Before Saturday night, I had never seen “The Sound of Music,” either the movie or the musical.

For some reason I never saw it as a child, and after seeing my first musical, “Oliver!” in eighth grade, I decided to delay seeing film versions of musicals until after I had seen the live productions.

After seeing the “The Sound of Music” at my first PCPA Theaterfest production in Santa Maria, I now understand what all the hype was about.

The story of the Von Trapp family, which consists of seven children and their widower father (played by Andrew Philpot), is endearing. It’s great to see the children change and blossom under the care of Maria (Vanessa Bellam), who is sent from a convent to become their governess.

“The first rule of this house is discipline,” says Austrian naval Captain Georg Von Trapp, who uses a whistle to summon children and servants alike, and whom both call “Sir.”

The housekeeper, Frau Schmidt (K.D. Sperling) reveals to Maria on her first night at the Von Trapp home that the children have driven away past governesses, probably because the only time they see their father is when they get a new governess.

The children, however, warm up to Maria after running to her bed during a scary thunderstorm. She takes them in without embarrassing them and teaches them music, which used to be part of their household until their mother died. Von Trapp’s love of music died with his wife, so the children don’t know how to sing anything when Maria arrives.

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Alice Ryan does a good job as Liesl, the oldest child who is caught up in a blossoming romance with the telegram delivery boy, Rolf (Justin Crabtree).

Gretl, the youngest child (Isabella Melsheimer), adds a child’s charm to her scenes. Brigitta, played by Erika Olson, is appealing as an honest child who “cannot tell a lie.”

Louisa (Molly Dobbs) is a troublemaker, known for putting toads in past governess’ beds. Kurt (Alex Scoolis) is a flirt who seems to like Maria.

The acting is one of the best elements in the production, and the Mother Abbess (Elizabeth Stuart) is one of the stronger characters.

There are many moments of musical beauty throughout the production, including a lovely duet between the Mother Abbess and Maria during “My Favorite Things,” a few notes that Louisa Von Trapp sings when she is learning how to sing from Maria, and the first notes Captain Von Trapp sings by himself. It’s a pity we can’t hear more solos from the captain.

When the children perform “So Long, Farewell” at a party, each one cleverly affirms his or her personality in one line in the song as they leave to go to bed.

The nuns’ voices shine with crystalline beauty in “Preludium” and “Morning Hymn.” It’s no wonder Maria entered the abbey because of their singing. “Climb Every Mountain.” as performed by the Mother Abbess, is an exercise in otherworldly beauty, especially when she sings the phrase “Follow every rainbow,” as she hits the upper registers where her voice is most at home.

As for Maria, Vanessa Ballam has a great voice but she used more vibrato than necessary. However, I gradually fell in love with her character and it didn’t matter as much.

The set is beautiful and deceptively simple. The abbey is defined by stonework and a high, wrought-iron gate. The Von Trapp home is outlined by a beautiful set of doors surrounded by an elegant wall, with a few pieces of well-chosen furniture delineating each room.

Maria’s mountain is revealed when a few huge hanging fabric panels, painted in an alpine scene, drop from the rafters in the background. When the mountain scene ends, those panels fall to the stage floor to be picked up by nuns carrying baskets before the beginning of the next scene at the abbey.

It’s a perfect, seamless transition.

Later, three fabric panels featuring German swastikas create a sense of dread and oppression, and create a perfect contrast to the use of the mountain panels earlier in the musical.

Through it all, the stage floor, in a mottled gray, could be anything from the stone of a mountain to the elegant marble floor in the Von Trapp mansion.

Also noteworthy is the choreography, particularly Liesl and Rolf’s courting scene, the party scene and “The Lonely Goatherd” scene with the children in Maria’s bedroom.

Bettina Adragna can be reached at 739-2220, or at badragna@ santamariatimes.com.