Cover Markki Stroem and Karylle Tatlonghari
Markki Stroem and Karylle Tatlonghari
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Seasoned Filipino theatre actors join the international tour of 'The Sound of Music' as Elsa Von Schraeder and Rolf
The Manila leg of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music is finally here, and they’ve picked up local talent. Karylle Tatlonghari and Markki Stroem have joined the international touring production's cast, leaving audiences both young and young-at-heart singing along.
Though they've only had five to seven days to study the script and learn the stage, Karylle and Markki have been long-time fans of the acclaimed material, so the limited time didn't stop them from putting on a show that's meant to captivate.
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Karylle Tatlonghari as Elsa Von Schraeder
Above Karylle Tatlonghari as Baroness Elsa Von Schraeder (Photo: GMG Productions)
Karylle Tatlonghari as Baroness Elsa Von Schraeder (Photo: GMG Productions)
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The Sound of Music has always been with Tatlonghari ever since she was a child. Whenever she'd have a road trip with her family to Baguio, they'd always sing that the hills were alive, she shares. So imagine her surprise when she was welcomed to the cast!
Elsa Von Schraeder is Maria's rival for Captain Von Trapp's love. She is a woman of wealth and power—attributes that Tatlonghari considers very foreign to her. "It's different from the normal roles that I play. . .I don't have a plane or a diesel yacht. Simplicity has always been my main thing in life, so it's kind of hard to be super rich and fabulous like that. She's a fashionista too." Tatlonghari shares. Though it took a lot of getting used to, she effortlessly gets into the role and dazzles the audience with her flamboyant performance and masterful singing.
Tatlonghari recounts her recent experiences with Joshua La Force, who plays Max Detweiler in this production, and how their time bonding helped them play their characters better. "I'm fortunate that Josh came in earlier than everyone else. So we had time to bond, and we went to the Pasig River. . . Families were picnicking there as well. We bonded, which is important because we are besties in this show."
When asked for her favourite scene that she played, the breakup scene is what stands out most. "It's nice to break someone up," she says, followed by laughter. "I guess it's a power on its own. Although, sadly, it's an unfortunate circumstance. To be able to walk away from a relationship as a character in a play and not be bitter about it. That's powerful."
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Markki Stroem as Rolf
Above Markki Stroem as Rolf (Photo: Courtesy of GMG Productions)
Markki Stroem as Rolf (Photo: Courtesy of GMG Productions)
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Initially falling in love with the show when he was six, The Sound of Music was Stroem's gateway into the theatre. So when he found out he was cast as Rolf during his morning radio show, The Morning Rush, he was ecstatic, and everyone was cheering with him. A week later, he was given the script, and adrenaline took over.
Playing Liesl's love interest, he recounts the pure feeling of innocent young love, with Sixteen Going on Seventeen being one of his most beloved songs. The idea of how jaded we get with love is something that we can all relate to. Stroem's performance takes us all back to our teenage years when we were seventeen going on eighteen—when we don't think of what could go wrong, we think of what could go right. A kind of optimism that you can only have when you're young and in love. Though Rolf's story takes a terrifying turn, without spoilers, he does get a bit more redemption in this iteration than in the movie.
Markki also shares his experience with working with the international cast. "Every time I walk in for dress rehearsal and watch Lauren Kidwell sing Climb Ev'ry Mountain I'm always in tears. . .Karyll and I have just felt like family with these guys. . .Instead of pushing each other down, we're pushing each other up to create the characters the way they were supposed to be created."
Above The Von Trapp Children
The Von Trapp Children
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"The Sound of Music" runs from March 7 to 26 (8pm from Tuesday to Friday, 2.30pm and 7.30pm every Saturday, 1.30 pm and 6pm every Sunday) at the Samsung Performing Arts Theatre in Circuit Makati. You can grab your tickets at Ticketworld.
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About
Gabriel found his passion for writing through poetry in high school. He sharpened his skills at Ateneo de Manila University and hopes to write a play worthy of Broadway one day. A self-proclaimed geek, he loves to spend his free time playing video games and board games. When he's not clicking heads on Valorant or roleplaying as a barbarian in Dungeons and Dragons, you can find him exploring art galleries or watching stage plays.
Work
A creative writer who writes about anything and everything, Gabriel loves to dive deep into the arts and culture scene—as well as going on long road trips for travel pieces.
You can reach him on Instagram at @gbohol for any leads, casual conversations or game invites.
