Isla Jean Phillips

"And the children! One audience member was heard to say, 'Those are the best group of kids I've seen onstage in years.' This reviewer concurred. Ella Schnoor (Liesl, the oldest), Aiden Maldonado (Friedrich, oldest boy, 14), Isla Phillips (Lousia, 13), Grayson Lewis (Kurt, 11), Vera Barfield (Brigitta, 10), Catherine Mayers (Marta, 7), and Ellie Waddell (Gretl, 5) are each distinct, composed, and win the day with their stage presence and even solid comedic timing. No matter what choreographer Stephanie Wood threw at these game performers – as in the musical numbers "Do-Re-Mi" and "The Lonely Goatherd" with their ringleader Maria – they made it look easy as strudel."

"The von Trapp children are a revelation–adorable, yes, but more importantly, they act with depth and maturity beyond their years. When Maria leaves them, you feel their pain. When they sing, they own the stage."

"Hu: How is it working with the kids in the show?

Andersen: The kids are phenomenal. I'm their biggest fan. They are ready to work when they come into the room. They love the show. They're sitting and watching the scenes together. They're practicing their lines together on breaks. They are in it and committed. They want it to be right. For me as a person, I love that. I admire them and am impressed by them. I couldn't say when I was their age I could be that well-behaved and professional as they were. As an actor I'm so grateful because they are the show for the majority of it. I interact with most of them on a one-on-one level. I also sing and dance with them. I rely on their energy and their readiness in the room. They're giving it their all and that makes my job ten times easier."