The Sound of Music

The Story of the von Trapp Family

• Hitler invaded Austria in the story
• The Captain's fictional love interest before marrying Maria was Baroness Elsa Schrader
• In reality, the von Trapp family had 10 children, not 7

The Sound of Music Musical

• Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote the songs for the musical stage play
• "Edelweiss" was the last song written by Rodgers and Hammerstein together
• The original plan for The Sound of Music was a Broadway play
• The von Trapp family eventually arrived in Stowe, Vermont, in the United States

Actors and Adaptations

• The original actors cast to play Maria and Georg in the 1959 production were Mary Martin and Theodore Bickel
• 2 songs from the play were not used in the 1965 film

Maria and Georg von Trapp

• In reality, Maria and Georg von Trapp had a loving relationship, not a romantic one initially
• The musical play and film are based on the story of the von Trapp family

Maria von Trapp's Life

• Maria von Trapp's initial intention when she joined the Benedictine abbey of Nonnberg was to become a nun
• After leaving the abbey, Maria became the governess of the von Trapp children
• Maria and Georg von Trapp had 3 children together

Escape from Austria

• The von Trapp family escaped Hitler's invasion of Austria by fleeing to Italy and then to America
• They performed music to earn money after escaping to America

Later Life

• The von Trapp family established a music camp in the early 1940s in Stowe, Vermont
• After finishing high school, Maria von Trapp joined the Benedictine abbey of Nonnberg
• Captain Georg von Trapp was a widowed naval officer and a father of 7 children
• In 1938, the von Trapp family fled Austria due to Hitler's invasion

Characters in The Sound of Music

• Maria Rainer is the main character in The Sound of Music
• Captain Georg von Trapp is the father of the 7 children in The Sound of Music
• Max Detweiler is the close friend to the von Trapp family in The Sound of Music
• Baroness Elsa Schrader is the baroness that the Captain intends to marry in The Sound of Music
• Liesl is the oldest child of the von Trapp family in The Sound of Music
• Kurt is the youngest boy of the von Trapp family in The Sound of Music
• Brigitta is the smart and bookish child of the von Trapp family in The Sound of Music
• Louisa is the kind and gentle child of the von Trapp family in The Sound of Music
• Gretl is the youngest child of the von Trapp family in The Sound of Music
• Baroness Elsa Schrader was the Austrian noblewoman that the Captain initially intended to propose to