The Sound of Music is perhaps the world’s most famous musical, loved by generations. With its many well-known hits, it is a story for all ages about the joy of music, finding one’s path in life and confronting injustices.
On the surface, The Sound of Music may seem like a sugary trifle, a musical about a carefree young woman, slightly too lively for monastic life, who captures a man’s heart with the help of singing and music. But The Sound of Music is much more than that. The story is fundamentally about human dignity and having the courage to confront injustices.
The musical, with music and lyrics by the well-known duo Rodgers and Hammerstein, was a success at the world premiere on Broadway in 1959. The big breakthrough came with the 1965 film version starring Julie Andrews as Maria and Christopher Plummer as Baron von Trapp. It is still considered to be the greatest musical success in film history.