The Butterfly Guild brought the family favorite, The Sound of Music, to life during its 65th annual Broadway-style musical production fundraiser March 3-5.
A musical staple, this Tony Award-winning musical has beloved fan favorites from the screen adaptation like “The Sound of Music,” “My Favorite Things,” “Do-Re-Mi” and “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” while also adding new songs like “How Can Love Survive?” and “No Way To Stop It.” Accompanied by a live orchestra, the beautifully-painted mountain backdrop places the audience in the heart of the Austrian landscape.
Photo by Jerri Shafer
Butterfly Guild Sound of Music
Leisl (Chloe Simon), Friedrich (Micahel Broadhurst), Louisa (Kayla Servilla), Kurt (Luke Lowe), Brigitta (Emily Holland), Marta (Nora West), Gretl (Eden Ireland), Captain Von Trap (Ryan Boda) and Maria (Dana Boda).
The ensemble shined in this production with breathtaking numbers from the nun chorus. The stage production introduced a musical duo between Max (Eric Sand) and Elsa (Nadia Marshall) which brought an element of humor to the rising plot tensions while highlighting Sand’s comedic timing and Marshall’s deft vocal ability.
Maria and Captain Von Trapp, played by husband-wife duo Ryan and Dana Boda, propelled the show forward with energy and soaring vocals while the seven Von Trapp children brought an element of charm that keeps you smiling throughout the whole production.
“If you love the sound of music you're going to like this production,” Ryan Boda says. “A lot of people think of the sound of music as sort of saccharine and it is, but what's so neat about this show is that it's juxtaposed with unimaginable decisions they have to make and being able to, in the face of all that, to have your own moral compass and stick to your guns and do what's right… there’s a beautiful message there.”
But this show and others like it are not just a night of family fun, they are primarily a fundraiser for Butterfly Guild - an organization that raises funds to support the Hospice and Palliative Care Program at Nationwide Children’s.
“There’s really no other opportunity in Columbus to perform and work on a stage like the Palace and then also give back to an organization like the Hospice and Palliative Care Program at Nationwide Children’s,” David Baghat, director of Sound of Music, says. “So it’s a two-fold: you’re making beautiful theatre happen on this big, glorious stage but you’re doing it for something that’s bigger than even that stage that you’re performing on.”
After working with the Butterfly Guild for five productions, Baghat shares that the production’s success hinges on a high level of organization from both the cast and crew. They rehearse in a donated, vacant storefront before moving to the Palace Theatre four days before opening night.
The entire production would be impossible, however, without the volunteer support from the Butterfly Guild members.
“I can’t really express my gratitude to all the work that they put into this from behind the scenes and when you come to see a show at the Butterfly Guild you really are helping families through very difficult times," Baghat says. "Your dollar that you spend at the show really does go directly to Hospice and Palliative Care programs at Nationwide Children’s.”
This show was dedicated to Ayla Grace Slivka who was diagnosed with an aggressive and inoperable brain tumor at six years old. She was introduced to Nationwide Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care unit in February 2022 and, through their support, was able to find comfort until she passed away on June 29, 2022.
Katie Giffin is a contributing writer at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
