Seriously, who doesn't love the Sound of Music?  And how great is it that there's an event that caters to Sound of Music lovers hosted by Washington D.C.'s best outdoor venue that also allows you to bring a picnic of amazing food and wine!

Tonight was shared at Wolf Trap with people of all ages, some dressed up in homemade costumes, who just love to enjoy a classic movie in the fresh air.  My friend and I are seasoned Wolf Trap attendees, so we knew how exactly to plan for the night. The key to Wolf Trap is to expect rain and be pleasantly surprised when it stays dry.  I can only count maybe one or two times that I have gone when there has not been rain or thunderstorms in the forecast.  So we went ahead and forked over the extra $10 to get the covered loge seating.  But that didn't mean we couldn't enjoy a picnic on the lawn.  Arriving at least an hour early, we set of our stash of goodies on our blanket and enjoyed some yummy cheese, stuffed dates, and petit fours for dessert - paired with a chilled crisp pinot grigio, of course!

That first hour was spent not only noshing on our snacks and drinking our wine out of plastic mugs, but we also had a chance to do one of my favorite activities - people watching!  We saw nuns galore, girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes, a very cute lederhosen wearing toddler, and some lederhosen clad adults sharing a beer and conversation, plus many more Sound of Music related costumes. (Apologies for the crappy camera phone photos!)

When we went through the entrance of Wolf Trap, we were given a goodie bag with our props for the evening.  Before the movie began, we were instructed on how and when to use the props, plus additional times when we were expected to make specific sound effects.  For any Nazi, we were told to "boo."  For the Baroness, we were expected to hiss at her - obviously because she was coming between the Captain and Maria!  And for Rolfe, this was a little confusing because we were told to bark like a dog, like Rolfe the Muppet, but then again he became a Nazi, so do we bark or boo?  Anyway, the instructions were much clearer for the props.
When the nuns sing "How do you solve a problem like Maria?," we were to hold up the question mark when they said "how" and the Maria card when they said "Maria."  On the opposite sides were the word "flibbertijibbit" and a ghost for when they sing "a will-o'-the-wisp."  Of course the fabric square was to be used after the "Favorite Things" song when Maria is denied fabric for the childrens' play clothes by the Captain.  We had to wave it and yell, "Behind you!," so she would notice the drapery.  Of course the edelweiss was used for the two occasions that song was played.  The invitation was meant to be waved throughout the ball scenes. And finally, the popper was to be "uncorked" the moment Captain von Trapp kisses Maria for the first time in the gazebo. There was a little premature popping going on in that scene, but it still made me laugh.  What an overall fun night! Everyone was so excited about the movie and enthusiastic about singing with the songs - and performing the choreography in the case of "Do-Re-Mi." It makes me want to not only come back next year but to check out a similar experience with the Rocky Horror Picture Show that plays often in D.C.  Hmmm...maybe in October...