In the Broadway musical The Sound of Music, the governess hired by Captain von Trapp is Maria.
Maria arrives at the von Trapp villa after leaving the Nonnberg Abbey, where she has been training as a postulant. Her lively personality conflicts with the captain’s strict household rules, but she quickly bonds with his seven children through music and outdoor activities.
The musical’s story was adapted from Maria von Trapp’s 1949 memoir, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers. Richard Rodgers composed the music, Oscar Hammerstein II wrote the lyrics, and Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse wrote the book. The Broadway production opened in 1959, with Mary Martin originating the role of Maria.
Maria is sometimes confused with the von Trapp children, particularly Liesl, the eldest daughter, or with Elsa Schraeder, the captain’s romantic partner. The character’s journey from abbey postulant to family matriarch is central to the musical’s plot and songs.