St. Viator's 'Sound of Music' is curtain call for director
At St. Viator High School, the halls are alive with "The Sound of Music."
After months of rehearsing, the school presents this musical that features nearly 150 students on stage, behind the scenes and in the orchestra.
But if the excitement is tangible, so are the emotions as Kate Costello directs her last show at the school.
Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, 7 and 8; and 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2 and 9, at the school, 1213 E. Oakton St., Arlington Heights. Tickets are $12.
"The Sound of Music" caps 20 years of teaching at the school for Costello, and it is one of her favorites. The 1970 alum of Sacred Heart of Mary High School in Rolling Meadows, who earned her master's in theater from Northwestern University, has steadily built the program, both in numbers of students involved and its reputation.
One look at the senior edition of the school's student newspaper confirms it - a majority of seniors report that performing in the musical was one of their lasting memories.
This year's show is the second time Costello has directed "Sound of Music" at St. Viator and she is seeing it in a whole new light. While the love story between the young postulant turned governess and the widowed Naval captain with seven children is the hook, Costello believes it is the Reverend Mother and the community of nuns she leads that anchor the story. And her performers agree.
Mary Kate Cambria, a junior from Arlington Heights, shares the role of Mother Abbess with junior Lily Baroud of Wheeling.
"Playing the part, I can actually see how Mother Abbess moves mountains," Cambria says.
"She guides Maria, and then Maria goes on to pass on that wisdom to the children," Baroud adds. "I see the pattern."
Both describe a pivotal moment in the show, when Mother Abbess sings the inspirational, "Climb Ev'ry Mountain."
"It's the last song in the first act, and it's so impactful," Cambria says. "There's just a single spotlight on Mother Abbess, and all eyes are on her."
Sophie Limberakis, a junior from Arlington Heights, shares the role of Maria with senior Sophia Stamov of Wheeling. They play opposite seniors Andrew Bremner of Arlington Heights and Chris Sevilla of Mount Prospect, who share the role of Captain von Trapp.
Both Marias describe the role as a dream come true, though channeling her emotions as she prepares to leave the convent has proved a challenge.
"I'm trying to put myself in the mindset of someone who has a religious vocation, though my religion classes here have helped me understand her passion," Limberakis says.
"But there's this dynamic change in Maria, from being scared and afraid to leave to being able to face the life she's meant to live."
Both point to the unfailing Mother Abbess, who reminds her young postulant that the love between a man and a woman is a vocation, too.
"One of the most powerful moments," Limberakis says, "is when Maria takes off her veil and finds the confidence she needs to leave the abbey."
For her part, Costello sees the power generated by these courageous women in habit, working as a community behind the gates of the abbey simply for the honor and glory of God.
"They can defy Nazis and overcome the pressure of those who would let ambition cloud their sense of right and wrong," Costello says.
"They can inspire men to act like real men and become good fathers, and they can encourage members of a family to make sacrifices and realize their dreams."
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"The Sound of Music"
Presented by St. Viator High School
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 31, Feb. 1, 7 and 8; 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2 and 9
Where: St. Viator High School, 1213 E. Oakton St., Arlington Heights
Tickets: $12
Details: (847) 392-4050 or www.saintviator.com