Melbourne Reviews

2015 marks the 50th anniversary of Academy Awards and Golden Globe winner The Sound of Music, the 1965 American musical drama film featuring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. 

Although the film opened to mixed reviews, it surpassed Gone with the Wind in the first year of screening as the highest-grossing film of all-time, and it held that title for five consecutive years. Its vast popularity went global, breaking box-office records in 29 countries worldwide.

Sound of Music continues to delight audiences young and old. This year, the Academy Awards featured Lady Gaga, in a 50th anniversary tribute to the film, with Gaga hitting the high notes on The Hills Are Alive, My Favorite Things, and other favourites. 

The Melbourne Arts Centre has been hosting the Sound of Music Sing-A-Long for a number of years, this year it was held at Hamer Hall, and although most of us are no Julie Andrews, or for that matter Lady Gaga, the auditorium was filled with “the sound of music” and it was simply beautiful.

Hosted by the spunky and talented Chelsea Plumley each year, thousands of people enjoy watching the classic movie, and singing along with the help of song-sub-titles. At the very beginning (a very good place to start) Chelsea instructed the audience on how to participate in the event. 

Plumley lead us all in a vocal warm-up, and distributed packets of goodies which were intended to help with the interaction, and then the fun was unleashed, in form of an amazing dress-up parade. Dozens of nuns, von Trapp children (some in their 40s and 50s), and even a blue strawberry, marched up to the stage to be admired and voted for as best costumed. It was brilliant!

Following the parade of costumes the lights dimmed and the film began. Everyone, and I mean absolutely everyone joined in and sang their lungs out. Every once in a while a stand-out voice could be herd here and there, outshining the rest, but for the most part we were one glorious and massive sound causing the walls of Hamer Hall to vibrate. 

Melbourne had only two shows of the Sound of Music Sing-A-Long, but if you’d like an opportunity to be part of the fun, Adelaide will be singing about the Salzburg hills on July 17th. I’m almost tempted to go… the high one gets from the experience is truly awesome.


Sing-A-Long for the 50th Anniversary of
SOUND OF MUSIC
Hosted by Chelsea Plumley

Venue: Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall
Date: Saturday 27 June 2015
Times: 1.00pm and 7.30pm -  runs 4 hours approx. (including 20 Minute Interval)          
Tickets: $57 – $36 | Family (2 Adults 2 Children) $160
Bookings:  www.artscentremelbourne.com.au | 1300 182 183