You cannot substitute anything for good musical composition. The students naturally respond to it.”

James Lah

ELY - A person walking down the halls of the Washington Elementary School any afternoon or evening will likely hear students singing one of the heartwarming songs of “The Sound of Music.”

This year’s high school musical production boasts a cast of 27 students. As always, this musical promises to send the audience home singing, “Doe, A Deer.” Speaking of deer, the play opens on the first weekend of deer hunting season with a performance on Friday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. The second performance is Sunday, Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. All tickets are $5. Enjoy “The Sound of Music” in the Washington Auditorium.

“As in all productions of this play, students have to take on the roles of nuns and Nazis,” said Director James Lah. The biggest challenge to casting is finding a five-year-old student to play the irrepressible Gretl. “Fiona Olson has the verve that the role demands,” he said.

Of course the play’s lead is Maria Rainer, played by Cora Olson. Mother Superior is played by Apolonia Homer. “Out of nowhere, Ethan Bremner came to tryouts, and his voice earned him the role of Captain Von Trapp,” Lah said.

Other seniors with notable roles are Nils DeRemee as Max, Erika Mattson as Elsa, Raif Olson as Rolf, Holly Dirks as Sister Sophia, and Brooke Pasmick as Sister Berthe. “We also have four elementary students who play the roles of the younger Von Trapp children,” Lah said.

Almost everyone over the age of 30 knows of this famous musical. What was most shocking to Lah, was the fact the most of the students had never seen the movie version of the musical. “This innocence makes the directing of the play exciting,” he said. “You cannot substitute anything for good musical composition. The students naturally respond to it.”

Lah did the same musical 21 years ago. “When you decide on a play for the year, you have to look at the potential of the students and the roles that need to be filled,” he said. “I was considering the talent of the women we have, and ‘The Sound of Music’ fit the bill.”