Press Release

The Sound of Music will be ringing once again.

The opening of the Sound of Music in April will mark a first time event in the Central Texas area. People representing 13 churches and 5 schools will recreate the original Broadway version of The Sound of Music April 11, 12, 13 at the Azalee Marshal Cultural Activities Center, Mayborn Stage.

To help fulfill the community outreach focus at Holy Trinity Catholic High School, the Musical Theater Department wanted to open auditions to all people in the Catholic/Christian community for their spring musical. Auditions ran last November and after two weeks of auditions and over 90 participants, the cast was chosen. Sixty people accepted their roles and technical positions. Coming from all walks of life the cast is made up of Holy Trinity students, business professionals, a minister at Scott and White Hospital, art teachers, retired school teachers, retired military, and adults and children of a wide variety of ages, to mention a few.

Highlights of the cast include distinguished faculty from Holy Trinity Catholic High School; Mr. Joe Seale, the Science Department Chair and Ms. Judy West, the Math Department Chair. Mr. Seale plays Captain Von Trapp and Ms. West plays Mother Abbess. Ms. West is also a faithful choir member of First Baptist Church in Temple. Mr. Seale attends St. Luke’s in Temple. St. Luke’s boasts 12 parishioners in the cast.

Also from the Holy Trinity faculty is Miss Lauren Sprouse, chemistry teacher. Very active in her high school theatrical productions, she played the role of Ado Annie in Oklahoma! her senior year. She plays the role of Baroness Elsa Schraeder. Playing her side kick and the always loveable character, Max, is Holy Trinity senior Andy Leonard, a National Merit Commended Scholar from Harker Heights.

Playing the other three lead nuns include a mother/daughter team, Mrs. Cheryl Fihn and her daughter Tiela Talley, a senior at Holy Trinity. Mrs. Fihn owns Scrappily Ever After in Temple. The final lead nun, Miss Noeli Fernandez, also a senior, enrolled at Holy Trinity this past fall. Noeli’s brother, Juan Miguel, a sophomore, plays Rolf. Both attend St. Luke’s Parish in Temple. Playing Rolf’s love interest and oldest daughter of Georg Von Trapp is Miss Cassandra Stewart, a senior at Holy Trinity and a veteran of the Holy Trinity stage. She has been a part of every stage performance in the past four years starting out as Trixie St. James in Dogsbreath Devereaus, the Dastardly Doctor. She is professional in every level of the stage performance.

The part of Maria is played by senior Julia Bonaventure. Miss Bonaventure just won first place in a duet act at the A&M Consolidated Forensics Tournament with over 50 schools participating. She brings a deep level of acting experience as well as a beautiful voice. The daughter of an Army officer, Julia brings a wide range of experiences to add her acting abilities. She attends church at St. Paul’s in Harker Heights.

Cast and crew come from far as well to participate. Driving all the way from Taylor and Granger are cast members Stevie Collier (Friedrich) Kirsten Messex (nun and new postulant), and Wesley Beaver (tech-lights). All three students attend Holy Trinity.

Christ the King Catholic Church in Belton has 14 parishioners in the cast including two lead roles, Mary Hinze as Louisa, Timmy Kagel as Kurt.

The acting director is Mr. Jim Hunter, a long time member of Temple Civic Theater whose performing and singing career bring a new lever of professionalism to the production. Pamela Fette, producer and musical numbers director, is the Musical Theater teacher at Holy Trinity. Jennie Miller, band teacher at Holy Trinity will conduct the orchestra consisting of local professionals from Temple College and other places.

“The Sound of Music, Broadway stage version, is not the movie”, says Mr. Hunter. “The audience will be treated to the best of theater with all the most loved songs but with a depth of acting and performance that movies cannot give. The stage is alive and the actors and actresses connect with the audience.”

“Excellence of performance has always been the objective of the Theater Program at Holy Trinity”, said Mrs. Fette, Theater teacher. “Our students come from all walks of life and backgrounds. They are bound by the common goal of excellence in the classroom, in sports, theater and forensics and all their activities.”

Holy Trinity students have accomplished a great deal since the school’s inception in 1997 including a progressive and active Fine Arts program. “This performance will truly be a dream fulfilled for me and a lasting memory for all involved,” added Mrs. Fette.

The show will open April 11 and run through April 13th opening on the Mayborn Stage at the Azalee Marshall Cultural Activities Center. Tickets are $20.00 and available by calling 771-1022 or emailing .

Submitted by: Pamela J. Fette

Holy Trinity Catholic High School

418 N. 11th Street

Temple, Texas 76501

School: 254-771-0787

Cell: 254-493-1477

Email: