Civic Theatre season ends with The Sound of Music

The Spokane Civic Theatre is closing the doors on their 2006-2007 season of plays with the lavish musical The Sound of Music. The downright iconic Rogers and Hammerstein production will go up on the Civic Theatre’s main stage on Friday, May 18th where it will remain for a month-long engagement.

I feel kind of silly even attempting to describe The Sound of Music because, if you’ve no idea what it’s about, then you might want to consider getting a library card and a Blockbuster account. The story centers around a schoolteacher bringing a love of music (and the naming of her favorite things) to the Austrian hills, specifically the house of the von Trapp family (von Trapp, of course, being Austrian for lovable, suspender-clad dorks).

Besides “My Favorite Things,” The Sound of Music also includes the canonical tunes “Do Re Me,” “Climb Every Mountain,” and between six and seven thousand others. The local production is directed by Yvonne A.K. Johnson, with musical direction by Gary Laing.

Performances will be given on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2. (There are, however, a few exceptions, with no showings on Saturday, May 18th or Sunday, May 26th and an additional Wednesday, June 13th performance at 7:30 p.m.) The Sound of Music runs through the Sunday, June 17th matinee.

Tickets, meanwhile, run $23 (with student and senior discounts at $12 and $20 respectively) available through the Civic Theatre Box Office at 325-2507, or the usual TicketsWest channels (see page 12 or visit www.ticketswest.com). The only exception to this is the Wednesday, May 30th performance, which is being thrown as a benefit to raise money for a new air conditioner at the Civic Theatre. Due to increasing popularity in the theatre’s summer academy and late spring/early fall musicals, the 60s relic water cooling fan system is no longer up to snuff. Tickets are considerably more ($50, or $30 with membership coupon), but if you can afford it, then next time you won’t have to suffer through that distinctive odor of sardines and tube socks emanating from the fat, sweaty man sitting next to you. A small price to pay, really.

For more information, or to see a schedule of the Civic Theatre’s 2007-2008 Season of Plays, log onto their website at www.spokanecivictheatre.com.