BOOK: ‘The Sound of Music FAQ’ by Barry Monush
Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, The Sound of Music is a beloved and almost sacred member of many American families and has been since its release in 1965. So many of its songs, scenes, lines, and lessons are ingrained in pop culture that it’s easy to miss one that’s cleverly camouflaged. The tale of errant nun Maria and the stubborn, strict Captain von Trapp and his gaggle of kids seems as old as the hills on which Julie Andrews spins in the film’s iconic opening shot. And yet, below the surface, there’s so much more to learn about the blockbuster film, the Broadway musical on which it was based, and, of course, about the real life Trapp family.
Admittedly, author Barry Monush had his hands full tackling an FAQ about one of the most revered movies in history. In his elaborate (and heartfelt) introduction, he explains that he tried to “approach this topic from as many different angles as possible, in hopes of avoiding repeating many of the same stories and facts that have been made available elsewhere over the years,” which he himself admits is “a crazy goal.”
In the spirit of many other FAQs, Monush takes a conversational, lighthearted tone when appropriate, which makes this text approachable and engrossing. Also in the spirit of the FAQ series, however, it’s easy to pick up TSOM FAQ, turn to a random section, and devour the entire chapter without relying on chronology.
Now, a full disclosure: I’m a musicals nerd from way back. The Sound of Music is probably my favorite, so much so that when I was in Austria in 2008, I did the full-on bus tour, skipped down the same dirt road on which Maria clicks her heels while declaring that she has confidence, gazed upon Liesl and Rolf’s gazebo, even patted the same gnome on the head in Mirabell Gardens that the von Trapp children do in “Do-Re-Mi.” In short, I know way too much about this damn movie. So, I was really looking for something in Monush’s book to surprise me.
Though it isn’t the kind of tell-all rag that other FAQs are, it’s an informative look from a factual standpoint, and it actually gave me a better understanding of the context of the film in the 1960s than anything else. It focuses on a few themes throughout its nearly 500 page run, including the differences and similarities between the film version, the musical version, and real life; the omnipresence of TSOM in film, television, books, music, and more; the cast and crew; and, weirdly the most interesting part for me, the roll-out of its release in 1965 (to which a whopping 30+ pages are devoted).
Audiences today, myself included, take for granted that every Friday, nearly every first-run movie theatre throughout the world will feature Hollywood’s newest blockbuster, but in the mid-’60s, the roll-out for films was slow, akin to how independent films are screened today. The major cities were first, followed by metropolitan areas, before the release trickled down to Main Street USA. The Sound of Music, like My Fair Lady and other cinematic contemporaries that ran extra long, featured an intermission, which, for those of us watching it on VHS in the ’90s, was just the annoying moment that involved getting off the couch to change the tape in the VCR. Reading Monush’s account of seeing TSOM in the theatre in 1965, intermission and all, was exciting; it hammered home the eventful nature of seeing a film, something that I’m sure every single one of us takes for granted.
The devil of TSOM FAQ is certainly in the details. Take, for instance, the 70-page chapter on SOM references in pop culture. Everything from Family Guy to Full House to the never-ending Jackson family biopic An American Dream is meticulously collected. If there’s one singular illustrative method of why TSOM is a necessary and important benchmark of entertainment, this chapter is it.
Bookended with textbook-like facts, bios, shooting schedules, even a timeline that includes both actual Trapp family milestones and those of the actors and crew members involved in the film, TSOM FAQ is a three-dimensional look behind the scenes at an iconic production. Though it may not be for the casual fan who only wants to scratch the Sound of Music surface, it is for the fan who wants to learn more about who Maria really was (a chapter-by-chapter synopsis of her autobiography is a must-read!), who wants to go in-depth with technical details, and who yearns to examine every nook and cranny of the film. In short, Monush did accomplish his goal of giving us something different, and, along the way, gave us a thorough companion to a truly classic film.
Get The Sound of Music FAQ now by ordering through Hal Leonard’s online shop!
