The Sound of Music Companion

by Laurence Maslon, Andrew Lloyd Webber (Foreword)

An authorized history of the beloved musical traces its evolution from stage to screen while celebrating the contributions of its composers, writers, and performers, in a lavishly illustrated fan's compendium of manuscript pages, film storyboards, and personality profiles. 75,000 first printing.

Genres: Nonfiction, Media Tie In, Theatre, Music, Romance, Pop Culture, Film

192 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2007

About the author

Laurence Maslon is an arts professor at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, as well as associate chair of the Graduate Acting Program. He is the writer and coproducer of the American Masters documentary, Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me, broadcast on PBS in 2019, as well as the artistic director and writer of “Yes I Can: The Sammy Davis, Jr. Songbook” at the 92Y’s “Lyrics and Lyricists” series. He is also the host and producer of the radio series, Broadway to Main Street on the local NPR-affiliate station WPPB-FM. The program is winner of the 2019 ASCAP Foundation/Deems Taylor Award for Radio Broadcast. His most recent book is the companion volume to the Broadway phenomenon Come From Away, as well as an update third edition companion volume to the PBS series Broadway: The American Musical. His history of recorded music from Broadway, Broadway to Main Street: How Show Music Enchanted America, was published in 2018 by Oxford University Press. He edited the two-volume set American Musicals (1927-1969) containing sixteen classic Broadway librettos, published by the Library of America in 2014 to national acclaim, as well as the Library of America’s Kaufman & Co., an anthology of Broadway comedies by George S. Kaufman. He wrote the American Masters documentary Richard Rodgers: The Sweetest Sounds in 2001 and with producer/director Michael Kantor, he cowrote the PBS series Make ‘Em Laugh (Emmy nomination) and two episodes of the Emmy-winning Broadway: The American Musical as well as its companion volume (third edition upcoming in fall 2019). He served on the nominating committee for the Tony Awards from 2007 to 2010. He was written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Opera News, Stagebill, and American Theatre.

Reviews

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though I wanted even more (all the lyrics and music to all the songs from play and movie for instance) I give it an extra star because as far as I can tell it’s the only book of its kind and it’s very good.

The Sound of Music has been my favorite movie since it came out in 1965. I was already a fan of the music from the original Broadway cast album which I received when I was five; my parents bought it after they’d attended the musical in New York.

Because of my interest in The Sound of Music I knew much of what was in the book, but I also learned quite a bit. There are many, many wonderful photos. There’s a lot of information about the real Maria and real Von Trapp family, lots of information about the making of the musical and the movie and the various cast members of many productions. Some of my favorite parts are when the creative process is shown; included are many very rough drafts for the songs, for instance. It made me appreciate even more the final version of the play and the final version of the movie to see what the possibilities were along the way.

Even though the parts about the theater and movie productions sometimes read like a gossip column or a movie magazine (neither of which I’ve had any interest in since my early teens) I thought that this book was very well done and sufficiently comprehensive. For a Sound of Music fan, it’s really fun to read.

There is a list of further reading books included at the end of this book. Maybe someday when I need another The Sound of Music fix I’ll check out one or more of them.

[Nola Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book out of the library, thinking it would be a nice volume to flick through. However, I ended up reading it all. The author weaves in some of the history of the actual von Trapp family and what was happening in Germany and Austria at the time before World War II broke out. There are also lots of details about how the original stage show was adapted from Maria von Trapp's memoir and how that was later adapted for film and other productions and spinoffs around the world.

I had previously read Maria von Trapp's memoirs and found them really interesting. I'm also a big movie and musical theatre buff, so I loved all of the 'behind the scenes' information. There are some wonderful photos and memorabilia, including some of Oscar Hammerstein's original drafts of lyrics, with his annotations and revisions down the side.

If you're a fan of 'the Sound of Music' or just like musical theatre in general, you'll find much to enjoy in this book.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a must-read if you are a fan of any incarnation of The Sound of Music (which I am). While the book is very thorough in discussing the story of the von Trapp family (from a history of the family itself all the way through a 2006 West End revival of the stage musical in London) it never gets bogged down in the minutae. The book is also filled with little nuggets of trivia, as well as amazing photographs of almost everyone who has anything to do with The Sound of Music.

Hands down, it's one of the best companion books I've ever read.

[mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

sigh, i love my favorite movie

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when it first came out. All I can say is that if you are a SoM fanatic (like me), READ THIS BOOK!!! It is phenomenally written!

[Artep · Rating 2 out of 5]

You'd think I'd be the prime target audience for this book. A fan of musicals, The Sound of Music, Julie Andrews, Chris Plummer, Salzburg, behind-the-scenes reports, brown paper packages tied up with strings and everything else, there was no way a book like this would not go down well with me, right?

Wrong.

The Sound of Music Companion is (surprise! surprise!) a companion book to the 2006 London revival of the show, meant to provide an overview of how the show came to be, from Maria Kutschera's childhood to the London production it's meant to accompany. It's a good enough idea - if not exactly novel - and the book does a decent job in providing all the necessary facts.

It's how the facts are provided that was my issue with the book - the main narrative reads as if written by one of the people who thinks The Sound of Music is, at best, a treacly guilty-pleasure movie and only just manages not to snark about it every step of the way. And while, sure, The Sound of Music is a fluffy piece of fluff, it's fluff that means a lot to people (myself included), so just... rethink the bad puns next time, eh?

Also annoying: shoddy fact-checking/editing in some places, blurry movie photos, naming (or not naming) actors in photo captions at will ('cause we need to know who the third US tour replacement was, but the Japanese Maria's name is irrelevant, sure).

Slightly redeeming: Julie Andrews. Photos of Chris Plummer being hot. <3

To recap: read Charmian Carr's book(s) instead and/or find posts about the movie on Tumblr. Better trivia, better photos.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The pictures and source materials in this book were awesome. Getting to see studio photos, handwritten lyric drafts, and other pictures of the musical throughout its history was great.

My only critique is that the history at times was organized thematically instead of chronologically. So, there were times when the writers broke off into paragraphs of rambling and connections - most notably the two paragraph discussion of Gwen Stefani in the final chapter, and skipping from discussions of the stage play to Broadway play to the movie within the same paragraph. This is incredibly picky, of course, but it was notable and something that could have used slightly tighter editing.

Overall, this was a really interesting read.

[Freyja Vanadis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love everything about The Sound Of Music and the Von Trapp family, so it was only natural that I bought this book. I loved reading about the history of first the Broadway musical and then the motion picture. The author discusses things I'd never even thought of, much less knew about. I didn't know it's almost unknown in Germany and Austria, despite its massive popularity everywhere else in the world. I have a German friend whom I asked about the movie, and she had never heard of it.
At any rate, this is a comprehensive view of the play and movie, probably the best I've read.

[Hava · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sound of Music Companion by Laurence Maslon was a fantastic book for Sound of Music aficionados like me. I had just finished reading Home: A Memoir of the Early Years by Julie Andrews, when I saw this book at the library... Click here to continue

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Companion is a beautiful coffee-table book that you will actually sit down and read from start to finish. Included are the histories of the real von Trapp family, the original Broadway musical, the fabulous movie, of course, and events after the movie. I loved the big photographs from the movie; the original notes for the songs and scenes; a peek into producing, directing, casting, and filming the movie; and the full-page lyrics for the famous songs we love.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I liked this. Duh.
There were some fairly dull parts about writers and producers and stuff, while I just wanted more details on my favorite movie. The pictures were GREAT even if some of them were from various stage versions instead of the "real movie" or the "real people." Good for happily obsessed SoM fans.

[Ginny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. It has all the insider info. you could want about the making of the musical/movie, with lots of photographs. You also hear a great deal about the real von Trapp story, which is fascinating, and I loved how the book takes each of the songs from the show and explains the history of each one. A must-have for all fans.

[Kristi | Hidden Staircase | · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice coffee table book on the history of the "Sound of Music." Beautiful pictures throughout (although some are taken right from the movie and blown up, which are a bit blurry). Covers the life of the real Maria and the Von Trapp family, then goes into the stage show, the movie, and finishes with recent stage revivals. Lovely history of this wonderful musical.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book goes from the play, to the making of the movie, and back to it being a play again. I thought the book was good, but I thought it was just going to be about the movie which I would have liked a bit more info about.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

In preparation for my trip to Salzburg in June AND the Sound of Music Tour!!!!! It will be full of Americans- the only German for miles will be my brother-in-law. They just don't like the Nazi undertones....

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great book for any Sound of music fan. I've been to Austria and done the Sound of music tour seeing where the movie was filmed and I always wondered why it wasn't at all popular in its home country. This book gave me the answer. A fab read. 3.5 stars from me

[Cari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just as cheery as the film but I guess I was looking for a little more dirt. Everyone loves everyone! I guess I can believe it... Julie Andrews can make everyone be friends. Still it's a nice history of all the players who made this one of the best films of all time.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

My all time favorite movie! The background information on the Von Trapp family, and the filming of the movie was fascinating.

[Chelsea]

*grabby hands*

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. More focused on the Broadway productions than the cover implies. Great photos and stories, though.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so glad I read this book. It was amazing. Lots of history, very good photos. It's an updated version, and it was done well, with smoothly added new content.

Newmarket library.

[Alyssa DeLeon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful insight to the movie, stage productions, von Trapp family, and many other 'Sound of Music' related things!

[Kate Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book and this movie and the family it is based on.

[Gawain_the_Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those who love The Sound of Music this book gives you some fascinating information about how both the stage play and the film came about and were developed.

It also talks about the real Von Trapp family - Maria was quite forthright and gave her opinions freely on what she thought of the play and film - to the annoyance of Robert Wise the Director of the film who could not stand her! It was also interesting to learn how little she earned for the rights to her book, and how in fact the oldest Von Trapp child was called Rupert and was not a girl called Liesl ….

The book also contains a CD of the film’s music and the words to the songs so if you want you can sing along at home!

A delight, and a lovely gift for (from) a loved one!

[Wesley Hyatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Another book on The Sound of Music for my collection?! Really?!" I thought to myself before buying it. But most other reviews praised it, so I gave it a shot, and I'm glad I did. This has a lot more information than I was expecting on the entire production, going all the way back to Maria and her initial meeting with the Von Trapp through the live network TV version of the musical in 2013 with Carrie Underwood. It's lavishly illustrated with a lot of the original notes from Rodgers and Hammerstein (and others in the movie as well) as they went through various drafts of the story. A very enjoyable and quick read that I knocked out over a weekend, this is highly recommended for anyone with an interest in American pop culture, as The Sound of Music is one of the peaks in this genre.

[LuAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book has a few factual errors, it’s a complete overview of the background and making of the movie. I learned more about the filming from Julia Hirsch’s “The Sound of Music: the Making of America s Favorite Movie” with other details from Charmian Carr’s Forever Liesl, and, of course, there’s much overlap, but the scope of this book is broader including Andrew Lloyd Webber’s West End revival and the How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria casting talent search. Contains many large stills from movie and stage, and photos behind the scenes and of ephemera and locations.

[PJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very detailed book about every facet of The Sound of Music, from the Von Trapp family, to the books, to the Broadway play, to the first films, to the 1965 film and so on. It has more information than I have ever read about The Sound of Music. VERY INTERESTING!! And quite overwhelming!! By the middle of the book, I just started looking at the pictures and started skimming through the book. But it's great to have all the information in one place!!

[Maegan McFall · Rating 5 out of 5]

🎶 The Sound of Music Companion 🎶

I am a SOM nut, I watch it once a week at least, I listen to the music in the car and know all the trivia. You know those movies that are just comfort movies? The ones you put on when your world is falling apart? This is mine and it has been watched to death in the last two months. A fabulous book that I couldn’t put down.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

[Gina Nielsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written backstory of the beautiful Rodger’s and Hammerstein classic, along with gorgeous pictures. This book has a little bit of everything, including: Von Trapp family history and pictures, the making of a musical production from the family’s story, stage production highlights, and fun facts about the making of the movie. I really enjoyed this book.

[Gregg · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging and fun read that includes both a brief biography of the Von Trapp family plus a detailed story of The Sound of Music from its inception through present day including the original stage production, the movie, and other productions and adaptations over the decades.