pest or drive a hornet from its nest on another stage. Hopefully my daughter will get some well deserved rest.

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