FHS to be alive with ‘Sound of Music’ Dec. 12-15

Farragut High School’s theater students will herald in the holidays when they present their “Sound of Music” production for the Farragut community.

The musical will take place beginning at 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 12, through Saturday, Dec. 14, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. There will be a matinee performance starting at 3 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 15, with doors opening at 2:30 p.m. All performances in FHS’s Vickie B. Wells Auditorium, 11237 Kingston Pike.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students, and they may either be purchased at the door or in advance online for the same price on the school’s website: knoxschools.schoolcashonline.com/Fee/Details/3861/231/False/True

FHS theater teacher Tony Wooley said the site was set up for convenience of people preferring to pay online or by phone.

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“I chose this show because our show, last year, was a very high-energy rock ‘n roll show, but not a lot of people were familiar with it,” he said. “I wanted to make sure that we had an audience to come see the incredible talent.

“We do a late autumn, early winter show,” Wooley added. “’The Sound of Music’ kind of blends in naturally and beautifully with the holidays, and lots and lots of people know it … they relate it to their childhood, they have connections to it.

“I want to give these students an opportunity to be seen because no matter what production they do, they’re going to be marvelous.”

While producing “Sound of Music,” he said there has been “a very warm greeting to the show.

“I’m hoping we’re going to get an excellent turnout for the kids,” Wooley added.

“We have three leads (in the musical),” he said of Amara Pappas as Maria, Conner Allan as Captain Von Trapp and Madison Hullett as Mother Abbess.

In all, the production involves more than 30 students on stage and another 30 “in the pit” — the orchestra.

“Our orchestra for this is made up entirely of high school students, which is very exciting,” he said. “They are under the direction of Elizabeth Gott, one of FHS’s two band teachers.

“She has been gracious enough to work with the pit to find our vision of an all-inclusive, student-based production,” Wooley added. “I am very proud that the band has so graciously been working with us; so not only will you be able to see the talents of my actors and the singers, you also will be able to hear the talents of the band players because it’s not easy music.”

The students have been working steadily since August.

“It’s a very large undertaking. ... We meet every morning for an hour-and-a-half,” Wooley said. “The kids actually get a grade for this.”

He also has a set design class, whose students designed and built all of the stage work.

“I’m very impressed with the hard work they have put in because we have a very large set, and it’s all moveable,” Wooley said.