Distractions plagued Sunday afternoon's performance of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, "The Sound of Music."

What could have been a delightful recreation of the 1965 film, was rendered laughable due to harsh lighting and difficulties with the sound.

In several scenes, the spotlight missed centering on the characters. More distractions arose when the characters hugged or danced, and the microphones attached to their clothes muffled dialogue.

The actresses portraying the nuns of the Nonnberg Abbey often overexaggerated their lines. For instance, the nuns' argument over Maria's behavior was unconvincing and delivered flatly.

However, by the second act, the acoustics improved and the performers seemed more comfortable with their roles.

The von Trapp children, students of the Cincinnati School for the Creative and Performing Arts, turned in the strongest performances. Standing out was Cory Shafer, who portrayed Kurt von Trapp. Shafer's versatile singing voice added charm to his performance.

Catherine Morin portrayed novice and governess Maria, who changes the lives of the von Trapp family. Morin and the children's interaction was natural and endearing. The children and Morin performed the popular "Do-Re-Mi" with humor and ease.

Morin brought out Maria's gentle but confident personality. Her beautiful singing voice was demonstrated in the sweet "My Favorite Things."

A lack of chemistry between Morin and the Captain von Trapp, played by Thomas Fiscella, made their scenes together seem forced and unbelievable.

The scenes featuring the captain and his friend, the conniving Max Detweiler as played by Larry Reinhardt-Meyer, were much more entertaining. Detweiler delivered his lines with comic timing and Fiscella replied with the perfect amount of sarcasm. The captain's comments about Max's obnoxious ways evoked laughs from the audience.

Although the sets were beautiful, the stage was cluttered and prohibited the characters to freely move about on the stage. The party scene at the von Trapp villa made this painfully obvious.

"Sixteen Going on Seventeen," the duet between the character Rolf Gruber, played by recent Penn State graduate Keith Merritt, and Liesl, played by Andrea Drobish, displayed the strong singing ability of both performers.

Although technical errors were distracting, strong singing performances redeemed an otherwise lamentable show.