Hands up if you are excited to see The Sound of Music musical when it comes to Sands Theatre on 22 November 2022! We certainly are, which is why we are super thrilled to be able to introduce you to the local child actors who were successful in their auditions for the von Trapp family children! After two days of intense auditioning of close to 400 kids, the musical’s touring creatives, who flew in from Broadway, picked out 16 of the most talented young actors for the coveted roles. The kids aged from 7 to 15 will perform six of the seven von Trapp children in rotation as cutiepie Gretl, Kurt, Friedrich, Marta, Brigitta, and Louisa. We chat with some of the kids about what it was like auditioning for the roles, their experience acting, favourite scenes from The Sound of Music and more!
Casting of the Singapore kids for the von Trapp children in The Sound of Music:
Gretl is played by Claire Sim (8), Hillary Foo (8), and Maya Sharma (7).
Marta is played by Anna Maurer-Stroh (10), Jessica Kitamura (11), and Yza Gabrielle Borromeo Galler (9).
Brigitta is played by Isabella Fairhall (11), Sofia Rose Chamberlain (11), and Honor Grace Ward (8).
Kurt is played by Ren Nakao (11), Vivaan Lalvani (11), and Travis Teo (12).
Louisa is played by Gabby Tay (15), Chloe Mackie (14), and Jennifer Wilkinson (12).
Friedrich is played by Stanley Yuan (11).
Let’s get to know some of the Singapore-based kids playing the von Trapp children in The Sound of Music…
Gabby Tay as Louisa von Trapp
Age 15, SJI International
Have long have you been involved in acting and singing?
I’ve been acting for 11 years now, and I’ve been singing for 5 years. I take drama as a subject in school and I currently take singing lessons at MADDspace with Mr John Khoo, along with online Skype private singing lessons with Miss Claire Hosterman.
What was the audition like?
It was like a miracle and a dream and also super nerve-wracking to see hundreds of children waiting in a room for a few hours, auditioning for the same roles as me with their parents anxiously waiting. I couldn’t help but compare myself to the other contestants, wondering if I was good enough and already mentally preparing myself for rejection. That makes me one million more times grateful and shocked that I got the role! Between auditions and during lunch, all the kids in the theatre would sing songs from the musical together, which made my heart so full as we were all sharing the joy together and I had never been in a room with so many people with the same interests as me before.
Any advice for other kids who aspire to be on the stage?
My advice is that while you should work hard and make sure your performances are polished, never forget to have fun and enjoy performing! Singing and acting should never feel like a chore; it’s something that comes from the heart, which can’t be faked. I’ve also learnt the hard way that while comparing yourself to others is perfectly normal, everyone is on their own journey and sometimes you have to wait for the right opportunities to arrive!
Do you know what you are interested in doing as a career when you are older?
I don’t know much, but I definitely want to work in theatre either as a performer, director or producer!!
How many times have you watched The Sound of Music film?
Hmmmm, I have absolutely no idea because I’ve watched it way too many times since I was born. My whole family are fans of The Sound of Music, so probably over 10 times!
What is your favourite song in the musical?
My favourite song is probably ‘Edelweiss’ because it was one of the first songs I ever learnt as a child, so it holds some sense of nostalgia for me. Knowing that I will get to sing this song on stage this November is really magical!
What is your favourite scene?
My favourite scene is when Maria meets the children and they all march out and introduce themselves because the dialogue is very catchy and memorable, and it is the scene where the children’s personalities are sort of revealed.
Maya Sharma as Gretl von Trapp
Age 7, River Valley Primary School
You started musical theatre lessons when you were just 6? What got you interested in drama and singing?
I always loved to sing; Mom, Dad and my grandparents were always playing lots of English, Chinese and Hindi music for me. I was chosen to play the role of the mouse in my kindergarten for a production of ‘The Gruffalo’ and I really enjoyed it. After that, I always wanted to do some acting and singing, as it is the most fun thing to do in the whole world.
Do you take lessons?
I have been working once or twice a week with my musical showstoppers teacher for almost a year now.
How was the audition process?
Just a few days before the audition, I did not do as well as I had hoped for in another music/dance audition. I did not want to go for the audition as a result because I was quite disappointed but my parents and teachers encouraged me to brush it off and try my best again. I felt much happier as I just enjoyed every round of the auditions and we were being taught so many things. I also enjoyed eating at a lot of new restaurants at the Marina Bay Sands during the breaks.
How do you feel about being the youngest actor on stage? How do you manage your nerves?
I felt a little shy sometimes as the older actors are much better than me but they were very nice to me during the audition and the adults made it quite funny at times. I was a bit scared when the adults were a bit strict but it was ok as some of my teachers in school, drama and singing are even stricter.
How many times have you watched The Sound of Music film?
Can I say 1000 times because it is a very big number? I don’t know, I did not count but a lot!
Are you similar to Gretl, the character you are playing in The Sound of Music?
My parents tell me I am cute like Gretl but they say I am cheekier than her.
Vivaan Lalvani as Kurt von Trapp
Age 11, Dulwich College (Singapore)
Have long have you been involved in acting and singing?
I’ve never done any acting training, but I’ve been doing a little bit of singing in the school choir and I’ve been learning piano for the past five years
What do you like to do to have fun?
To have fun, I play video games, read, hang out with my friends and play sports.
How will you balance school work and rehearsals?
My school has been extremely supportive and very happy for me; they’ve said that they will help me manage my curriculum around rehearsals and performances. They are equally excited about this opportunity for me to learn and grow as a person.
How many times have you watched The Sound of Music film?
I watched it for the first time when I was 6 and loved it so much that I have seen it well over 25 times.
What was the audition process like for you?
I found it fun but also quite stressful during the cuts. I enjoyed the rehearsals and learning but I also felt tired at times because my body wasn’t used to it.
What’s been the hardest part about your role?
Chocolates and milk are some of my favourite things and giving them up is the hardest part.
(Sometimes, actors eliminate certain foods while rehearsing to protect their voice).
Has anything for you changed since you were selected?
People treat me differently. They call me Kurt and all my parent’s friends keep congratulating me and asking me to sing. My friends treat me the same because at the end of the day, I’m still the same Vivaan.
Are you similar to your character, Kurt from The Sound of Music?
Yes, very. I’m always hungry and I act tough on the outside but am soft and sensitive on the inside.
Chloe Mackie as Louisa von Trapp
Age 13, XCL World Academy Singapore
Have long have you been involved in acting and singing? Where do you do classes?
I have been acting and singing for just over 4 years in school and I’ve been a part of many school productions and they’ve taught me so much about the industry, but I’ve never had the opportunity to do theatre professionally so this all has been such a pleasant surprise! I’ve done classes at Sing’Theatre for two years and it has helped me a lot to learn and develop as a young actor.
How did you find the auditions?
I was surprised because this is my first ever professional audition and I was very much aware that you don’t get cast for about 98% of auditions. Some people I’ve worked with previously, such as my voice teacher and previous directors, said they knew from the beginning that I would get the role, which I was happy but surprised about.
How do you feel when you are up on stage?
It is such a wonderful feeling being able to be on a stage and perform in front of people. It’s always so enjoyable as of course, acting and singing and dancing is one of the biggest delights in my life, but also because you have been working on this show, this song, this project, whatever it may be, and you are finally able to show what you’ve been doing and share it with the world, and it’s such a blessing to be able to share such a delicate and joyous experience with an audience; it’s a feeling that truly is irreplaceable.
We understand you like to research your characters well – have you found anything surprising or interesting about the original von Trapp story?
I was quite surprised to find that in the original Von Trapp family all the children had different names and were named Agathe, Rupert, Maria, Werner, Hedwig, Johanna, and Martina. I also found out that there were more than 7 children and that there were in fact 10 but the youngest 3 were not included in the musical and movie.
Travis Teo as Kurt von Trapp
Age 12, Bukit Timah Primary School
Have you had any experience or classes in acting or singing?
I started taking Musical and Theatre lessons when I was 9 years old. I learned how to act, sing and dance from the lessons.
How long have you been interested in musical theatre?
I’ve always loved being on stage. My first stage experience was at 4 years old when I was in Kindergarten. I remembered not being nervous at all but enjoying every moment of the performance. Seeing how much I enjoyed myself on stage, my mom signed me up for Speech and Drama lessons and then Musical theatre when I was older. My dream is to go to SOTA next year to do Theatre there.
What prompted you to go for the auditions?
Honestly, I went for the audition without any expectations. It was more for the experience than anything else. My Musical & Theatre teacher, Ms. Jess always encourages us to go for auditions to gain experience.
All the best kiddos, we can’t wait to watch you on stage!
The Sound of Music is showing at Sands Theatre at Marina Bay from 22 November.
Beate is our Managing Editor. Beate spent her childhood in Kenya before moving to the UK. She arrived in Singapore in 2009 purely in search of sunshine #truestory. Beate (pronounced Bay-ah-ta) is a mama to two, so life is a constant balance between small person entertainment and hunting down the best stories in town.
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