The Characterization Of Elsa Schr?der In The Musical The Sound Of Music

Based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp,The Story of the Trapp Family Singers,the Sound of Music was originally a Broadway musical,with music by Richard Rodgers,lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and was later adapted as a film musical in 1965,both of which have proved to be highly acclaimed productions.Baroness Elsa Schr?der is a supporting role in the musical,who appears as Captain Von Trapp's would-be fiancee.As a charming woman,Elsa Schr?der is a sophisticated character in her thirties.Based on my observation of the performances by different actresses and in a number of versions,it occurs to me that the same character has been portrayed in quite varied styles in different versions of the musical.This paper is an attempt to analyze the characterization of Elsa Schr?der from the perspective of an actress by means of combining my own acting experience and the analysis of the portrayals of the character in various productions,including those of ITV in 2015 and NBC in 2013 and the classic musical film in 1965.My thesis consists of three chapters.The first chapter serves as a brief introduction to the persona of Elsa Schr?der in the original story and outlines the character.In the second chapter a comparison is drawn between the different portrayals of ElsaSchr?der in the TV versions of ITV,NBC and the film musical in terms of personality,relationships and musical rendition etc.In the third chapter,I delved into the possible explanation for the varied personalities manifested in the same character of the musical,and then went on to expound how,in my own experience of playing the part in the Chinese version,comprehensive interpretation,coupled with director's instruction,has enabled me to imbue this role with my personal traits without sacrificing plausibility.By virtue of probing into the variedportrayals of the same role in different versions anddrawingcomparison thereof,attaching importance to detailed analysis and logical cohesion,and incorporating my own acting experience,this thesis strives to expound the characterization of ElsaSchr?der for the conclusion that the comprehensive logical analysis of the character is required for the logical,plausible and vivid portrayal of the character.