‘The Hills are Alive’ with musical talent at Melmark
Role of Maris is family affair for young actress with Down Syndrome
When the Melmark Players stage “The Sound of Music” this holiday season, lead actress Alicia Conca will wear her own mother’s wedding dress to portray the legendary Maria von Trapp.
Alicia will walk down the aisle toward Captain von Trapp in the same stunning lace gown and veil that her mother, Nancy, wore when she married Anthony Conca in 1981.
And when Alicia carries her guitar over the hills of Austria, it will be in the exact guitar case once owned by her late uncle, John Alberti, a jazz musician who passed away.
Alicia, a Marple resident, is one of 40 adults who attend the Meadows Day Program at Melmark and are part of the Melmark Players theatre troupe. The program is an outlet for creativity, plus it encourages self-confidence, improved speech, memorization skills and attention to instruction. For Alicia, this year’s musical is a family affair.
“The Sound of Music” will be staged at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, and 1:30 Sunday, Dec. 9, at Melmark, 2600 Wayland Road, Berwyn. The play is free and open to the public.
Alicia, 35, auditioned for and won the role of Maria with Dan Drinker playing Captain von Trapp. She is diligently rehearsing and learning her lines. The entire Conca family is supporting Alicia in her starring role, offering costumes, props and applause.
The costume designer is altering the wedding gown for Alicia, a dress that holds special meaning for the family as Nancy’s husband, Anthony, passed away in 2014.
“I love playing Maria and I am excited to wear my mom’s beautiful dress,” said Alicia, as the dress was tailored to fit.
“It is very meaningful to me and my whole family to see Alicia in the family dress and carrying her beloved uncle’s guitar case,” Nancy said. “Melmark provides an excellent program for Alicia, who has special intellectual and physical needs. But this theatre program, and this play, truly enhance her life in many ways, giving her something she can really be proud of.”
Alicia’s entire family along with many friends will be in the audience when she launches into “Do-Re-Me” and her mother’s wedding dress will truly be “One of My Favorite Things.”
Melmark is a comprehensive multi-service agency, providing residential, educational and therapeutic services for children and adults with autism, intellectual disabilities, brain injuries and other neurological and genetic diagnoses. For information on Melmark visit www.melmark.org.