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The story:
Maria, a postulant in a Salzburg Abbey, is distracted from her religious duties by the majestic Alpine landscape and her restless, passionate spirit. The Mother Abbess, believing that Maria's buoyant personality may be incompatible with monastic life, wisely sends her away to discover her true calling.
Maria is to be the governess for the von Trapp family-a brood of seven children helmed by Captain von Trapp, a widowed naval officer who educates his children with military discipline. While the children behave well before their father, once out of his sight they are incorrigible pranksters, determined to make their governess miserable. Maria quickly learns that she is merely the latest in a long line of governesses scared away by the children's antics.
Ignoring the Captain's prescriptions for stern child-raising, Maria wins the children over with her natural warmth and kindness. She fashions them clothes from curtain cloth, takes them for picnics in the glorious Alpine countryside, teaches them to sing--and they respond to her care with happiness and laughter.
Together, Maria and the children stage a puppet show to entertain the Captain and his guests. Usually serious, even the Captain is charmed by Maria's contagious personality. Several nights later, the children sing at a dinner party given by the Captain to introduce his friends to his love interest, the Baroness Schraeder. Later in the party, the Captain and Maria perform an Austrian folk dance--"the Laendler"--as they look into each others eyes--they realize they have fallen in love. That night, under the pretext of helping Maria, the Baroness encourages her to leave the Trapp villa. Confused by her new emotions, Maria returns to the Abbey.
Though the Baroness tries to win the children's affections, they are inconsolable without Maria. They are further depressed by the announcement that the Captain will marry the Baroness. At the same time, Maria confesses her love for the Captain to the Mother Abbess, who encourages her to "climb every mountain" to find her true love. Maria returns to the Trapp villa but is devastated to learn of the Captain's impending marriage. The Baroness, finally unable to deny the Captain's true feelings, gracefully bows out. Now both free, the Captain and Maria make plans to marry.
While the Captain and Maria are on their honeymoon, the Anschluss takes place and the Nazis occupy Austria. Max Detweiler, a kindly uncle figure, has entered the children in the Salzburg Festival. The Captain returns to find he has been called into military service by the German army. Appalled by the Nazis, he plots an escape and the family packs hastily. While fleeing the Trapp villa, the family is spotted by storm troopers. They explain that they are merely on the way to perform at the local Salzburg festival. The family appears and sings under the watchful eye of the Nazis, planning to flee after the final number, "So Long, Farewell." The Nazis discover their plans, and the von Trapps make a dramatic escape, hiding in the Abbey before escaping to freedom.
Slowly, the family makes its way up the mountain into the emerging dawn--a symbol of their new life of freedom and the importance of staying true to your ideals.
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