Wednesday,
August
30,
2006
Los
Angeles
(Reuters):
Four
decades
after
Julie
Andrews
climbed
every
mountain
and
married
a
widowed
naval
captain
in
''The
Sound
of
Music,''
his
real-life
great
grandchildren
are
hoping
to
make
movie
magic
of
their
own.
The
four
von
Trapp
family
descendants
Sofia,
18,
Melanie,
16,
Amanda,
15,
and
Justin,
11
are
taking
time
off
from
a
world
tour
as
a
sibling
singing
act
to
star
in
a
Christmas-themed
feature
film
in
the
works
for
next
year.
But
compared
with
the
lavish,
Oscar-winning
1965
musical
that
depicted
their
forebears
singing
Rodgers&Hammerstein
songs
as
they
traipsed
through
Austria's
countryside,
the
planned
movie
debut
of
the
latter-day
von
Trapp
children
is
a
product
of
humbler
origins.
Budgeted
at
less
than
4
million
dollars,
a
pittance
by
Hollywood
standards,
the
project
is
the
brainchild
of
a
North
Carolina-based
producer
who
has
enlisted
a
former
''Star
Trek''
visual
effects
specialist
to
direct
his
film
and
has
cast
one-time
child
star
Jerry
Mathers
of
the
1950s
TV
sitcom
''Leave
It
to
Beaver''
in
a
supporting
role,
Behind-the-camera
talent
from
several
''Star
Trek''
TV
series
and
movies
were
also
recruited
to
serve
as
cinematographer,
production
designer
and
composer.
But
the
unorthodox
pedigree
of
the
production
has
hardly
dimmed
the
enthusiasm
of
the
film's
young
stars,
who
have
spent
four
years
touring
the
world
in
Austrian
costumes
performing
''Do-Re-Mi,''
''Favourite
Things''
and
''The
Lonely
Goatherd.''
''It's
something
we've
never
done,''
Melanie
told
Reuters
in
a
recent
interview.
''This
movie
is
going
to
be
really
different,
but
we're
all
so
excited
for
it.''
Sofia,
the
eldest
of
the
brood,
said
she
and
her
siblings
will
be
''pretty
much
playing
ourselves''
and
singing
in
the
film,
though
she
added,
''It's
not
a
musical.''
As
described
by
executive
producer
John
Demers,
the
story
is
a
road
trip
that
unfolds
as
the
four
head
home
from
their
busy
concert
schedule
for
a
holiday
visit
with
family,
carrying
with
them
a
''very
special''
Christmas
tree.
Along
the
way,
they
take
a
detour
that
involves
attempts
by
a
pair
of
bumbling
bad
guys
to
steal
their
tree
while
the
kids
seek
to
reunite
two
lovelorn
friends.
Mathers
co-stars
as
Mr
Spinner,
the
Christmas
tree
salesman
and
narrator
of
the
tale.
The
screenplay
for
the
film,
tentatively
titled
''Von
Trapp
Children
Christmas
Movie,''
was
written
by
Paul
Shapiro,
whose
previous
credits
include
the
1990s
road
trip
films
''Breaking
the
Rules''
and
''Calendar
Girl.''
Demers,
CEO
of
privately
held
Studio
in
the
Woods
in
Durham,
North
Carolina,
lined
up
his
''Trek''-based
creative
team
through
acquaintances
made
during
a
former
job
in
state
government
as
a
liaison
for
public
events
including
''Star
Trek''
conventions.
Demers'
ties
to
the
von
Trapp
clan
began,
aptly
enough,
with
a
regional
theatre
production
of
''The
Sound
of
Music''
a
few
years
ago
in
which
they
played
four
of
the
children
and
he
understudied
the
part
of
their
father.
He
also
was
assigned
the
unofficial
role
of
adult
minder
for
the
youngest,
Justin.
Once,
he
pulled
a
loose
tooth
out
of
Justin's
mouth
moments
before
one
memorable
performance.
''They
have
such
unique,
honest
and
sincere
personalities,''
Demers
said
of
the
youths.
''There's
nothing
plastic
about
them.
There's
no
veneer,
there
are
no
handlers.
What
you
see
is
what
you
get.
A
real
wholesome
act.''
The
four
are
the
grandchildren
of
Werner
von
Trapp,
the
younger
of
the
two
boys
and
the
fourth
of
seven
children
depicted
in
''The
Sound
of
Music''
as
Kurt
(the
child
Julie
Andrews
remembers
to
include
in
her
bedtime
prayers
with
the
line,
''God
bless
Kurt.'')
The
von
Trapp
youngsters
also
remain
close
to
grandfather
Werner's
eldest
sister,
their
great-aunt
Agathe
portrayed
as
Liesl
(''I
am
16
going
on
17'')
in
the
musical.
''Our
Opa
and
Aunt
Agathe
have
taught
us
the
most,''
Sofia
said.
''They
were
our
biggest
influence.''
Werner,
Agathe
and
sister
Maria
(the
real-life
name
of
the
movie's
second-oldest
daughter,
Louisa)
are
the
last
surviving
members
of
the
original
Trapp
Family
Singers,
who
fled
Nazi-occupied
Austria
in
the
1930s
after
their
father,
a
widowed
naval
officer,
married
their
governess.
Three
children
added
to
the
singing
family
after
Georg
and
Maria
von
Trapp
were
wed
are
also
still
alive.
Demers
said
the
four
grandchildren
began
rehearsing
newly
composed
songs
for
his
film
last
week
and
would
start
recording
in
Los
Angeles
next
month.
Shooting
is
set
to
begin
in
late
December
in
the
singers'
home
state
of
Montana,
with
Demers
aiming
to
get
it
into
theatres
in
December
2007.
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