heaters are alive with The Sound of Music - literally! In celebration of its 35th anniversary, the classic and much loved 1965 film starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer has returned to the big screen, but in a rather unique way. Sing A Long Sound of Music lets the audience really get into the spirit of the movie. You can dress up like your favorite character,

talk back to the screen and best of all you get to sing your heart out to all of those unforgettable tunes (Edelweiss, Climb Every Mountain, Do-Re-Mi, Favorite Things).   After a festival debut in May, 1999, Sing A Long Sound of Music began running at the Prince Charles Cinema in London's West End in August, 1999 and is still going strong.   It began its UK tour last January and became an instant hit in North America when New York audiences got the chance to experience the phenomenon this past September.   Sing A Long Sound of Music will have its Canadian Premiere in Toronto on February 23rd for a limited engagement.   "We never thought it would be this much of a success," says Ben Freedman, producer of the show. "We put it on for a limited run in London, but there was so much attention we couldn't stop."   Freedman, who was originally born in Toronto, moved to London with his parents as a young boy. As a matter of fact, his family is good friends with Canadian actor Christopher Plummer, who of course stars as Captain Von Trapp.   "My father saved his life once when Plummer fell into Lake Ontario in the '50s. They had been watching my mother in a play on the Toronto Island and they missed the last ferry so they took a boat back. Plummer fell out of the boat, but dad grabbed his ankle and saved him from drowning."   Plummer is notorious for panning The Sound of Music. He claims that it ruined his career, yet it's the film that everyone remembers him in.   "Well, that's the problem. He is a classically trained actor who has done so much work and it frustrates him to no end that The Sound of Music is all people want to talk to him about," says Freeman.   Despite what Plummer thinks, the interactive screening of Sing A Long Sound of Music is well organized and a lot of fun. A host leads the crowd through a vocal warm up, demonstrates the use of a complimentary interactive pack, gives a comprehensive guide to the films accompanying actions and conducts a costume competition.   Audiences have a blast hissing at the baroness, booing the Nazis, and singing along to Maria and the Von Trapps.   As you might expect, people dress up as nuns and other obvious characters from the film. At a recent screening in London a group of 22 men came attached together in Astro turf; they were dressed as the Alps.   Freedman adds, "the one thing about this show is that it is just plain fun. We are not mocking the film, we are praising it and celebrating it lovingly. It gives people the opportunity to enjoy it in a theater again and it gives new generations the chance to see it for the first time on a big screen."   If dressing up isn't your thing, no problem. You can just come and enjoy the experience of watching the film or the people around you.   And don't worry if you have forgotten or don't even know the words to the songs. They are displayed clearly on the screen so you can join in proudly without missing a beat.   So how do some of the original actors feel about getting all of this attention 35 years after the film was originally released?   Well, Charmian Carr (who played Liesl) has been a great supporter. She has even come out to many of the screenings and led the audience in a round of "I am Sixteen" and "Edelweiss" in London. Even the actors who played Rolf and Gretl have come out.   "Well, we haven't approached Christopher for obvious reasons," says Freedman, and there is the issue of Julie Andrews' well-documented throat problems. "She knows about the Sing A Long but I think that it would be upsetting for her to come knowing that people would want her to sing and she can't."   Judging by the success of Sing A Long Sound of Music a whole new trend could evolve. Sing A Long Fiddler on the Roof anyone? Or how about Sing A Long Grease? Just think, the possibilities are endless. - Bonnie Laufer-Krebs