See The Sound of Music in Fredericksburg—with Manassas’ Own in the Spotlight
Uriah Kiser - Potomac Local News
August 7, 2025
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – International opera and musical theater performer Kelly Glyptis is returning to her roots this month, starring as Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts.
Glyptis, who grew up in Manassas and graduated from what was then Stonewall Jackson Senior High School—now Unity-Reed High School—called the opportunity to perform back home “really special.” She previously toured with The Sound of Music in 2018 and now steps fully into the role for a limited run that begins August 20 and continues through October 26. Glyptis is scheduled to perform through October 6.
“People from home can come see me,” she said. “That’s something I haven’t had in a long time.”
While attending Stonewall Jackson, Glyptis began to lay the foundation for her future career. She was active in both choir and theater, first performing in straight plays—including Shakespeare and Greek tragedies—before moving into musical theater. Encouraged by her voice teacher to try classical repertoire, she reluctantly learned an Italian art song—and ended up loving it. That led her to enter the Bland Music Competition, sponsored by the local Lions Club, where she placed second at just 13 years old.
Her early accomplishments quickly snowballed. Glyptis convinced the Washington National Opera’s summer program to let her audition—despite being technically too young—and was accepted. At 16, she traveled to Rome to perform her first full opera role in Suor Angelica, thanks to the encouragement of her high school choir director, Wandalyn Boley.
“She was the one who told me, ‘What’s the worst that can happen? They say no?’” Glyptis recalled. “She was always pushing me to try.”
The Riverside production of The Sound of Music features music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir The Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp and is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of The Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization.
The musical—Rodgers and Hammerstein’s final collaboration—is among the world’s most beloved, featuring cherished songs like “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” “My Favorite Things,” “Do-Re-Mi,” and “Sixteen Going on Seventeen.” Winner of five Tony Awards and five Oscars, the show tells the inspirational story of Maria, a young postulant who brings music and joy into the home of the stern Captain von Trapp before the family is forced to confront the rise of Nazism in Austria.
Glyptis said this version of the show aims to bring fresh emotional depth to the classic. “It’s a Sound of Music like people haven’t really seen before,” she said. “We’re really focused on making this production real and visceral.”
Since leaving Northern Virginia, Glyptis has performed across the globe, including two years in London’s West End as Carlotta in Phantom of the Opera and a recent appearance at the Lithuanian National Opera. She’s also passionate about teaching—and plans to visit all 14 Prince William County high schools this fall, along with Manassas and Manassas Park, offering master classes, mini-performances, and even basic stage combat demonstrations.
“I’ve been teaching for over 20 years,” Glyptis said. “This is part of giving back and paying it forward.”
Tickets are available at riversidedt.com, with options for both dinner-and-show and show-only experiences. Prices are as follows (plus applicable taxes and a $5 online processing fee per ticket):
Adult Dinner & Show: $82
Senior (65+) Dinner & Show: $77
Children (3–17) Dinner & Show: $70
Military Discount (limit 4 with ID): $77
Adult Show Only: $65
Senior (65+) Show Only: $60
Children (3–17) Show Only: $55
Rush Tickets (same-day, limited availability): $35
Glyptis encourages audiences to see the show early if they hope to catch her performance, but praised her alternate as “one of the most beautiful performers I’ve had the pleasure to work with.”