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  "path": "/2026/05/review-sound-of-music-at-san-diego.html",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-28T06:30:00.000Z",
  "site": "http://www.sandiegoville.com",
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  "textContent": "Some productions entertain you. Others remind you why certain stories survive for generations. Broadway San Diego’s touring production of _The Sound of Music_ , which opened this week at the San Diego Civic Theatre, somehow managed to do both with astonishing ease.\n\n\n\n\nHaving never previously seen either the classic 1965 film or a stage production of the Rodgers & Hammerstein masterpiece, I walked into the theater largely unfamiliar with what many consider one of the most beloved musicals ever created. By the end of the evening, I understood exactly why this production has endured for nearly 70 years and why songs like “My Favorite Things,” “Do-Re-Mi,” “Edelweiss,” and “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” have embedded themselves so deeply into the cultural fabric of America.\n\nThis was not simply a good production. It was a flawless one. From the opening moments, the touring cast transformed the San Diego Civic Theatre into something immersive, warm, emotionally resonant, and almost impossibly elegant. Directed by three-time Tony Award winner Jack O’Brien, this production understands something many modern revivals forget: timelessness does not require reinvention for reinvention’s sake. Sometimes greatness survives because the material itself is extraordinary.\n\nAnd extraordinary it was. The set design and scene transitions moved with breathtaking smoothness, creating a cinematic flow rarely achieved in live theater. Massive interiors dissolved into sweeping Austrian landscapes with near-magical precision, while the lighting and orchestration wrapped the audience in an atmosphere that felt simultaneously intimate and grand. Every technical aspect of the production operated with the kind of precision that becomes invisible because it works so perfectly.\n\nBut ultimately, _The Sound of Music_ lives or dies on performance, and this cast delivered at an elite level across the board. Cayleigh Capaldi’s Maria radiated charisma, warmth, humor, and emotional sincerity without ever drifting into caricature. Kevin Earley brought a commanding but vulnerable gravitas to Captain von Trapp, grounding the production emotionally as the story evolves from playful musical charm into something far more poignant against the backdrop of rising fascism in pre-war Austria.\n\nAnd then there are the children. Productions featuring large ensembles of young performers can often feel uneven or overly rehearsed. Not here. The von Trapp children were exceptional, each bringing distinct personality, vocal confidence, and emotional authenticity to the stage. Their chemistry felt natural and joyful, which made the emotional beats land even harder as the story progressed. By the time the audience arrived at “So Long, Farewell,” the Civic Theatre felt completely under the spell of the production.\n\nWhat becomes especially striking watching _The Sound of Music_ in 2026 is how elegantly the musical balances lightness and darkness. Beneath the whimsy and instantly recognizable melodies lies a story about authoritarianism, courage, displacement, family, and moral conviction.\n\n\n\n\nThe musical debuted on Broadway in 1959, with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, inspired by the real-life story of the von Trapp family singers who fled Nazi-controlled Austria. The Oscar-winning 1965 film adaptation starring Julie Andrews eventually became one of the most successful movie musicals in cinematic history, helping cement the production as a multigenerational institution.\n\nYet somehow, despite decades of familiarity and cultural saturation, the material has not aged poorly. Quite the opposite. Like a fine wine, _The Sound of Music_ has deepened with time. Its sincerity now feels almost radical in an era dominated by cynicism, irony, and disposable entertainment. The production dares to believe in beauty, family, kindness, sacrifice, and music itself as a force capable of holding people together in terrifying times.\n\nThat emotional sincerity is exactly why the audience responded so powerfully throughout the evening. You could feel entire generations connecting to the material simultaneously - longtime fans revisiting something deeply nostalgic while newcomers like myself experienced these songs and story beats for the first time in real time.\n\nAnd that is what makes Broadway San Diego so important to the cultural fabric of this city. At a time when arts organizations across America continue battling financial pressures, shrinking attention spans, and uncertain public support, Broadway San Diego continues bringing an extraordinary mixture of modern Broadway hits, timeless classics, family productions, and award-winning contemporary theater directly into downtown San Diego. Their programming is remarkably balanced, capable of introducing new audiences to theater while still satisfying lifelong devotees. One month audiences can experience a modern phenomenon like _MJ_ or _The Notebook_ , and the next they can be transported into one of the most beloved musicals ever written.\n\nSan Diego is genuinely fortunate to have an organization so deeply committed to keeping large-scale live theater thriving downtown.\n\nAnd on a personal level, I genuinely owe Broadway San Diego some gratitude. Theater was never something I expected to fall in love with. If you had told me years ago that I would become emotionally invested in touring Broadway productions, eagerly anticipate musical lineups, or leave a theater humming Rodgers & Hammerstein songs into the San Diego night air, I probably would have laughed. But over time, Broadway San Diego quietly broadened my horizons and introduced me to an art form I had largely overlooked. Somewhere along the journey, I became a theater lover. Maybe even a musical theater guy. That realization still feels slightly surreal, but also incredibly rewarding.\n\nAnd honestly, what a beautiful gateway _The Sound of Music_ turned out to be. Because this production does not simply remind audiences why this musical became legendary. It reminds us why live theater itself still matters.\n\nFor nearly three hours inside the San Diego Civic Theatre, an audience full of strangers laughed together, gasped together, applauded together, and ultimately stood together in ovation for a story first told generations ago that somehow still feels completely alive.\n\nThat is not nostalgia. That is art enduring.\n\nThe Sound of Music runs through May 31, 2026 at the San Diego Civic Theatre in downtown San Diego. For tickets and information, visit BroadwaySD.com.\n\n\n\n\n**_Originally published on May 27, 2026._**",
  "title": "REVIEW: \"The Sound Of Music\" At San Diego Civic Theatre Was A Near-Perfect Celebration Of Why Timeless Theater Still Matters",
  "updatedAt": "2026-05-28T13:10:26.872Z"
}