The secrets behind the songs

SIXTEEN – GOING ON SEVENTEEN

The gazebo in which this number was filmed provided a wonderfully romantic setting for Liesl and Rolf’s midnight tryst but the director of photography despaired at the way the light kept reflecting off the panels of glass. Eventually he resorted to having stagehands lie on the floor so you wouldn’t see their images reflected in the panes of glass. Another issue was when Charmain Carr (Liesl) was given special dance shoes but they were missing the rubber heel on the sole and as she went to dance, she went flying right through the glass. She was thankfully okay but ended up with some cuts and a sprained ankle.

SOMETHING GOOD

The nuisance gazebo strikes again in this scene where Maria and the Captain confess their love. This was filmed after an exhausting period of non-stop shooting and in her tiredness, Julie got the giggles, especially when a hanging floodlight started making raspberry noises every time they got close, sending her into fits of laughter. Exasperated, the director filmed them in the dark so no one could see them laughing.

MY FAVOURITE THINGS

This was the first scene of the film to be shot and nerves were high, especially for Charmain Carr (left) who had never acted before and was full of wide-eyed expectation. When Liesl climbs up the drainpipe into Maria’s room to take refuge from the storm, Charmain had to be soaked with freezing cold water for 15 takes to get it right!