THE stage is alive with The Sound Of Music in Barton, thanks to Barton and District Amateur Operatic Society's new production.

The show aired for the first time last night at Baysgarth School but, if you missed it, don't worry – the cast will be taking to the stage everyday until Saturday.

Society chairman David Phillips said he was very happy with their take on the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic.

He said: "It is going well. Our stage and scenery was built by members of the society.

"We have also got a group of seven children, who are doing extremely well and are really excellent at what they are doing."

Mr Phillips said the initial response for tickets for the show, which follows the fortunes of the von Trapp family in Nazi-occupied Austria, was positive.

Mr Phillips said the society was also looking for new members and said joining the group could be beneficial, particularly to young people.

He said: "Where we and a lot of other societies suffer is young people tend to go away to university and then they don't come back because they get jobs elsewhere, so it is about filling that gap of people in their twenties and early thirties.

"The word 'operatic' is in our title and that can sometimes put people off because it sounds grand and serious, but we are a musical theatre group and musical theatre is in vogue at the moment and an awful lot of young people choose performing arts as something to study.

"If they join a local group, they will get that experience before going to university or looking for professional engagements."

The society currently has about 30 members and is looking for more to join.

Mr Phillips said: "Not everybody who joins the society needs to be performing on-stage.

"We have backstage roles and we would always like members who can help us in any way."

As reported, the society will become the first in North Lincolnshire to perform The Sound Of Music since rights to the production became available last month.

The show was off-limits to amateur groups while a professional production of the show produced after the BBC show How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? was staged in London's West End from 2006 to 2009 and then taken on tour last year.

Anybody interested in joining the society can attend rehearsals on Tuesdays.

They are held at Baysgarth School from 7.30pm to 9.30pm.

Get tickets

The Sound Of Music will run until Saturday at 7.15pm, with a matinee at 2.15pm on the Saturday.

Tickets, priced at £8 for the Saturday matinee and £10 for all other performances, can be bought from Euronics in George Street, Barton, or by calling 07551 714249.