Inside the new Australian tour of The Sound of Music: we talk to the cast – Jacqueline Dark

The well loved musical, The Sound of Music, will commence in Sydney at the Capitol Theatre on 13 December this year, followed by a season at Brisbane’s Lyric Theatre from 11 March, 2016. We sat down with the cast for a quick chat about the show and will feature our interviews on AussieTheatre.

John Frost announced the stellar cast of this acclaimed production this week.

“We have assembled a sensational cast to play these iconic roles. Cameron Daddo will be a wonderfully strong and stern Captain, and Amy Lehpamer, already with several musical roles to her name, will leap to stardom as Maria.

“We’re very pleased to be working with Marina Prior again, and to bring Lorraine Bayly to musical theatre audiences.

“And we’re especially pleased to bring acclaimed opera star Jacqui Dark to the musical stage.”

We chatted to the wonderful cast about this exciting upcoming production and what they’re all looking forward to about it.

JACQUELINE DARK

Jacqueline Dark will be making the cross over from Opera to musical theatre in her role as Mother Abbess.

On the contrast between her raunchy cabaret (Strange Bedfellows) and playing a nun:

“It’s about as far from that as it could possibly be. We’ve just done the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, which was a whirlwind. And we did all the work ourselves, so it’s lovely to come to this and be told what to do for a little while. This is so polar opposite, it’s fantastic.”

On the transition from her opera roots to musical theatre:

“It isn’t so much of a stretch because this is such a classical musical. This story is so beautiful, and the music is so brilliantly written.”

On The Sound of Music and this cast:

“When I did the audition with Amy (Lehpamer), I was in tears at her acting, and she was in tears at ‘Climb Ev’ry Mountain’. You forget how well written the show is, and how beautiful the story is. That’s why it stood the test of time, and that’s why it’s iconic, and it’s so exciting to be a part of it because it’s an incredible piece of theatre.”

On tackling ‘Climb Ev’ry Mountain’:

“With anything I tackle, the only way I can sing, and why I sing in the first place, is to bring my own truth to it. That’s why I’ve always sung. The joy of theatre is working with other people and creating something really special, and being able to bring yourself to it; to find the truth in the role for yourself.

We’ve all been there – follow your dream. You have to persist until you find that thing that makes you happy. It would be a lot happier world if everyone really chased their dreams and gave it a go. I’m lucky, here I am!”

On ‘that line’ from the original movie:

“That line has been changed. Because that scene is so gorgeous, and we want to keep it true, instead of half the audience yelling or tittering. It’s been slightly, tastefully, changed to take out the offending phrase.”