The hills are alive ...'

The hills of Yuma will be alive with "The Sound of Music" this January as Yuma Community Theater stages the classic American musical for the first time in nearly 20 years.

For lots of folks working on the production it's all a case of welcome dj vu.

"I'm playing the exact same role as I did all those years ago!" said Fred Brown, the show's producer. "I still have two entire lines of dialogue, but this time it was planned this way."

Brown, who is also president of YCT, will recreate his past success as Baron Elberfeld.

He will be joined on stage by 40 other community theater actors, all of whom have done much to truly impress this producer.

"Oh, wow! We have found some greatly talented people for this production," Brown said. "As a producer and longtime member of YCT, I knew there were talented people in Yuma, Arizona. But we haven't done a musical in a long time. I didn't know where that talent was."

He found out when a record-breaking 78 people showed up for auditions.

"That kind of response was just outstanding," Brown said. "We have a cast that is doing just a tremendous job."

Fifteen people will also be running the show from backstage.

The YCT production is being co-sponsored by the City Arts and Culture Division, which gave a grant to the theater organization.

"Without that help we wouldn't be able to afford to put on this show," Brown said. "YCT is, after all, a nonprofit organization. All the money we make from this show will go toward making the next one."

The curtain will rise on "The Sound of Music" each Friday, Saturday and Sunday from today through Jan. 22 at the Historic Yuma Theatre, 254 S. Main St. Friday and Saturday shows are set for 7 p.m., while the Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. Doors will open an hour before show time.

Tickets, which are for general admission seating, are $15 and available from local branches of AEA Federal Credit Union. Anyone with questions may call Fred or Lisa at 344-2880.

Tickets, if any remain, will be sold each night at the door as well.

But Brown is predicting some sell-out shows.

"I would predict that our Sunday matinees will sell out for sure," the producer said.

The lead performers in "The Sound of Music" are Katie Ballard as Maria and Ralph Gray as

Captain von Trapp. Ballard is a local teacher and Gray works for the city of Yuma.

"They are all doing a fantastic job, too," Brown said.

He said the audiences will not only love "The Sound of Music" because of the show itself, but because of who is putting on the show, as well.

"I think Yuma audiences are going to respond well to seeing nonprofessional actors - local friends, family members and neighbors - who have volunteered their time to create community theater for their family and friends and neighbors," Brown said. "I don't see how Yuma couldn't welcome them with open arms and great applause at the end of each show."