This past weekend, Lawton Community Theatre's stage was blessed with "The Sound of Music" for the first time in 14 years. The classic musical opened LCT's 61st season with a lighthearted performance deserving of the standing ovation it received.
Directed by Cynthia Kent, Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1959 much-praised musical tells the tale of Maria, a postulant in an Austrian convent, and her journey from the Nonnberg Abbey monastery to being the governess of Capt. Georg von Trapp's seven children.
The captain, who is a decorated war veteran and widower, raises his children in a strict, militaristic manner that Maria immediately disapproves of. After she teaches the basics of singing to the children, their love of music sparks a romance between the governess and the captain, and eventually leads to a unity that was absent from all of their lives.
Mandee Thomas and Johnny Horn's renditions of Maria and Capt. von Trapp brought several fun, delightful and hilarious moments from their initial encounter to their time as a couple. Their performance is matched by the women of the convent. The nun's performances, especially Sherra Gray's portrayal of Mother Abbess, were outstanding and set the proper tones for their scenes.
What makes this production of "The Sound of Music" shine are the performances of the seven children  Victoria Jolly, Matt Ortner, Kristi Saliba, Andrew Celedon, Heather Martin, Emma Shady and Isabel Celedon are the reasons to see LCT's season opener.

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