You can’t go wrong with kids and nuns

“The Sound of Music” is one of the proven crowd-pleasers of musical theater – cute little kids, singing nuns, a wedding – and this Spokane Civic Theatre production delivers the goods admirably.

It has two strong singers in the two key roles – Tami Knoell as Maria and Kent Kimball as Capt. Von Trapp. Knoell, especially, has loads of charisma and charm. That’s all any production of “The Sound of Music” requires, along with the aforementioned kids and nuns.

Yet this production, directed by Yvonne A.K. Johnson, has plenty of other good things going for it, including:

“A well-trained chorus of young performers.

“Funny supporting performances by Gary Pierce as Max Detwiler and Hannah Christine as Elsa Schraeder.

“A creative version of “The Lonely Goatherd,” complete with marionettes.

“A professional-quality villa terrace set by Peter Hardie.

And yes, an endearing troupe of seven Von Trapp children, played well by Jessi Little, Hunter Klaue, Kate Cubberly, Bob Stephens, Meghan Sias, Micaela Kostecka and Megan Dyer.

Johnson has done a few things differently with this production, including breaking the wall between audience and stage by having both nuns and Nazis roaming the aisles at various times.

However, this is essentially a straightforward version of this show, which is really what most people want. It’s one of the most beloved musicals of American theater, and people want to see it the way they remember it. This cast delivers exactly that.

I was impressed with Knoell throughout the show, both for her girlish, Maria-like spunk and for her natural and unaffected song delivery. That opening number must be daunting for any young actress – she has to open cold, all alone on an empty stage, and deliver one of the most familiar songs in musical theater. And she has to do it without any swooping helicopter shots of the Alps to add drama. Knoell pulled it off smoothly and confidently, and proceeded to do the same with “Do Re Mi” and “My Favorite Things.”

Kimball played Capt. Von Trapp with a stiff reserve, looking like an Austrian Frasier Crane. This is just what the character requires, and Kimball has the distinct advantage of having a deep, rich voice, put to excellent use in “Edelweiss.”

The musical accompaniment was skillfully provided by a two-keyboard, drums and bass combo in the pit, directed with professionalism by Gary Laing and Carolyn Jess. These Rodgers and Hammerstein tunes are deeply ingrained in our memories, yet this version reminded us once again how jaunty and fresh these tunes can be.

No production of this show can ever mask the faults that have been noticed by critics since the first production – an overabundance of saccharine, an overplaying of the cute-kid card and an underdeveloped plot.

But plot is not why this show has stood the test of time. The songs and the wholesome cuteness are what make people come back to this show again and again.

In this production, you’ll laugh with the children, you’ll love Maria and you’ll go home humming “My Favorite Things.” You won’t experience an intense brooding meditation on the bleakness of human existence, but sometimes, people just want cute kids and nuns.