The iconic musical, The Sound of Music will be at the Schuster Center February 13 – 18.
Behind the scenes: The Sound of Music is coming to Dayton
It’s very fitting that the first national tour that Chad P. Campbell has ever been a part of is stopping in Dayton, as it’s where his life’s path was turned towards theatre. Campbell had previously planned to become a surgeon, but while attending a show at Wright State University, he decided to trade in his scalpel for a wireless microphone. Now rather than surgeries, Campbell specializes in song & dance numbers; such as ‘Sixteen Going on Seventeen’ in The Sound of Music. A new production of the iconic musical, The Sound of Music will be at the Schuster Center on February 13 – 18.
Raised in Ohio, in the Toledo area, Campbell graduated from Bowling Green State University. He is excited to have some friends and family in the crowd for the Dayton shows to see him play Rolf Gruber. Rolf is the young boy who has a secret romance with Liesl and becomes a Nazi. “I’m really excited to be in this iconic show for my first national tour. The Sound of Music is also the first show I was in while in high school so it’s like I’ve gone full circle,” said Campbell.
It’s the same story from the beloved film, which is the most successful movie musical in history, but told with some fresh, new images. “The set design is beautiful, it really draws you in. There are also some really cool moments with the lighting,” said Campbell.
Everything from the classic score such as ‘My Favorite Things’, ‘Edelweiss’, and the title song are featured, including one additional song that isn’t in the movie. It’s a surprise to some that The Sound of Music was stage show before it was a movie.
In 2015, the 50th anniversary of the film was marked by a live television production of The Sound of Music was aired on NBC. It helped introduce the show to a new generation of viewers and caused a bit of a resurgence in popularity. “It really is a timeless show and is interesting with how prevalent some of its themes are with the politics of today. You have to stay true to who you and stand for what you believe in,” said Campbell.
Though Campbell started acting in the second grade, he still planned on becoming a surgeon until he attended a performance of ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’ at Wright State University. From his seat in the theatre, Campbell came to the realization that he wanted to make a career out of performing in musicals. Now wherever Campbell travels, the hills are alive with the sound of music.
For more information about the show, click over to the event: The Sound of Music.
