By Michaela Gordoni
Elisabeth von Trapp, granddaughter of the real Maria von Trapp, says the 1965 musical was “spot on.”
The movie is based on the true story of the seven von Trapp children, their father and nun, who becomes their new mother. They formed a singing troupe and left Austria at the start of WWII.
Unlike the movie, though, the von Trapps fled Austria via train to Italy before they settled in the United States.
Elisabeth, born in Vermont, visited her family’s villa in Austria. Her father, Waren, was depicted as Kurt in the movie.
“When I came in 19, I think it was 1997, I had the most beautiful chance to visit with him here. He points up. He goes. That was my room where the shutters are,” Elisabeth said.
Her grandmother passed in 1987, but Elisabeth will never forget her.
“She was amazing,” she said. “Her enthusiasm, her imagination, her storytelling was amazing.”
Hedwig, one of the seven von Trapp children, once said Maria was the glue in their family. “If it wasn’t for mother we would have all ended up as chambermaids and cooks. To her, the important thing was that we stay together because together we were a singing group that was pleasant to listen to. Our survival economically depended on staying together.”
Elisabeth says Maria’s character in the movie reflected her true image. She had a wonderful relationship with the von Trapp kids, and went on to have three more children with Georg von Trapp.
“I think that was spot on,” she said.
When Elisabeth became a singer, Maria came to her concerts and “stood in line like everybody else.
One of her favorite gifts from Maria was a brand-new guitar case.
When THE SOUND OF MUSIC came out in theaters, the family was brought to tears.
“My mother, her eyes filled with tears,” Elisabeth said. “My father’s just like, ‘I can’t believe I’m looking at Salzburg. My parents were just overwhelmed seeing Salzburg.”
Elisabeth once participated in a “The Sound of Music” musical in Vermont.
“I did it for two seasons. Learning the script, the blocking, everything,” she said. “I did it in honoring (my grandmother). She had just passed away, so I thought I would do it as a memorial for her. And the second time, I’ll do it for myself.”
When she performed, she understood how the story touches people by “Finding love, being disappointed, making a big choice to go in one direction or the other.”
For the movie’s 50th anniversary ten years ago, Myles von Trapp Derbyshire, great-grandson of Maria, said, “What blows my mind is how much it’s continued and how much people still value the story. And the people that I meet, how much it’s affected their lives. It’s great to be part of a story that’s proven itself to be timeless.”
And with a restored version of the movie coming out in September for the film’s 60th anniversary, that’s certainly true.
Read Next: 5 Fascinating Facts About THE SOUND OF MUSIC
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