Von Trapp

For a show about a family fleeing the Nazis, "The Sound of Music" has always seemed awfully saccharine -- a musical more likely to leave you queasy from too much spun sugar than quaking from fear of storm troopers.At the Lyric Opera House, however, the splendid touring version of the 1998 Broadway revival strikes a more credible balance. Directed by Susan H. Schulman, this top-notch production shows the Rodgers-and-Hammerstein score and Lindsay-and-Crouse book off to advantage. It's a revival that will not only satisfy the musical's fans, but -- thanks to the charming children's roles -- is also an ideal way to introduce young people to musical theater.

The story depicted in "The Sound of Music," which opens at the Lyric Opera House tomorrow, might seem like a tale out of a storybook -- something that happened long ago and far away. But there's a very immediate Baltimore connection.Agathe von Trapp, 86, the oldest of the real-life von Trapp daughters, has lived in the Baltimore area since 1958, when she came here to run a private kindergarten in Glyndon.In crafting the musical, Rodgers and Hammerstein's collaborators, Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, who wrote the libretto, made some significant alterations in the true story of the Trapp Family Singers.

Yes, Todd Haynes realizes that Curt Wild, one of the main characters in his paean to the glam rock era, "Velvet Goldmine," is a dead ringer for Kurt Cobain.And no, that's not an effect he was going for -- the character was modeled after Iggy Pop."It was completely an accident," Haynes insists (as was the happenstance that his character and the late Nirvana lead singer share the same first name). "It just so happens that Ewan [McGregor, who plays Wild] resembles Kurt Cobain more than he does Iggy Pop in the face."

BURLINGTON, Vt. -- The von Trapps, a family known around the world, asked the Vermont Supreme Court last week to resolve a bitter financial dispute between two factions of the family.In a hearing Thursday, lawyers asked the justices to decide whether minority stockholders in the family corporation were paid enough money when they were bought out by another family group in 1995.The minority group argued that they were underpaid by nearly $3 million, and a trial court upheld that view in a decision in May.The family, whose flight from Austria and Nazism was dramatized in "The Sound of Music" on Broadway and in film, settled in Vermont more than 50 years ago.In 1962, the members founded the corporation Trapp Family Lodge, which owns a 93-room inn, a ski-touring center and 100 time-share condominiums, all on 2,200 acres on a mountaintop in Stowe.

JUDY QUEVEDO was busy coordinating the chaos Wednesday evening as student performers and stagehands put the finishing touches on the Chesapeake High School theater group and vocal music department's presentation of "The Sound of Music."An experienced parent volunteer, Quevedo should be used to the excitement that precedes a production -- but not so."I am in the middle of an adrenalin rush that has been building as we get closer to curtain time," she said. "We can relax on Monday."The Broadway musical, based on the experiences of the von Trapp family, was previewed for a matinee audience yesterday.

STOWE, Vt. -- This woman sitting before us, leading an evening sing-along at a popular Vermont lodge, is part of a legend. Most of us -- baby boomers with children -- knew that as we enticed our families to join this makeshift choir.Yet the woman's face and her soprano voice are unfamiliar.She is slender, 60ish, with long gray hair pulled back, framing kind and almost cherubic features. She is dressed in a red-and-black checkered jumper and a white turtleneck. She speaks softly, a slight accent detectable, a lingering reminder of her Austrian childhood.

Talent, on stage and ice, will be in the spotlight next week.Columbia Figure Skating Club will present its 21st annual spring Ice Extravaganza, "The Sound of Music," at East Columbia's ice rink, Thunder Hill and Santiago Roads, Oakland Mills Village.The principals and soloists in the show are professional skaters who have appeared in national shows and Olympic competition.Steve Summers, who portrays Captain Von Trapp, began skating at age 5 and has been a competitive ice dancer for 10 years.

Ellicott City's Mount Hebron Viking Backers are on the move again.The parent booster club is holding a third annual 5K Viking Run April 30 on the hills surrounding Mount Hebron High School.The course begins at the school and ends at Chatham Mall, where a shuttle will return athletes to the school from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.Entrants may choose to race or to take a fun run or walk.The 5K racers sprint from their starting blocks at 9 a.m. Prizes will be awarded to the three top racers in several divisions.

Can spring be far behind? I've seen my first snowdrop!Even for indifferent gardeners, such as yours truly, there comes a smug satisfaction from seeing the spring bulbs pop up into blossom.While others picnicked in the golden leaves last autumn, we knelt in the dirt to plant things that looked like misshapen garlic.Our knees got wet, our backs ached, and we found tree roots anywhere we dug. What a tedious way to spend a glorious September day!But now, four months later, the snowdrops peep through the ice, and our autumn labor is justified.

Marie Osmond has it about right. Most people would think the part of Maria von Trapp, the inspirational singing governess of "The Sound of Music," is the most natural role for her stage debut.Is there a more wholesome character in musicals? And who better than a member of an authentic singing family?The newest Maria welcomes the role, but rejects the notion that she and her character are alike."I don't think I'm similar to Maria at all," says Ms. Osmond, who is starring in "The Sound of Music" that plays the Lyric Opera House through next Sunday.