Preview: Sing-A-Long Fun!

♫ The hills are alive... with the sound of Griswold. ♫

Oh wait, that's the spoof from National Lampoon's European Vacation...

Let's try this again.

♫The hills are alive... with the sound of music. ♫

There. That's much better.

It should only be natural that the revered Rogers & Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music be screened during the Summer Classic Film Series. And so it shall. This 1965 musical stars Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer in this story set in 1930s Austria. Andrews plays Maria, a nun who isn't quite making the grade in becoming a nun. A widower captain (Plummer) then hires her to watch after his "difficult" children, and she (in a fashion only fitting from the woman who played Mary Poppins) eventually charms her way into their hearts. Numerous obstacles rise as Maria and the Captain recognize deeper feelings, including a neighboring nation known as... Nazi Germany. Gulp.

So how about that? A musical classic that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Sounds like a nice, wholesome and benign way to spend an afternoon, no? Oh, but wait (again). There's a little treat I forgot to mention.

One of the screenings of The Sound of Music will be a sing-a-long. That's right. You can warble and yodel like a Ricola commercial to your hearts desire while imaging you're in a Bavarian postcard of musical fun. Rebecca Havemeyer will be on hand to lead the audience in a warm up before the show and give a run down of the actions and use of the interactive goody bag the audience receives. That's right, a goody bag! I hear some folks will even dress up. Your only limit is your imagination. Heck, you can even close your eyes and pretend you're starring in a bizarre mashup of The Sound of Music and "Glee." You don't have to be a good singer (like "Glee"), you just have to be enthusiastic (like "Glee").

It sounds like silly fun, but it's all to assist a worthy cause. The screening benefits the AIDS Services of Austin (ASA), and there is even a special VIP pass you can purchase that includes: pre-party admission with drinks & snacks, premier seating, and free parking. You can purchase that right here.

Sing-A-Long movies and Paramount screenings
ASA parties and singing with feeling
Fun times with others more precious than rings
These are a few of our favorite things

When my voice cracks
And the song ends
Then I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel... sooooo bad

Showtimes for the films:

The Sound of Music (NON-Sing a Long)
Saturday, Jul 30th
2:00

The Sound of Music (Sing-A-Long Event)
Saturday, Jul 30th
7:00

Final Notes about the screening

VIP Reception:

ASA Package Purchasers and Paramount Film Fans are invited to a pre-show reception on the Mezzanine Level of the Paramount Theatre. Complimentary drinks and snacks will be provided.

Parking:
"Hassle-free downtown parking available for $6 at the One American Center for all summer films! Since you’re also supporting the theatre when you buy parking, they're giving you a free small soda each time you park there for a film. Buy online with your film tix and print out your confirmation e-mail or buy directly from the garage attendant (cash only). Attendant will have your soda ticket as well."