The Kennedy Center's rendition of "The Sound of Music" is resonating with audiences, who find the story a poignant reminder of enduring values.
The timeless tale of Maria, a young woman contemplating religious life who leaves the convent to care for Captain von Trapp's seven children, continues to captivate viewers with its themes of resilience, family, and unconditional love.
Sarah Portner, a lifelong fan of the story, shared her family's connection to the film with Fox News Digital. "My mom's the youngest of six and she grew up in Ireland in a really, really tiny village, and her mom took each of her six kids to see the movie when it came out," Portner said.
"And then when my sister and I were old enough, we watched it together. So, that's how we got introduced to it."
According to Fox News Digital, Portner believes the story's values are still relevant today. "Resilience and just the power of family and unconditional love for other people," she said. "A lot of that sounds clich, but that helps you persevere through a lot of life's trials and periods of suffering and everything."
The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., is hosting the production from Sept. 9 to Oct. 5, 2025. Directed by three-time Tony Award winner Jack OBrien, the production boasts a stage design that recreates the Austrian countryside, the iconic staircase used in the "So Long, Farewell" number in Captain von Trapps home, and the Nonnberg Abbey where the family sought refuge from the Nazis.
Katie Burnham, another audience member, believes the story offers valuable lessons from a challenging era. "Not to get too political, but I think we can learn a lot from that generation with the last 10 years," Burnham said. "With our generation kind of almost following similar footsteps of our grandparents and great-grandparents, it's interesting hearing their stories and their life stories, and now we're going through those years of difficult, tumultuous world politics."
Her sister, Caroline Burnham, a member of Gen Z, appreciates the story's emphasis on community. "Maria, while she's kicked out of the convent, they're doing it because it's her best, and then she's able to form a new community through the family," she said. "And then she goes into a home that's disjointed because they aren't connected with each other, and she's able to get them to that place and I think that's a really important thing to remember."
Caroline Burnham also suggested that her generation longs for the sense of community and culture depicted in "The Sound of Music." "I feel like my friends and I were always talking about that, of how disconnected we are with phones and social media and you never get to see anybody because everybody's working like three jobs and nobody can pay to go to the bars these days," she said.
Ellen Wilson, another fan of the story, finds its values inspiring. "My parents lived in Germany when I was in college, so I think the whole, like them escaping from Austria and the political part, I found that really interesting," Wilson said. "And the loyalty to his country, and you know, the loyalty to his family."
Valerie Wheeler expressed her excitement about the Kennedy Center's live performance of the timeless story. "I think it's wonderful," Wheeler said. "I think any time we can get a live performance, I love going to the National. I love coming to the Kennedy Center. I'm a retired teacher of over 35 years and I was an English teacher. So, I loved, love, love, loved live performances."
"The Sound of Music," which began as a 1959 Broadway musical before being adapted into the iconic 1965 film starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, won five Academy Awards in 1966, including Best Sound, Best Music, and Best Picture. It grossed $158 million domestically and $286 million globally on a budget of $8 million, according to box office records.
The Kennedy Center's production is a testament to the story's enduring appeal and its timeless message of resilience, family, and love.
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