Late on Saturday, May 3, senior Aubrey Chaston’s voice rang out with the final notes of a journey.  This particular journey took six months to complete, and it was a truly glorious finish to the race that was “The Sound of Music.”

For the second time since the opening of the show, I reminisced on the people that had really made the show come to life.  Junior Beth Heaton, who was cast as Maria Rainer, had sacrificed so much to take up the role.  Through her determination, her battle was won.  Heaton performed beautifully on stage, even through every trial and tribulation that came her way.  The young woman battled illness throughout tech week, along with many other cast members, and got through even in toughest of times.

Senior Rob Dixon, a.k.a Captain von Trapp, really proved himself as an actor and singer.  The emotion he conveyed through his voice and expression was a joy to watch, and he really did hold up his part as co-star.

I don’t mean to exclude any of the Drama Club’s wonderful performers, as they also all performed exceptionally.  The seven von Trapp children, played by sophomore Joy Pizorno, freshman Zane Greenawalt, fifth graders Elizabeth Fear, Abe Newsum, Kate Cochrane, and Hasley McDaniel, and third grader Kaitlyn Ankrom-Hadden, coordinated perfectly to make a lovely family. Max Detweiler, played by junior Sean McElrath, and Elsa Schraeder, played by junior Amanda Clark, along with all other roles, fit their parts and performed with little room for mistakes.  I was impressed by the way the actors and actresses stayed in character and handled themselves throughout the entire show, while I would have been waving at the audience every few minutes.

Another great part in the production were the costumes.  All were period accurate, which for someone like me, who is a stickler for detail, is extremely exciting.  The realistic feel added a lot to the performance and definitely aided, at least myself, to get lost within the musical.

I was surprised that the singers’ voices held up throughout the number of shows.  Even so, they sounded spectacular and pulled through.  The nuns’ pieces were chillingly good, as they were meant to be, and the Mother Abbess, played by Chaston, performed remarkably well, finishing her last show with “Climb Every Mountain.”

The sets were very impressive, and I know that it took a lot of hard work to bring them to life.  Parents and students alike dedicated multiple Saturdays in order to saw, hammer, and paint the staircase and periaktos (a three sided set piece that can be painted differently and turned in order to fit the scene), among other small props.

I also have to thank tech crew for their spectacular show, as they were in control of spotlights, sound effects, and microphones, and their works enhanced the performance greatly.

Chills went up my spine as I heard the last notes of this journey fade away.  With a small sense of relief (as my sister was in it) and a large sense of pride, I walked out of the school building with the knowledge that I would never forget this Horizon Honors production of “The Sound of Music.”